The World Cup

[Smurph]

Has it lost it's magic?

Honestly not arsed it's due to start in a month or so. I'm hoping that will change as we get closer.

 

[bakajack]

For me it lost its sparkle several world cups ago
Even when we made the last one under Page I was apathetic at best

Now its gone from a sparkle to drab to a needlessly expensive turd
There is nothing magical about a tournament where a single ticket to a single game costs more than what most people make in a month

 

[Smurph]

Started to lose interest when it ended up in Russia, Qatar now the orange man has got his hands all over it.

The corruption stinks.

 

[Frankie Burrows Cap]

I think it's partly down to age and nostalgia in fairness. The saturation of football TV probably plays a part for some people too, as even 20 years ago seeing that number of games in consecutive days was unique and we hadn't seen many of the players before.

1986 & 1990 are the first two I remember and they were 'magical' as a kid. If you watch the games back now most were pretty drab to say the least. Arguably the last World Cup final was the best ever and the entire tournament had pretty much everything in terms of upsets, favourites going out early, surprising semi finalist and loads of goals.

 

[J_B]

Sad thought that we won't be discussing it on here this time around.

 

[exiledclaseboy]

I can’t wait. I love a World Cup or Euros. I think as we get older some of us (including me at times) get all dewy eyed about how it was better when we were kids/growing up/younger. It mostly wasn’t. Italia 90 is held up often as the World Cup peak for our generation and I’ve got fond memories of it myself. But it was a mostly crap tournament played in very often nowhere near full, dilapidated stadiums with a backdrop of hooliganism. The last one in Qatar was much much better.

The problem the upcoming one may have is the expansion to 48 teams and the addition of a last 32 knockout round. Only 16 of the 48 teams will go out after an extensive number of group games. Not sure there’ll be much jeopardy in some group games. We’ll see.