A feast of football

The World Cup is about to start. And if you are among those 90s kids who started watching the World Cup in 2002, there couldn’t be a better time to get excited about it.

The 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea witnessed Brazil’s golden generation with players like Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos setting the World Cup alight. Wonderful moments!

With the greatest footballing nations about to lock horns again in Russia, predictions about the winners are already buzzing around the world. Speculation and analyses propagate like wildfire. While some speculation is somewhat off the chart, many questions that have emerged are valid and relevant given recent events.

Will a full-strength Brazil be able to avenge its last World Cup home disappointment, or will it be Germany lifting the golden trophy to earn a fifth star to match the former?

On the other hand, will Spain, a strong force to be reckoned with, be able to make a comeback despite recovering from the loss of their golden generation?

Regardless of the answers one might give, we cannot shed light on the matter without first understanding the “context” for these great teams. The World Cup is known for its rigorous selection process. Regulars such as the Azzurri (Italy), The Clockwork Orange (The Netherlands), La Roja (Chile), Les Lions Indomptables (Cameroon), and Les Elephants (Ivory Coast), did not make it this time. The United States, which performed decently in the 2014 World Cup under the veteran coach Klinsmann, also did not qualify.

Historically, the Fifa World Cup has always been dominated by the South American-European countries. The hegemony may continue. But, this may be one of the few World Cups with no clear favourites.

It is at these times like these that a determined team can take full advantage to create a new page in football history. The gaps between the leading nations and the other teams are getting ever closer than before.

ANUTRA TRIPATHI