The Cup will be different and not because it takes place in November instead of June, nor because it is the second in Asia and the first in the Middle East. It will not be distinguished by the difficulty of consuming alcohol or the facility to watch more than one game a day.
It will be better because the stars will be in top physical shape.
It seems contradictory to say this in a week when France are regretting four injury absences, England are without their full-backs Chilwell and Reece James and Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni claims that some of his players are not doing well.
Injury happens. It’s the sport.
But the world’s top players will debut in the Cup on the upslope of the season. Cristiano Ronaldo has played 18 games since August, De Bruyne has entered the field 19 times and Neymar 20.
Maradona played 29 games for Napoli before becoming the greatest protagonist of a modern World Cup, guiding Argentina to the world title in Mexico in 1986. Sixteen seasons later, Zidane decided the Champions League for Real Madrid with a spectacular volley, in his performance number 47. It was May 15, 2002.
Two weeks later, May 31, France lost to Senegal. Zidane did not play, with a thigh muscle injury. Without its star player in 2 of the 3 matches of the first phase, France said goodbye, eliminated by Senegalese and Uruguayans.
It is no coincidence that the best players in the world have not shone in World Cups during their reigns. Figo and Zidane failed in 2002, Ronaldinho was discreet in 2006, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo did not stand out in the last three World Cups.
The Champions League received only national champions until 1997 and there was a limit of three foreigners. Burnout increased due to the increase in the number of matches and emotional stress. If Qatar hosted the selections in July, Mbappé would make his World Cup debut after playing 44 games for Paris Saint-Germain.
As a debut on Tuesday (22), Mbappé will only carry 20 matches on his back.
Playing in November is the big news of the Cup and that irritates relevant coaches of the teams that compete in the Champions: “If it were in July, it would be 50 degrees and, even today, the temperatures will be very high”, said Jurgen Klopp, from Liverpool.
The Cup has also brought changes in the distribution of forces. Those are slower, not less visible. Of the 5 World Cups of the century, 4 were won by Europeans, which had never happened in a row.
Argentine Jorge Sampaoli has already said publicly that only Brazil can break this hegemony, but mid-range teams are increasingly capable of producing surprises.
Like South Korea beating and eliminating Germany four years ago, or New Zealand drawing with Italy and disqualifying the champions from the group stage in 2010.
If the list of greatest stars on the planet has the Polish Lewandowski, the Egyptian Salah and the Senegalese Mané, if the Paris Saint-Germain winger is the Moroccan Hakimi and the top scorer for Bayern is the Cameroonian Choupo-Moting, it is natural that technique and tactics spread across five continents.
That’s why this Cup doesn’t have favorites, but contenders for the title: Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Belgium, Spain, France, Holland and England. All of these can lift the cup.
As a seasoned news journalist, I bring a wealth of experience to the field. I’ve worked with world-renowned news organizations, honing my skills as a writer and reporter. Currently, I write for the sports section at News Bulletin 247, where I bring a unique perspective to every story.
