18.) The final showed finishing still trumps all
Croatia played better in the final. France was better. Those two things should be dichotomous, but in a sport where scoring is still a fairly rare event, being better, and finishing better, is more important. France's win is something like Real Madrid's UCL win this year. They didn't play the best, but they were the best, with more talent, more clinical finishing, and, in the end, more results. I'm very happy France scored the 3rd and 4th goal, because the first came off a free kick after a dive, and the second on a dubious penalty (that said, had it been called in real time, would not have a huge issue with it). The third and fourth goals were all class, and France slowly dragged the life out of Croatia in the second half. France are worthy winners, even if Croatia appeared to play better.
17.) Sign me up for World Cup's version of March Madness
This tournament was so good in mirroring the best aspects of March Madness. There were big upsets, with the three betting favorites before the tournament all being gone by the SFs (Brazil did best, but Spain lost R16, and Germany in the group stage - your token #1 seed that goes down the first weekend). France was the 4th 1-seed, sent out West, but still talented enough to be a worthy champion. The other semifinalists were all good, if not 1-seed worthy. There were upsets, but those teams usually fell by the way-side in the end, despite playing great and pushing the best teams. You had a few Cinderella runs (Russia, Sweden), a few blue bloods finding new life (England), the talented underachiever making good (Belgium), and so many other stories that enliven every March. For a tournament so often dominated by blue bloods, was nice to see so much parity.
16.) The rise of the secondary nations
At least one of Germany, Brazil and Argentina had made every World Cup Semifinal since the knockout format begin in earnest. That didn't happen here. While we may look at France and England as powerhouses, they are not when compared to Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Italy, Netherlands, countries that have been successful decade after decade (France is more recent). We got good sides, but not as medalled ones. Countries like Croatia, or Belgium, or Sweden, countries that have had top players, been good at various points, all coalesced here to provide an excellent tournament. 40 years from now, we may see Semifinalists of France, Croatia, Belgium and England and think this wasn't a top tournament with top quality (contrast to 2014: Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Netherlands), but fear not, that was excellent stuff.
15.) The 'weak' half was a never-ending joy
Remember how England more or less threw their final group stage game to get the weaker half of the draw (even if their immediate next game would be tougher)? It worked - England reached the Semifinals, and nearly made the final. But that weaker half? It maybe provided some of the best games. That weaker half featured four different penalty shootouts, all fairly dramatic with multiple misses/saved shots by the losing team, two classic games in Croatia's wins over England and Russia, and so many classic moments. The winner came out of the stronger half, which makes sense, but that stronger half had maybe one classic game in Belgium's comeback over Japan, but while it had more quality players and stronger teams, the weaker half gave us higher quality games and more drama. I'll take drama over competency any day.
14.) The End of Spain & Germany
In a way, Spain kind of ended four years ago, but with Pique and Iniesta retiring, and Ramos likely following suit, this truly felt like the end - even if Round of 16 signaled an improvement over 2014. For Germany, it was the end, a loud thud. When we look back, the World Cup win was the end of something, not the beginning, as Lahm retired, with Schweinsteiger following, and certainly Kroos, Neuer, Muller, et al, not locks to make it going forward. Those two countries dominated World Football in a tidy duopoly from 2008 through 2014, and their downfalls were so similar. Both just seem tired, out of fresh ideas, trying to play the hits when the world called for a pivot, a show of innovation. It didn't happen, and the two nations so many people including myself grew up on are no more.
13.) Mbappe is a star, but let's not go overboard
The amount FOX pumped up Mbappe you would think he was the next coming of Pele. Granted, he had a great tournament, featured levels of speed few if any could match, and had some nice goals, but he was probably the sixth most important player for France (Kante, Griezmann, Pogba, Varane, Umtiti I would say are all more integral). I'll talk about this more when I get to France's chances at a dynasty, but four years is a long time. Four years ago, a 21-year old Mario Goetze, someone who was already playing for Bayern Munich, scored the World Cup winning goal. Four years later, he didn't make the Germany team. Mbappe's potential seems limitless, but there is a chance he peaks early. Of course, maybe he is the heir to Ronaldo & Messi as World's Best Player. It likely is somewhere in between. Let's not be disappointed if he isn't 2x Ballon d'Or winner by 2022.
12.) Africa is set-up so well going forward
Africa didn't get a team to the knockout round, though both Nigeria and Senegal came close. That aid, no African team did itself bad. Tunisia gave England a good game. Morocco on how it played during the games, probably could have advanced over either Spain or Portugal. Nigeria probably should have qualified if not for that late Marcus Rojo miracle they would have qualified. Senegal lost out only on fair play points. There was no infighting, stories of unpaid wages, just five calm teams that gave a great show. Nigeria and Senegal should both be great even four years from now. The toughest part for Africa is getting the same teams to qualify given how tough their qualifying set-up is, but if Nigeria can sneak back in, they can do damage in 2022.
11.) The world is getting smaller, and it helps us all
What was great about this tournament is no team was overmatched. The worst it got was either Saudi Arabia's 0-5 loss to Russia, or Panama's 1-6 loss to the UK, but for both losers, they made decent showings in the other games (even a win, for Saudi). Every team scored at least two goals - a World Cup first. Every team played like a team deserving to at least be there. Overall, we saw the level between the worst team at the World Cup and the best continue to decrease, partially due to talent proliferation, partially due to the interesting, almost tactic-free style being played by so many. It created a World Cup with just one 0-0 draw in the entire tournament (France, ironically, drawing Denmark in their 3rd group game when both teams were fairly settled), and generally games where even the losing team had a few chances. Hopefully, this only continues going forward.
10.) FOX did an OK job, all things considered
I get that it is easy to shit on FOX, because 1) people love shitting on FOX, and 2) they went with US announcers instead of the British-heavy approach ESPN used to follow. I, personally, liked a lot of FOX's coverage, including the best asset being the announcing teams. I don't get the criticism for FOX's in-game announcing at all. I thought John Strong and Stu Holden were excellent. I grew to like the second team of JP Dellacamara and Tony Meiola. I loved the two latin guys that did a few latin american games. The in-game work has to be improved, particularly strengthening their roster of guest stars (Guus Hiddink is 20% too ornery), but adding Kate Abdo really imprved their nightly show and made it something close to what ESPN used to have. Overall, FOX gave the World Cup the care it deserved. I await what improvements they bring to 2022, though I worry with them losing the Champions League in the US starting next year they won't have many attempts to test things out in real time.
9.) VAR on balance, was OK
The biggest complaint people had with VAR, mostly even before it was actually implemented, was that it would slow down the game. That didn't happen. It is quick, it is effective technology. I do like the fact that clear errors were overturned, clear penalties were given, clear non-penalties were un-given. But I do still have two issues with VAR: first, it is a bit inconsistent and dependent on the ref using it well (I would have prefered a fully unbiased reviewer), and secondly, often times I think they use it to make the call, instead of checking if the call they made is defensible - most notably the penalty given in the World Cup Final as well. This is a problem notably in the NFL, too, where last year many calls were being adjudicated and overturned using replay, where the 'indisputable video evidence' was thrown out the window. Fix those two issues and VAR can be a very useful tool.
8.) Enjoy it now, because 2022 will be a mess
Even putting aside the significant humanitarian issues with Qatar (it's not like Russia, or even the US, is not guilty of some humanitarian problems), everything about the 2022 World Cup seems like a recipe for disaster. It will be from November to December, stopping the club league's for a month. It will be played in a country about the size of a small US state, but will be host to seven stadiums, and millions and millions of people, more than doubling the country's actual population. Then there are all the restrictive laws for people in the country - where even if some of these (especially alcohol) are relaxed, it won't be the same. Finally, Qatar has zero football history. That was my biggest issue with South Africa as well. Just keep it in countries that care about the game, that have legitimate domestic league's, that have national teams that may be able to qualify on merit. By the way, the US doesn't meet most of these, and other than convenience not really a fan of the US hosting either.
7.) Luka Modric getting his due
Luka Modric was a great player years ago, but it has been so great to see him finally get his due the last 18 months, first being the key midfield cog of a back-to-back-to-back Champions League winner, and rightfully being seen as the best midfielder in the World, and now winning the Golden Ball at the World Cup. Modric did slow down a bit in the Final, but he was peerless before that, often getting stronger and faster as everyone around him got weaker late in those extra times. Modric is 33, and while he can age like a fine Andrea Pirlo-esque wine, it is hard to imagine him being too impactful in 2022. We should relish the World realizing how special that little master has been, even if anyone paying attention the last three years should have already known given what he's done at the Bernabeu.
