World Cup: What If…

Rajesh Jantilal / AFP / Getty Images

What if, in the midst of war and strife and suffering and inequality, we suddenly had a month, one whole month, in which the latest military-style encampments were pitched not by soldiers, but by sports fans, and people across the globe were actually drawn together by a sports tournament, situated on the poorest continent, empowering teams from the four corners as if they were all “first world.”

(caption: Tent City: Fans of the Australian team have formed a “home base” on this cricket ground in Durban, South Africa via TIME.com photogallery)