The FIFA World Cup has been around for almost a century. The cup has brought the spotlight on numerous players such as Pele, Ronaldo, Neymar and many more. It is a rarity as it only occurs every four years. 

There are many speculations on this year’s World Cup, but due to the scandal about Qatar’s human rights issues and the splitting of the Champions/Premier League is making it look rushed. 

Numerous important players were unable to join this year’s World Cup due to injuries from the Premier League. Furthermore, it is still unclear if Son Heung-Min is able to play in it after his eye socket injury. 

Football teams and their philosophy this world cup pic.twitter.com/BNfnkc3kGQ

— Troll Football (@TrollFootball) November 11, 2022

 

Fans have already begun making memes about the 2022 World Cup and claimed that Spain will pass the ball until they “die.” Portugal will pass the ball to Ronaldo constantly for him to strike, Brazil will constantly dribble the ball to confuse other players and jokingly claim that for Argentina, if another team hurts him, they will die. 

Now, the list of the 5 best World Cups was made by shortlist.com and it has quite a number of interesting facts to it. 

Number 5, South Korea/Japan 

The 2002 World Cup, 20 years ago, is listed as the fifth best in this list. Brazilian Ronaldo led Brazil to be the best team of the cup. 2002 was the year that Brazil beat Germany in a 2-0 final match. 

In the list, they mentioned the most shocking things that happened in the year. Namely, the questionable refereeing that was done in the South Korea vs Italy match where South Korea saw an advantage over the latter. The United States also managed to beat Portugal and send them home. This is only for them to be sent home by Germany. 

Number 4, England 

The 1966 World Cup, which was hosted by England and was brought up by numerous Qatar defenders when it came to the LGBT rights issue the Middle East country had. Again, Italy lost to Korea, but this time it was North Korea. It appears that the Italians have a weakness for Koreans. 

England had a third goal in the 1966 finals and it is considered to be one of the most memorable moments in FIFA’s history as it is the most contested goal in any World Cup Final. Furthermore, the Jules Rimet trophy was stolen from the exhibition and it caused panic right before the cup started but it was later found wrapped in paper under some bushes in London. 

Number 3, Mexico

The 1986 World Cup was listed as the third best. Argentina was listed as the best team for the year and the centre of attention was Maradona. Argentina, under Maradona’s amazing skills, managed to beat West Germany in a shocking 3-2 final. It was dubbed the victory of the ‘poor countries’ by some.

Morocco was considered to be one of the biggest shocks of the 1986 Cup as they managed to beat England, Portugal and Poland. However, in the end they were beaten by West Germany. Furthermore, Maradona’s goal was regarded as “the goal of the century.” 

Number 2, Italy

The 1990 tournament was held by Italy. West Germany won the match and Argentina was a close runner up. It appears that Cameroon also made the list of one of the notable countries of that year’s World Cup. 

Cameroon beat Argentina in a 1-0 match and it was said to be a tough game but Cameroon deserved the win. Roger Milla was the ultimate star for Cameroon. Their tackle against Argentina was said to be one of the greatest of all time. Costa Rica then humiliated Scotland and Ireland had an amazing quarter final.

Number 1, Mexico (again) 

Not to be confused with the 1986 Cup as this one is the 1970 Finals. Apparently, Mexico is good at hosting the World Cup as they appeared on the list twice. Brazil won the cup that year and it’s mostly thanks to Pele, Carlos Alberto, Gerson, Tostao, Rivelino and Jairzinho. They are called the ‘Giants of Brazil’ until today.

The biggest shock was that England was leading their match against West Germany with a 2-0 scoreboard. However, West Germany fought back and whacked them with a 3-2 scoreline at the end of the game.

Brazil destroyed Italy that year with a remarkable 4-1 result. This specific event was ranked as the best due to the fact that the highest score per game ratio was seen in 1970. Apparently it has not been beaten ever since. 

What will happen in the next World Cup? 

Will the 2022 World Cup measure up with these five best cups? We will have to wait and see when the games commence next week. 

Here are more stories related to the FIFA 2022 World Cup. 

The hurrycane Harry is marching on and is scoring more goals for England making him the second top scorer for his country.

He is now on the verge of becoming England’s all-time leading goalscorer and soon, he may topple Manchester United’s star Wayne Rooney who is still standing in his way.

The Tottenham Hotspurs striker has been prolific for England since his debut for the Three Lions against tiny Lithuania in March 2015.

Kane has so far scored 51 goals in 74 appearances in the England shirt. He has also led England to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and the Euro 2020 final.

The impact of Kane on the country’s football is undoubted and he is only 2 goals shy of Rooney’s 53 for England.

