I had been living in Warsaw for two years and had never taken much interest in soccer before the 1982 World Cup. My job teaching English, and the rise and fall of Solidarity, had been enough to keep me occupied. But school ended in June – permanently for me, as I was heading home shortly – just as the tournament was starting in Spain. With time on my hands, I joined friends in front of the TV.
Poland starts its 2018 World Cup campaign Tuesday against Senegal, and, ahead of the match, I’ve been thinking back to that summer in Warsaw when I first learned to love the sport.