6.) Adieu, Lionel & Cristiano
The 2006 World Cup was a seminal tournament for many soccer fans. It came at the perfect time, with such a great collection of stars and all time teams. The two most notable youngsters from that tournament were Lionel Messi, who was a bench player for Barcelona, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who was a starter, but not a top player, for Man United. 12 years later, with those two running the world throughout, it is now over. They are still the pre-eminent players, but it is more or less assured now that neither will retire as a World Cup Winner. 2006 was the closest Ronaldo got, with Portugal losing in the semifinals. 2014 was the closest for Messi. This time, both were bounced on the same day in the Round of 16, losing to more defensive-minded, talented, stronger teams. It is a true shame that their primes never coincided with their country's primes. You can make the argument the best Argentina team Messi had was the 2006 one as well.
5.) Russia was a great host
Let's separate Russia the federal entity, with Russia the people, the culture, and the country for a minute. Sure, Russia the federal entity probably bribed their way to hosting this tournament, and they are corrupt and everything else, but that should not make us turn a blind eye to Russia the people, a group that was welcoming, that became ardent third-party supporters during non-Russia games, that made this tournament so memorable. The British media pushed the hooliganism line so much, but there wasn't nary a fight during the games. It was a joyous month to celebrate this game, and have so many visitors get to experience Russia at its best.
4.) So many Bangers
This was the World Cup of set piece goals, reaching an apex (or a nadir, depending on your perspective) in the Round of 16 and Quarterfinals, where seemingly every goal came from a set piece. It was the World Cup of Own Goals, with a record 12 of them. But it was also the World Cup of bangers, of scintillating goals, starting right from the beginning with Cheryshev's outside foot curler against Saudi Arabia, and Nacho's spellbinding goal being answered by Cristiano's free-kick the next day. We had so many, even down the final with Pogba's curler. None to me, though, was better than Benjamin Pavard's screamer, a goal coming from an out of position right-back, a goal that was both so fast it burned air, but slow enough seemingly that it stopped time. It was a true beautiful moment for sport. This World Cup had a half dozen of those.
3.) Croatia's Golden Generation will never be forgotten
I hate that people thought of Croatia as a Cinderella (especially harping on their population - as if that ever mattered; hello, China). Croatia's center-back starts for Liverpool. Their right back Atletico Madrid. Their striker Juventus. Their midfield maestros for Barcelona and Real Madrid. They were supremely talented, but also had the heart and mettle of an underdog - how else to explain three straight extra time wins. The best part of Croatia is how connected they seemed as a team - all around their captain, Luka Modric, who seems to be one of the most respected captains I've seen. Ivan Rakitic fawned over him endlessly - in this case, the Croatian blood running through them meant more than Barca vs. Real. Overall, Croatia had a special run, and more notably so given how many of these players grew up during the break-up of Yogoslavia. This was a special team, who earned as much in defeat as France did in victory.
2.) France has a clear path to being a Dynasty
It happened with Spain in 2010 (who were already mid-dynasty). It happened with Germany in 2014. It is happening now with France. Are they the next dynasty? Admittedly, no recent winner apart from 2010 Spain shapes up better. They had the second youngest team ever to win a World Cup. Their key players are all 27 or younger - apart from Hugo Lloris. Varane is 25. Pogba is 26. Griezmann is 27. Kante is 25. Mbappe is notably 19. All should be still good contributors four years from now. And who knows who else France has up their sleeves, as the kids who watched their 2006 run become of age (like so many who watched the 1998 run did the last few years). Four years is a long time, but if any team has the ability to make it, France is as sure a bet as any.
1.) This was the best World Cup I've seen
Let's end with what was on track to be true after teh Group Stage, a whirlwind two weeks that featured just one goal-less draw, so many close games and so many late goals. At that point, 2018 was on trajectory to be one of the best World Cups ever. Then again, so was 2014, before a host of 0-0 or 1-0 games ruined it. This was different - we should have known when the first Round of 16 game ended 4-3. There was so much drama, so much intensity, so many great games. We had the exacting brilliance of Brazil vs, Belgium, but also the heart and emotion and crazy, NHL Playoffs-like drama, that was Croatia vs. Russia. On the talent on the pitch, I would still rate 2006 sligthtly higher, but on the product that we all got to witness, 2018 was the best. Qatar 2022, if you're listening, you can redeem a lot of the ill will people have towards you by topping that - sadly, it will be an extremely high bar to cross.