Rooney has appeared 120 times for England and this gives Kane a better average than the current Derby County manager. Besides Manchester United, Rooney has also played for Liverpool rivals Everton and DC United in the United States.

There is one thing Kane cannot take away from Rooney though. It is the fact that Rooney became the very first player in England’s soccer history to score 50 goals for the country.

Harry Kane is the sole holder of second place on England’s all-time scoring list. His household name is firmly entrenched among the elite forwards who have donned an England shirt.

It is amazing though that Bobby Charlton is still anchored at no 3 in the top goal scorers list for England with 49 goals for 106 caps.

Kane has also scored 6 goals for England in the 2018 World Cup which makes him a great among the great strikers for His Majesty’s soccer formation.

He has three goals in eight matches so far in 2022 and fans are hoping that he will net more goals for Tottenham as well as for England.

 

Looking back at this season, most managers are under immense pressure more than ever. According to the Daily Mail, maintaining the managerial position of a club on the continent is relatively simpler when compared to those of the UK. 

Since the start of this season, there were three major changes in managers for the Premier League clubs and there were two firings. Thomas Tuchel had to leave Chelsea and the managers of other major teams should be frightened for their positions. 

Mauricio Pochettino, the former Tottenham manager is allegedly a good prospect for Nice, after Lucien Favre is being faced with criticism. Ligue 1 has not been too kind to Nice and Lucien Favre, and he has faced criticism for it. 

Here are the top 5 out of work managers who had done an impressive job during their time of day managing major football clubs: 

5. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Since Ole Gunnar departed Manchester United last November, he has not been offered any new positions as a manager. Many still question his three seasons managing United, regardless of what is said of him, he did manage to get the team to the second place in the 2020-2021 season of the Premier League. 

Unfortunately, the Europa League final is where Manchester United lost to Villarreal on penalties. His performance greatly reduced within the last few months of his position in the club and he couldn’t improve faster than what the owners of the club were expecting. 

4. Frank de Boer 

De Boer started his career as a footballer, earning 112 caps for the Netherlands. He also played for Barcelona and Ajax. He won four league titles with Ajax within his five seasons with the team. During this time he was at the height of his management career. 

Sadly, this trend maintained until 2014, after that his managerial skills appeared to decline. He stayed as the manager for Inter Milan for a measly three months. He then had a short stint at Crystal Palace before losing his job as he lost all his league matches while managing them. 

He has won a few US championships and still has an impressive resume, it is unclear when will he return to the Premier League but with the instability of clubs retaining their managers, we may see him returning one day. 

3. Marcelo Bielsa

Marcelo, the Argentinian manager has been managing football clubs for three and a half decades. He had his time with Marseille and Athletic Bilbao. Back in 2004, he coached Argentina to win the Olympic gold medal. 

During his work at Leeds United, football supporters then only realised his actual qualities in football and started to appreciate him more then. Unfortunately for him, his age is one of the factors on why he is still available. He’s currently 67 years old and it is unclear if he would be willing to take up another job anytime soon.  

2. Thomas Tuchel 

Thomas Tuchel, the greatest tragedy of the current Premier League season. He guided Chelsea to win the Champions League in the first few months of managing them. Many were shocked and upset that he was told to leave the Blues this month. He had also won the Super Cup with Chelsea. 

Just after a few weeks in the current campaign, the new club owners decided to let him go. This was after Chelsea finished third in the league and also after their loss at the FA Cup against Liverpool. He is currently 49 years old and has an impressive background, it is sure that another fortunate club will snatch him up soon. 

1. Zindine Zidane 

Last but not least on this list, Zindine Zidane. He was a household name as a football player and has been an excellent manager. He has never been sacked from any clubs but has left the clubs under his own decisions and terms. It appears that he is currently waiting to lead France in the World Cup. 

At only 50 years old, he has won the World Cup while being a footballer and is currently considering whether to lead Les Bleus. He should be expecting numerous offers from all the European clubs if the current World Cup manager, Didier Deschamps is still leading France in this current World Cup. 

 

NOTHING surprising seeing big-name coaches being shown the door if their teams don’t perform on the big stage.

Perhaps you may say it’s part and parcel of the game, or even an occupational hazard.

But hats off to Spain national coach Luis Enrique who announced his departure from international football days after Spain lost to Morocco on penalties in the round of 16 clash of the World Cup in Qatar. Maybe the same for Brazilian coach Tite after the shocker penalty-kicks loss to Croatia.

More inspiring, he took the blame for the team’s non-performance as at the start of the tournament they looked among the odds-on favourites after the awe-inspiring 7-0 white-wash of Costa Rica.

Even in my view, I thought this was Spain’s year as their strikers were simply awesome in their goalmouth finishings.

