When the 2018 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 14 in Moscow, there was no single favourite. A clutch of high-quality and well-matched sides such as France, Germany, Spain and Brazil added to the allure. So much so that even educated guesses on who would get past the league stage were off the mark. Two weeks later, the fans are no closer to an answer on who may lift the trophy, but this hasn’t come at the cost of some riveting action. The fact that it took 37 games for the first 0-0 draw is a testament to the excellence at this World Cup. Much of the credit should go to the so-called minnows, the likes of Iran, Morocco, Peru and South Korea, who punched well above their weight by stifling their opponents and on occasion putting them to the sword. Germany, the defending champion, bore the full brunt, crashing out in the group stage for the first time since 1938. It was also the first time in eight major events — five World Cups and three European Championships — that it had not made the semifinal. Brazil, until it scored two late goals against Costa Rica in its second match, was just two steps from exit. France, in spite of a prodigiously talented squad, still wears a disjointed look, while Spain is yet to showcase the best of its pass-and-move football.
Quietly, almost under the radar, England, Belgium, Croatia and Uruguay have all staked claim with impressive performances, the highlight being Croatia’s demolition of Lionel Messi-led Argentina. England and Belgium in particular are perennial under-achievers and the time may be ripe for them to do justice to each of their golden generations. It has also been a tournament to remember for Asia. Only Japan has progressed into the round of 16, but for the first time four of the five Asian squads have won a game. For Africa though, it has been a dampener, with no team reaching the knock-out stage for the first time since 1982. Before the competition started, the two best players on the planet, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, were only given an outside chance. In the past fortnight, their respective teams have not done much to dispel that notion. Argentina escaped the humiliation of a first-round exit by the skin of its teeth, and a meeting against France next will not bring much cheer. Portugal’s dependence on Ronaldo has continued unabated and it remains to be seen how far the talisman can carry his nation, more so in a loaded top-half alongside France, Brazil, Belgium and Argentina. Host Russia is not expected to go past Spain, but it would have no complaints, for it has already hit the right notes both on and off the field.
