Qatar World Cup – A Great Final and a Success?

Well, the FIFA World Cup is over and what a way to end the competition.

In most people’s eyes the best final ever, mainly because they are not old enough to remember 1966 or 1970.

I do however have to admit it was the best final since 1966 and I’ve seen them all.

You know my views on the Argies, but I have to give them credit, they deserved to win, they were the best side on the night and that is all that matters, the French just didn’t turn up as they should have.

Messi finally achieved what he has been trying to do for two decades and will now be seen as an equal or in my eyes better than Maradona.

His achievements and stats are phenomenal and stands him apart from all other recent footballers of his era and I also like my sports stars to have good values being decent family men or women who also think of others.

The argument as to who is the best footballer of all time though, really depends on again how old you are, and the period when you grew up because that is often when you are most influenced.

But the best will never be an Argie, it can only be the true great; Edion Arantes do Nascimento, the indomitable Pele.

I know I am influenced by what I saw but not only a true superstar also a wonderful person.

A true role model to every aspiring footballer. Look at Pele’s embrace with Bobby Moore in Mexico 1970, look at the archives, look at his record, no other footballer comes close to his ability or humility.

I digress as usual, so the Qatar World Cup started in media hype trying to devalue the competition with politics, as I have said previously, the time to protest about the award and the political and humanitarian questions should have been undertaken years ago, not on the eve of a sporting competition.

I have to admit I questioned the sanity of holding the World Cup in the Middle East even in the relative cool of the winter, but to be honest, it worked, no hotter, maybe cooler than a normal summer competition.

A World Cup with all games within a 50 mile radius in one city, that worked, brilliant stadiums, and the infrastructure stood up to the earlier scrutiny.

There was no trouble, fantastic, why because there was no alcohol. You don’t need to be drunk to enjoy sport, so perhaps the Muslims have that one right, the media bleating about a change of not allowing alcohol on the eve of the games, so what.

Lack of inclusivity, grow up people, you know what Muslims believe in , don’t go trying to change peoples culture to suit your own beliefs, embrace their laws and respect their culture.

The Fans from what I witnessed on TV, were brilliant, they enjoyed the games, there seemed to be respectful of one another and most games after a few no shows in the group games were well supported and how.

Let’s be clear, I wouldn’t have given the World Cup to Qatar, corrupt and back handed award was totally wrong, but once they got it, they produced a World Cup to be proud of, the cost though, wow, that’s another highly controversial point, $229 billion.

That is more than all the previous 21 World Cups added together, Russia cost $16 billion, Brazil $20 billion and South Africa $7 billion just to put it in context.

The only countries that can do that are the oil rich ones, so look out we are likely to get another winter world cup in 2030 when Saudi Arabia puts forward a bid.

So, despite everything, I take my hat off to Qatar for a great competition, well done, despite the moaning of those that just want to moan, and well done Argentina (begrudgingly) you deserved it on the night…….

………but what a missed chance England, you know you could have won it……well maybe…..