Croatia played better in the final. France was better. Those two things should be dichotomous, but in a sport where scoring is still a fairly rare event, being better, and finishing better, is more important. France's win is something like Real Madrid's UCL win this year. They didn't play the best, but they were the best, with more talent, more clinical finishing, and, in the end, more results. I'm very happy France scored the 3rd and 4th goal, because the first came off a free kick after a dive, and the second on a dubious penalty (that said, had it been called in real time, would not have a huge issue with it). The third and fourth goals were all class, and France slowly dragged the life out of Croatia in the second half. France are worthy winners, even if Croatia appeared to play better.
17.) Sign me up for World Cup's version of March Madness
This tournament was so good in mirroring the best aspects of March Madness. There were big upsets, with the three betting favorites before the tournament all being gone by the SFs (Brazil did best, but Spain lost R16, and Germany in the group stage - your token #1 seed that goes down the first weekend). France was the 4th 1-seed, sent out West, but still talented enough to be a worthy champion. The other semifinalists were all good, if not 1-seed worthy. There were upsets, but those teams usually fell by the way-side in the end, despite playing great and pushing the best teams. You had a few Cinderella runs (Russia, Sweden), a few blue bloods finding new life (England), the talented underachiever making good (Belgium), and so many other stories that enliven every March. For a tournament so often dominated by blue bloods, was nice to see so much parity.
16.) The rise of the secondary nations
At least one of Germany, Brazil and Argentina had made every World Cup Semifinal since the knockout format begin in earnest. That didn't happen here. While we may look at France and England as powerhouses, they are not when compared to Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Italy, Netherlands, countries that have been successful decade after decade (France is more recent). We got good sides, but not as medalled ones. Countries like Croatia, or Belgium, or Sweden, countries that have had top players, been good at various points, all coalesced here to provide an excellent tournament. 40 years from now, we may see Semifinalists of France, Croatia, Belgium and England and think this wasn't a top tournament with top quality (contrast to 2014: Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Netherlands), but fear not, that was excellent stuff.
15.) The 'weak' half was a never-ending joy
Remember how England more or less threw their final group stage game to get the weaker half of the draw (even if their immediate next game would be tougher)? It worked - England reached the Semifinals, and nearly made the final. But that weaker half? It maybe provided some of the best games. That weaker half featured four different penalty shootouts, all fairly dramatic with multiple misses/saved shots by the losing team, two classic games in Croatia's wins over England and Russia, and so many classic moments. The winner came out of the stronger half, which makes sense, but that stronger half had maybe one classic game in Belgium's comeback over Japan, but while it had more quality players and stronger teams, the weaker half gave us higher quality games and more drama. I'll take drama over competency any day.
14.) The End of Spain & Germany
In a way, Spain kind of ended four years ago, but with Pique and Iniesta retiring, and Ramos likely following suit, this truly felt like the end - even if Round of 16 signaled an improvement over 2014. For Germany, it was the end, a loud thud. When we look back, the World Cup win was the end of something, not the beginning, as Lahm retired, with Schweinsteiger following, and certainly Kroos, Neuer, Muller, et al, not locks to make it going forward. Those two countries dominated World Football in a tidy duopoly from 2008 through 2014, and their downfalls were so similar. Both just seem tired, out of fresh ideas, trying to play the hits when the world called for a pivot, a show of innovation. It didn't happen, and the two nations so many people including myself grew up on are no more.
13.) Mbappe is a star, but let's not go overboard
The amount FOX pumped up Mbappe you would think he was the next coming of Pele. Granted, he had a great tournament, featured levels of speed few if any could match, and had some nice goals, but he was probably the sixth most important player for France (Kante, Griezmann, Pogba, Varane, Umtiti I would say are all more integral). I'll talk about this more when I get to France's chances at a dynasty, but four years is a long time. Four years ago, a 21-year old Mario Goetze, someone who was already playing for Bayern Munich, scored the World Cup winning goal. Four years later, he didn't make the Germany team. Mbappe's potential seems limitless, but there is a chance he peaks early. Of course, maybe he is the heir to Ronaldo & Messi as World's Best Player. It likely is somewhere in between. Let's not be disappointed if he isn't 2x Ballon d'Or winner by 2022.
