The World Cup had all the elements of a classic

France was a worthy winner in the end, but that a side like Croatia made it all the way to the final was a story for the ages and that’s what makes football so special.

The end of the World Cup signals the beginning of a relatively shorter wait for club football, but it’s a tough one all the same. A lot of people have said that this edition of the World Cup has been the best they’ve ever watched, and I agree with them. It’s been a thriller!

It had all the elements of a classic from start to finish. The inclusion of the video assistant referee meant that almost every game came with a new type of talking point. Dark horses like Croatia and Sweden rose above their marks even as the defending champion and the ‘socalled’ superpowers capitulated on a weekly basis.

If statistics are anything to go by, 69 goals were scored in the final 15 minutes of the games in Russia. This means that almost every game ended with a winner, an equaliser or an attempted fightback. If you ask me to choose my favourite game of the lot, Mexico’s win over Germany and Belgium’s comeback against Japan would be right up there. These were games that I enjoyed watching from start to finish, and though I rooted for Japan against Belgium, that Roberto Martinez’s side came back and scored three to win showed character.

Japan put on a great show that night and throughout the tournament, and gave a good account of Asia on the world stage. They left us all with something to be proud of, and the fact that they were two goals to the good against one of the world’s strongest sides tells us that the future looks bright.

The comparisons may never end, but that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi