PT Barnum may have been right 150 years ago, but The Greatest Show on Earth these days gets underway this afternoon, despite the shameful corruption displayed by Fifa. By comparison, the Olympics is a sideshow. My first experience of the World Cup was watching Scotland play Zaire in 1974. For 20-odd years the tournament had participation value for Scotland, even if the joy of being there was short lived.
These days the joy is all about being a neutral football fan and soaking up the drama and brilliance from the game.
Statistically it is difficult to look past Brazil, who will benefit enormously from home advantage. European teams have never won the tournament in the Americans, where Brazil and Argentina have won every competition since Uruguay triumphed in the last time the tournament was held in Brazil 64 years ago.
Leo Time
Lionel Messi was, until recent times, the undisputed best player on the planet, but his position in the all-time greatest list is in considerable dispute. Ask an older Barcelona fan, who has watched Cruyff, Maradona Ronaldo and Messi all do their stuff at the Camp Nou, and they are likely to tell you Leo is by far the better player. His stats as a striker bear this out, but ask an Argentinean, and he’ll scarcely get a mention in the same breath as Diego. There is not even a debate that Messi is the greatest Argentine.
After giving a spectacular display of goal-scoring prowess in 1982, then 25-year-old Diego Maradona singlehandedly led Argentina to their second World Cup in 1986 and back to the final four years later. By Comparison, 26-year-old Messi has looked comparatively pedestrian in his two previous tournaments. He’ll be 30 by the time of the next tournament, which will be held in the completely different environment of Russia. If Messi is to be considered an all-time great, he needs to take Argentina to the final. If his career ends without an outstanding World Cup, he’ll slip somewhere between Eusabio and Cruyff in the list.
I’d like Belgium to win. Belgian clubs and FA go about their business correctly and brought a remarkable bounty of talent to Brazil. It’s always been easy to back Brazil but I’m still not over the Neymar thing. The guy is an abomination in the Brazil No. 10 shirt, a vastly over-rated charlatan. Anyone but Neymar, please.
Bertie Auld live chat, tomorrow, 1pm, on CQN. Be there.
Visit the CQN Bookstore to get Tommy Gemmell to sign your personal copy of his tome, All the Best.
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Mis-hit Jellyfish. Fooled Marcelo.
Hrvatska!!!!!!
Should make it interesting
Sky box on the blink. So watching WC on CQN!
21stCenturyWirelessCSC!
HH jamesgang
The Brazilians are in tottal shock / stunned …. Can they recover some composure….?
Did the Croatia Goalkeeper play for us ?
Spawny from Jelavic again :-D
Told yous…3-2 lol
jamesgang
21:13 on
12 June, 2014
Sky box on the blink. So watching WC on CQN!
21stCenturyWirelessCSC!
HH jamesgang
try setting up sky go onto your computer , simple process (so the daughter told mr)
HH
Marcelo on his way to the Golden Boot.
Bizarre opening goal, and Brazil are a goal down because Jelavic miss-kicked.
’82 team went a goal down to USSR in their first match. Came back to win 2-1 in a magnificent second -half performance.
Still, this isn’t the ’82 team.
Brazil 10/11 in running
Barca signed Rakitic? Good move for the Catalans.
Dena29
Back on. Missed a goal. If it had been a Celtic match I’d be tearing my hair out. But not for this. Only the World Cup. Not the Hoops!
;-)
HH jamesgang
jamesgang
21:20 on
12 June, 2014
Dena29
Back on. Missed a goal. If it had been a Celtic match I’d be tearing my hair out. But not for this. Only the World Cup. Not the Hoops!
;-)
HH jamesgang
know exactly what you mean
HH
Jelavic says the World Cup is in the bag now.
Wee Oscar nearly scores
Marcelo the new Tom Boyd
Evening Timland from a very warm hun free mountain valley.
Twisty
Many thanks.
HH
……………………………………
Brasil really arny that good, come on Croatia.
HH
What a save Pletikosa!
Taxi for Alves. Posted missing.
I can see why we didn’t sign the Croatian goalie
Steviewondercsc
Italian tv have not mentioned England once!
HH!!
In a Jim Shyte kind of voice…
ITV, why are you so poor at covering live fitba?
Garngad to croy Stipe Pletikosa spent two weeks with Celtic. Played in one pre season game.
Goal Line Technology saves the day
Hugh Bonkle
He’s got a contract with the taxi firms he’s so often day dreaming in a different postcode!
HH jamesgang
TBJ
Did we nearly sign him?
Pity there was no goal line technology in 1966.
Would have saved us listening to their keech for the last 48 years
I think it’s safe to say the World Cup is the second best football competition in the world.
After the Scottish Championship of course.
For all their minor baubles, Brazil have never qualified for the Scottish Championship.
Duge noge, kratka kosa, to je Stipe Pletikosa.
Neymar = thug!!!
That Naymar is a sneaky little bass… Sneakier than Smeagol even.
Double standards anyone?
Wee git
HH jamesgang
Neymar – Sleekit’s sleekit we cousin.
Goooaaalllll …!!!!!! …..come on now, Brazil…
Goooooool do Brasil!!