The global soccer show in Russia which began on the 14th of last month will come to an end this weekend as the 1998 champs, France beat Belgium by 1-0, on Tuesday while Croatia defeated England by 2-1 in extra time on Wednesday. So France will square up against Croatia in the very last match on Sunday. In the beginning, there were thirty-two teams representing thirty-two countries from FIFA-approved football federations in the world. Five teams represented Asia, another five teams represented Africa or rather CAF; three represented CONCACAF; five teams represented South America or CONMEBOL, but a whooping fourteen teams represented Europe or UEFA.
So, whichever way one looks at it, the graph appears deliberately skewed to enable Europe get more teams into the quarter-finals. And, it certainly happened that way in Russia. Six European teams and only two South American teams – Brazil and Uruguay – made the quarterfinals. With the elimination of the South Americans at that third round of the tournament, the semifinals clearly became an all-Europe affair.
The four semi-finalists – France, Belgium, England and Croatia – paint a clear picture of the structural designs or defaults apparent in the organization of the Mundial. So, the notion that the World Cup is a two-horse race between Europe and South America is crumbling fast. Although this does not explain the striking surprises of the 2018 World Cup, it certainly leaves much to be desired. First, the defending champion, Germany, failed to make it into the Second Round. No team from Africa survived the group play-offs stage. Then the notable football power houses and former title holders – Brazil and Argentina – merely struggled to hang in there until they were shoved out.
But the misses and hisses, the agony of defeat and excitement of triumph have been worth while during the month-long round leather game. The third-place match gratuitously called the Losers final between England and Belgium will take place this Saturday before the grand finale on Sunday.
Take our tips. Do not bet on any team. The surprises are still in the works. Take the sure way out – You can bet that the 2018 World Cup is neither going North nor South, neither East nor West. It is staying in Europe. Let the fans enjoy the two remaining days of entertaining soccer.
