World Cup football thrill has gone save for majestic spectacle of fans
IF ever a World Cup was needed to distract us from the head spinning world of international politics, it is this summer of 2018. The most watched sports spectacle ever, with an estimated three billion people tuning in to the opening night celebrations on Thursday – was something I was looking forward to – possibly borne of nostalgia for when Ireland were competing with the Italy’s and Holland’s of the world. The lack of the shots of sun burnt fans sporting the green, white and orange, arms linked around red necks, means this world cup means a lot less than it could have.
The opening match, a 5-0 hammering by the host nation of a woefully poor Saudi Arabian outfit – with a clearly surprised President Putin looking on – was the first indication that equality can exist in Russia, but rarely does.
With 32 teams competing (48 will compete in America, Canada and Mexico in 2026), there are always going to be mismatches and this was just one.
The excitement of the Russian fans – along with a super curling strike – was the highlight in an otherwise predictable encounter. It wasn’t until the old enemies of Spain and Portugal clashed for the World Cup narrative to come alive. Step up one Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the greatest player in front of goal of the last decade.
Relishing the opportunity to inflict some damage on the Spaniards (and on his old foe Lionel Messi in the process), Ronaldo did what he does best, scored a great penalty, a lucky goal and a brilliant free kick. And bang we had a world cup.
The problem is apart from the breathtaking encounter between Mexico and World Cup holders Germany, the games have been poor and the players uninspired ever since.
Case in point Lionel Messi. My favourite footballer ever, yes. The best ever, I’m still not qualified to make such an assertion. Like a modern day footballing Sisyphus, he moped and gawped around the field during the Argentine’s first game against Iceland. The Argentina coach said the maestro had a gun to his head when he was playing for his native country, a nation he has a conflict-laden relationship with at the best of times. The pressure must be immense. Having visited the country and Brazil almost a decade ago now, I am still struck, at times, by the importance the people place on football. It is their oxygen, in a way, and knowing that nothing short of winning the tournament is good enough must feel like a ton weight on any players’ shoulders.
But football is, at its apogee, the beautiful game. It is played by ridiculously well paid professionals. Sometimes, one senses, they believe the hype and even the great Messi may not be immune to this, following his Greatest Of All Time ad, which aired before the world cup.
What has made the competition watchable, so far, has been more about the fans. The RTE commentary has been patchy ( just today one commentator confused Sweden with Switzerland, for shame!), but you are afforded little insights into the host cities and given some interesting facts (a plus for RTE)
In a week when harrowing accounts of fathers and mothers being separated from their children and grandchildren under draconian immigration laws by US agents under Donald Trump’s watch – which even sparked his wife to come out and call for this to stop – the colourful diversity of the World Cup, where fans stand side by side chanting, has to be a good thing.