PARTING WAYS

In a statement by the Spanish football federation (RFEF), it was confirmed that the 52-year-old head coach would part ways with the national team just days after his side were knocked out of the competition in Qatar. 

The decision came after both parties agreed to not extend his current contract which expires at the end of the year.

“The RFEF would like to thank Luis Enrique and his entire coaching staff at the helm of the absolute national team in recent years,” read a statement on the Spanish FA website, which stated that a report had been sent to the president, suggesting a change in manager would be ideal for a “new project” to begin. 

It continued: “The coach earns the love and admiration of his collaborators in the national team and of the entire Federation, which will always be his home.”

FOURTH MANAGER

Spain’s Under-21 manager Luis de la Fuente is expected to replace him.

Enrique, who was first appointed Spain’s coach in 2018, had a contract until the end of the year. He is the fourth manager to get the boot.

De la Fuente joined the RFEF in 2013 as the Under-15 manager, having worked with players, such as Marco Asensio, goalkeeper Unai Simon, Eric Garcia, Pau Torres, Pedri, Carlos Soler and Dani Olmo when they were youngsters.

REVAMP SPAIN

Spain media said Enrique was initially hired in 2018 to revamp a national team that was struggling to move on from the golden generation of World champions from the 2010 World Cup.

Many would suggest that the former Barcelona coach did just that after introducing a host of youngsters like Pedri, Gavi and Ansu Fati. It is reported that Enrique would be keen to get back into club management now that his stint with the national side has come to an end.

Spain began their World Cup campaign in superb fashion after blanking Costa Rica 7-0. The initial euphoria soon turned sour. La Roja drew 1-1 to Germany, lost 2-1 to Japan before losing out in penalties to Morocco.

But whatever you may summarise, the big coaches know they have to throw in the towel if they don’t deliver the goods. 

The price of big-time football, perhaps?

* Suresh Nair is an award-winning sports journalist who is also a qualified international coach and international referee instructor.

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LET’S face it, at  the end of the day, football is about winning, right?

The millionaire players play so they can end up with silverware in their hands, their pockets too full with rising monetary rewards while the supporters retain an interest so they can see those said players with the silverware in their hands. 

Yes, the global game is all about glory.

That sentiment hasn’t been embodied better than by these champion-players  who have claimed the most pieces of silverware during their remarkable careers. 

STARRING WINNING FOOTBALL CELEBRITIES

Cristiano Ronaldo will retire as one of the best to ever do it, with his legacy built off his ability to produce when it matters most.

The Portuguese forward has had a big hand in the vast majority of the 34 trophies he’s collected throughout his illustrious career, including five Champions League titles with two different clubs.

Another Portuguese legend, goalkeeper Vitor Baia, built up quiet the trophy haul during his 13 years as a professional. Much of his success arrived at Porto, where he won the Champions League and 10 league titles, but he also lifted five pieces of silverware with Barcelona between 1996 and 1998.

KENNY DALGLISH

Over in England, Kenny Dalglish was the leading man of the football team of the 1980s. The Scottish superstar enjoyed plenty of success with Celtic before he made the switch to Liverpool in 1977 after Kevin Keegan opted to join Hamburg.

Dalglish would inspire an already dominant Reds outfit to more success following his move, helping Liverpool to six First Division titles, three European Cup triumphs, as well as the FA Cup in 1986.  In total, he lifted 21 pieces of silverware as a player on Merseyside over a majestic 13-year period.

Ryan Giggs won everything there was to win during his lengthy Manchester United career. He was destined for stardom from a young age and Sir Alex Ferguson quickly went about establishing the winger in his first team. 

GERARD PIQUE

The Welshman was a pivotal figure in United’s success either side of the new millennium, eventually finishing his career with 13 Premier League titles, four FA Cups and two Champions Leagues.

Don’t mark off Gerard Pique who enjoyed tremendous success with Barcelona. Three of Pique’s 37 trophies arrived during a brief spell at Manchester United, but the overwhelming majority of his success came with his boyhood club Barcelona.

The defensive stalwart was a mainstay in the Catalan defence for over a decade as La Blaugrana emerged as Europe’s supreme force under both Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique.

LIONEL MESSI

Pique was also a part of the all-conquering Spanish squad for their World Cup triumph in 2010 and Euros success two years later.

As this Qatar World Cup comes to a climax, Lionel Messi stars like a diamond of aplayer. 

Sad, international success – or lack thereof – was the only stain on Messi’s imperious career before he spearheaded Argentina’s success at the 2021 Copa America. La Albiceleste then beat Italy in the first-ever Finalissima which added another trophy to Leo’s gargantuan haul.

Now who’re your  favourite footballing names with whom you’d swear by?

* Suresh Nair is an award-winning sports journalist who is also a qualified international coach and international referee instructor.

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