Morocco isn’t pulling any punches in its fifth bid to host a World Cup. Competing against the U.S., Mexico and Canada for the right to host the 2026 event, the Morocco World Cup bid is telling FIFA to consider the poor safety record of the U.S. and Mexico, particularly when it comes to murder rate and gun circulation.
For anyone who paid the slightest bit of attention to Argentina throughout the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying cycle, Spain’s resounding 6-1 defeat of La Albiceleste comes as no surprise. Without Messi, Argentina has zero business being at this World Cup. The statistics, again, bear repeating:
Without Messi, Argentina played eight matches in qualifying. They won one. They scored 0.75 goals per game. They lost to Ecuador, Paraguay and Bolivia. They drew with Venezuela. Tata Martino was sacked and so was his successor, Edgardo Bauza.
After a former Russian double agent was poisoned in Britain, the resulting international uproar has led to (and included) Iceland boycotting the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Just the government, though. The team will still compete in the tournament. The Viking Clap cheer will presumably also travel to Russia.
#BREAKING Iceland announces diplomatic boycott of 2018 World Cup in Russia
During a World Cup year, you are going to hear hundreds of amazing stories from across the planet. Like how Gabriel Jesus was painting the streets of Rio during the last World Cup and is now a vital part of the Selecao. Or how Mohamed Salah has captured the hope of an entire nation and helped send Egypt to the World Cup for the first time since before I was born (1990 for those wondering).
The World Cup is drawing closer and closer (79 days!). With that in mind, we have devoted ourselves to a sociological effort: defining the different kinds of World Cup fans out there.
These fans are outright obnoxious.
Not many countries can honestly say they are serious candidates to win the World Cup. Fans from countries with an actual chance of winning the trophy exude confidence and often, arrogance. The only consolation the rest of us have is watching one of these nations fail.
Historically speaking, things look pretty bleak for the five South American nations set to compete in Russia this summer. Over the history of the World Cup, the event has taken place in Europe 10 times. Collectively, if you break those tournaments down by how things finished, European nations have accounted for 34 of the 40 top four finishes (85%), leaving South America with only six success stories:
Every four years, the footy community gathers together for one of the most famous, most important traditions in sports: goalkeepers complaining about the World Cup ball.
This is what three goalkeepers who will probably feature in Russia had to say about the ball:
David de Gea: "It's really strange. It could have been made a lot better."
Since the turn of the 21st century, it’s happened without fail: every World Cup, three nations that began the tournament ranked in FIFA’s top 20 have been unceremoniously dumped from the competition at the group stage. In fact, in two of the four World Cups this century, three of the world’s top 10 ranked sides have capitulated before the knockout rounds.
Here’s a rundown of the three highest ranked sides to fall at the first hurdle in the last four tournaments:
2002