12.) Africa is set-up so well going forward
Africa didn't get a team to the knockout round, though both Nigeria and Senegal came close. That aid, no African team did itself bad. Tunisia gave England a good game. Morocco on how it played during the games, probably could have advanced over either Spain or Portugal. Nigeria probably should have qualified if not for that late Marcus Rojo miracle they would have qualified. Senegal lost out only on fair play points. There was no infighting, stories of unpaid wages, just five calm teams that gave a great show. Nigeria and Senegal should both be great even four years from now. The toughest part for Africa is getting the same teams to qualify given how tough their qualifying set-up is, but if Nigeria can sneak back in, they can do damage in 2022.
11.) The world is getting smaller, and it helps us all
What was great about this tournament is no team was overmatched. The worst it got was either Saudi Arabia's 0-5 loss to Russia, or Panama's 1-6 loss to the UK, but for both losers, they made decent showings in the other games (even a win, for Saudi). Every team scored at least two goals - a World Cup first. Every team played like a team deserving to at least be there. Overall, we saw the level between the worst team at the World Cup and the best continue to decrease, partially due to talent proliferation, partially due to the interesting, almost tactic-free style being played by so many. It created a World Cup with just one 0-0 draw in the entire tournament (France, ironically, drawing Denmark in their 3rd group game when both teams were fairly settled), and generally games where even the losing team had a few chances. Hopefully, this only continues going forward.
10.) FOX did an OK job, all things considered
I get that it is easy to shit on FOX, because 1) people love shitting on FOX, and 2) they went with US announcers instead of the British-heavy approach ESPN used to follow. I, personally, liked a lot of FOX's coverage, including the best asset being the announcing teams. I don't get the criticism for FOX's in-game announcing at all. I thought John Strong and Stu Holden were excellent. I grew to like the second team of JP Dellacamara and Tony Meiola. I loved the two latin guys that did a few latin american games. The in-game work has to be improved, particularly strengthening their roster of guest stars (Guus Hiddink is 20% too ornery), but adding Kate Abdo really imprved their nightly show and made it something close to what ESPN used to have. Overall, FOX gave the World Cup the care it deserved. I await what improvements they bring to 2022, though I worry with them losing the Champions League in the US starting next year they won't have many attempts to test things out in real time.
9.) VAR on balance, was OK
The biggest complaint people had with VAR, mostly even before it was actually implemented, was that it would slow down the game. That didn't happen. It is quick, it is effective technology. I do like the fact that clear errors were overturned, clear penalties were given, clear non-penalties were un-given. But I do still have two issues with VAR: first, it is a bit inconsistent and dependent on the ref using it well (I would have prefered a fully unbiased reviewer), and secondly, often times I think they use it to make the call, instead of checking if the call they made is defensible - most notably the penalty given in the World Cup Final as well. This is a problem notably in the NFL, too, where last year many calls were being adjudicated and overturned using replay, where the 'indisputable video evidence' was thrown out the window. Fix those two issues and VAR can be a very useful tool.
8.) Enjoy it now, because 2022 will be a mess
Even putting aside the significant humanitarian issues with Qatar (it's not like Russia, or even the US, is not guilty of some humanitarian problems), everything about the 2022 World Cup seems like a recipe for disaster. It will be from November to December, stopping the club league's for a month. It will be played in a country about the size of a small US state, but will be host to seven stadiums, and millions and millions of people, more than doubling the country's actual population. Then there are all the restrictive laws for people in the country - where even if some of these (especially alcohol) are relaxed, it won't be the same. Finally, Qatar has zero football history. That was my biggest issue with South Africa as well. Just keep it in countries that care about the game, that have legitimate domestic league's, that have national teams that may be able to qualify on merit. By the way, the US doesn't meet most of these, and other than convenience not really a fan of the US hosting either.
7.) Luka Modric getting his due
Luka Modric was a great player years ago, but it has been so great to see him finally get his due the last 18 months, first being the key midfield cog of a back-to-back-to-back Champions League winner, and rightfully being seen as the best midfielder in the World, and now winning the Golden Ball at the World Cup. Modric did slow down a bit in the Final, but he was peerless before that, often getting stronger and faster as everyone around him got weaker late in those extra times. Modric is 33, and while he can age like a fine Andrea Pirlo-esque wine, it is hard to imagine him being too impactful in 2022. We should relish the World realizing how special that little master has been, even if anyone paying attention the last three years should have already known given what he's done at the Bernabeu.
