There has been a significant absence of hope for a long time. Fourteen years of Tory rule in Britain. England seemingly tearing itself apart as the worst of nationalism and populism rises to the fore. Scotland being failed by the infighting at Holyrood and the other nations of the Union being ignored by the powers-that-be. Populism in America. The rising far-right in Europe. War in Ukraine. War crimes in the Middle East. On and on the list goes. Hope is firmly trapped in Pandora’s jar.

So thank God, thank God, that there’s football.

Many of you will think that is incredibly ghoulish. How can I, with everything that is going on in the world, turn away and plonk myself in front of the BBC/ITV/STV for eight hours a day and do nothing but watch 22 men kick a ball about?

From a domestic perspective, I have to. Labour is guaranteed to romp home to a majority in the election. But that hasn’t stopped them being so uninspiring it’s almost impressive. No real progressive taxation, no real concrete action for workers and small businesses, a green policy that is better than nothing but not by much. Throw in the fact that everyone in this election is more concerned with mudslinging rather than offering actual solutions and opening up any news website can only be done from behind the sofa. It is a struggle to live in Britain in the 21^st Century.

Across the channel, right-wing and far-right parties won out in EU elections. While there isn’t enough to create a majority, and the European right is divided itself, a progressive and pragmatic Continent may not be coming. As for America… I won’t. And that doesn’t even include Ukraine, Gaza, South Sudan, and a whole host of other catastrophes that make despair as daily a meal as lunch and dinner.

The world has been unendingly awful. And as privileged as it may sound, we need a break. Humans were not made to have global information forced into them at every waking moment of the day. The internet and the algorithms that are now its cornerstone will churn out horror after horror, war crime after war crime.

I know some can’t take a break, who can’t wake up and decide to not look at the news. But if we that are in a position of help are burned out, then what help can we provide?

Not to mention that those who can’t look away have thrown themselves into football. The Palestinian national team have gone further in World Cup qualifying than ever before. Ukraine, fighting a war in Europe for all of Europe, is in the European Championship and everyone on the frontline seems to be ready to tune in. Football has the ability to inspire and unite: there’s a quiet feeling that if all goes well in Germany it can help to dispel some of the othering and rhetoric from our darkest elements.

That may not be enough for some. It may be unconscionable to relax with what’s going on. But I ask again: what can you do if you are burned out and demotivated? It doesn’t have to be for the whole tournament. Maybe it’s just 90 minutes. Maybe it’s opening an iPlayer in a different window as you organise a petition. Maybe you have it on the radio while you campaign and protest. Maybe it’s the quick flick to a scores app in a brief moment of downtime. Don’t rob yourself of the joy you want others to experience.

So bring on that joy, for four weeks at least. Sing ‘Three Lions’ and wish for (god is that how long it’s been?? Really???) years of hurt (for the men) to end. Boogie all night long. Want England to lose. Cheer, cry, disbelieve, dream. In a time of inhumanity, feel human.