I have been in Germany for the last two weeks. I have been following the travails of Mexico's national team around the country for a couple of Mexican newspapers. This is the first time I have had the chance to experience the World Cup in Europe. I've had quite a time. The soccer being played has been spectacular. Still, the skills of Messi, Ronaldinho and company are nothing compared with the feeling of human belonging and shared identity felt in every German venue.

In a recent edition of The Guardian, Timothy Garton Ash pointed out how football's fanaticism can bring out the best and worst in civilizations. In the first paragraph of his exquisite piece, Garton Ash mentions Kapuscinksi's famous book on the "Soccer-war" between Honduras and El Salvador. There are a few other examples of football being overrun by human stubbornness and resentment. Still, when one sees people merrily dancing on the street in neutral ground, it's difficult not to believe that something good might come out of a gathering like this. After all, what is diplomacy if not a search for our common interests?
So: why not? Give Mr. Annan a rest and give Mr. Ronaldo de Assis Moreira a chance.