6.) Adieu, Lionel & Cristiano
The 2006 World Cup was a seminal tournament for many soccer fans. It came at the perfect time, with such a great collection of stars and all time teams. The two most notable youngsters from that tournament were Lionel Messi, who was a bench player for Barcelona, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who was a starter, but not a top player, for Man United. 12 years later, with those two running the world throughout, it is now over. They are still the pre-eminent players, but it is more or less assured now that neither will retire as a World Cup Winner. 2006 was the closest Ronaldo got, with Portugal losing in the semifinals. 2014 was the closest for Messi. This time, both were bounced on the same day in the Round of 16, losing to more defensive-minded, talented, stronger teams. It is a true shame that their primes never coincided with their country's primes. You can make the argument the best Argentina team Messi had was the 2006 one as well.
5.) Russia was a great host
Let's separate Russia the federal entity, with Russia the people, the culture, and the country for a minute. Sure, Russia the federal entity probably bribed their way to hosting this tournament, and they are corrupt and everything else, but that should not make us turn a blind eye to Russia the people, a group that was welcoming, that became ardent third-party supporters during non-Russia games, that made this tournament so memorable. The British media pushed the hooliganism line so much, but there wasn't nary a fight during the games. It was a joyous month to celebrate this game, and have so many visitors get to experience Russia at its best.
4.) So many Bangers
This was the World Cup of set piece goals, reaching an apex (or a nadir, depending on your perspective) in the Round of 16 and Quarterfinals, where seemingly every goal came from a set piece. It was the World Cup of Own Goals, with a record 12 of them. But it was also the World Cup of bangers, of scintillating goals, starting right from the beginning with Cheryshev's outside foot curler against Saudi Arabia, and Nacho's spellbinding goal being answered by Cristiano's free-kick the next day. We had so many, even down the final with Pogba's curler. None to me, though, was better than Benjamin Pavard's screamer, a goal coming from an out of position right-back, a goal that was both so fast it burned air, but slow enough seemingly that it stopped time. It was a true beautiful moment for sport. This World Cup had a half dozen of those.
3.) Croatia's Golden Generation will never be forgotten
I hate that people thought of Croatia as a Cinderella (especially harping on their population - as if that ever mattered; hello, China). Croatia's center-back starts for Liverpool. Their right back Atletico Madrid. Their striker Juventus. Their midfield maestros for Barcelona and Real Madrid. They were supremely talented, but also had the heart and mettle of an underdog - how else to explain three straight extra time wins. The best part of Croatia is how connected they seemed as a team - all around their captain, Luka Modric, who seems to be one of the most respected captains I've seen. Ivan Rakitic fawned over him endlessly - in this case, the Croatian blood running through them meant more than Barca vs. Real. Overall, Croatia had a special run, and more notably so given how many of these players grew up during the break-up of Yogoslavia. This was a special team, who earned as much in defeat as France did in victory.
2.) France has a clear path to being a Dynasty
It happened with Spain in 2010 (who were already mid-dynasty). It happened with Germany in 2014. It is happening now with France. Are they the next dynasty? Admittedly, no recent winner apart from 2010 Spain shapes up better. They had the second youngest team ever to win a World Cup. Their key players are all 27 or younger - apart from Hugo Lloris. Varane is 25. Pogba is 26. Griezmann is 27. Kante is 25. Mbappe is notably 19. All should be still good contributors four years from now. And who knows who else France has up their sleeves, as the kids who watched their 2006 run become of age (like so many who watched the 1998 run did the last few years). Four years is a long time, but if any team has the ability to make it, France is as sure a bet as any.
1.) This was the best World Cup I've seen
Let's end with what was on track to be true after teh Group Stage, a whirlwind two weeks that featured just one goal-less draw, so many close games and so many late goals. At that point, 2018 was on trajectory to be one of the best World Cups ever. Then again, so was 2014, before a host of 0-0 or 1-0 games ruined it. This was different - we should have known when the first Round of 16 game ended 4-3. There was so much drama, so much intensity, so many great games. We had the exacting brilliance of Brazil vs, Belgium, but also the heart and emotion and crazy, NHL Playoffs-like drama, that was Croatia vs. Russia. On the talent on the pitch, I would still rate 2006 sligthtly higher, but on the product that we all got to witness, 2018 was the best. Qatar 2022, if you're listening, you can redeem a lot of the ill will people have towards you by topping that - sadly, it will be an extremely high bar to cross.
