FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Semi-Finals & Final

[G R E Y]

If you love Zidane (and I do!), please watch some Didi footage.

Didi was number 8 on Brazil's 1958 and 1962 title team, elected the best player of the 1958 WC.

Inventor of the dry leaf free kick and the 3 toe pass.

He was Pelé's favorite player.

And he played for Real Madrid for a while too, back when there were almost no foreign players in other countries' leagues.

Surefire top 10 all-time brazilian player IMO, hardly remembered by the lists you see around the internet nowadays...

Enjoy!

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There's an awesome anecdote from Messi's youth days where one of his coaches promised him some cookies if he scored a goal with his head, which he had never done. So the next game he dribbles through the entire defense, fakes out the keeper, dribbles to the goal line, pops the ball up and taps it in with his forehead. No idea if that's apocryphal or not, but it sounds great.

https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/when-lionel-messi-scored-goals-chocolate-cookies

Watch on YouTube

[Sedale Threatt]

I've had those cookies BTW. They're f'ing delicious.

[Pharmcat]

Post your team of the tournament:

Forwards: Messi, J Alvarez, Mbappe

Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes, Saka, Griezmann

Defenders: Gvardiol, Hakimi, Saiss, Hernandez

Goalkeeper: Livakovic

It was tough to leave out Modric and Amrabat

Wait where’s the arg goalie?

[G R E Y]

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EDIT: I see now Clyde has already posted this on the previous page.

Insane indeed.

[Bobbcats]

do you think Argentina has a better chance to repeat next WC? they have the best young player and best goalie of this WC

Sincerely, I have no idea. I haven't been following futebol quite closely as I did many, many years ago, due to work, family and other hobbies.

But I know one thing: a lot can happen in 4 years. Just to give you 3 examples:

- Back in 1958, Pelé played the WC as a 17 year old. Now go back in time and ask this same question (you did to me) in, let's say... 1956. Nobody could guess that!

- Same for France in 2018. Ask them that in 2014, when Mbappé was 15.

- Same could be happening right now for Brazil. Have you ever heard of Endrick? He was just recently sold from Palmeiras to Real Madrid for $76,5 million.... and he's just 16! Check it out: link 1, link 2.

As much as you can have a strong team, if you have a generational, all-timer talent, that could hugely tip the scales in your favour.

You can bet there's some kid around the world, RIGHT NOW, that is 14/16 years old and is thinking, "what if it was me there in the field?"

My point is: all the usual teams are ALWAYS the favorites (the old 4, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Italy; the new 2, France and Spain; perhaps you put England in this mix as well).


Then you've got teams with a generational talent, either by a strong all-around roster without an all-timer (like Marrocos now), or a possible all-timer (like Haaland could do with Norway in the future). Or a mix between the 2 (like Belgium, Croatia, Netherlands through the years)

So, in 4 years anything could happen. And you've got to take the injuries into account too.

Ask me in December 2025 then, lol.

There are two teams that will stick out four years down the line: England for sure. They will have the best midfield with Foden, Saka, and Bellingham. Kane may be young enough to have one more run in him, but they'll have Rashford who was solid in this tournament. Granted, they have to stay healthy.

Then, as you mentioned, Brazil will also be a favorite just because of the returning talent plus Endrick.

Portugal looked very dangerous in this tournament. They'll basically have the same team minus Ronaldo and Pepe.

I'm not that bullish on either France or Argentina. They'll be contenders, but not title favorites. France is losing a lot good veteran talent, as is Argentina.

France will be more than reloaded by next WC, their youth teams are at the top at every level still. Their defense is young, their best players of the generation that might age out missed the tournament anyways except Greizman, but they are not short of AM talent in the next generation to replace him (I am still a believer that Cherki will break out). Right now Rennes in particular is cranking out world class talents. Desire Doué and Mathys Tel look special and the Bundesliga is full of world class French forwards and wings who are going to be in their primes

[GeorgeSears]

Post your team of the tournament:

Forwards: Messi, J Alvarez, Mbappe

Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes, Saka, Griezmann

Defenders: Gvardiol, Hakimi, Saiss, Hernandez

Goalkeeper: Livakovic

It was tough to leave out Modric and Amrabat

Wait where’s the arg goalie?

This is just my starting XI

I went with Livakovic. I think Martinez was 2nd best. He had bigger moments/saves, but Livakovic was more consistent imo.

When the official list comes out, Martinez might make it over him.

[GSWFan1994]

:o

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Check out some Ronaldinho Gaúcho tape back when he was around Messi's age in your video...

Watch on YouTube

If I heard it right, Ronaldinho once scored 23 (!) goals in a single futsal match,

BTW, that channel is amazing... HIGHLY recommended: https://www.youtube.com/@RaymarFootball

BTW 2, "inho/inha" in Brazil means "small"...

Ronaldinho = Small Ronaldo / Little Ronaldo

You heard me, Greyzinha?

Edit: from the comments in the above video...

Fun fact: He got arrested for a short period of time in Paraguay for trying to enter the country with a fake passport. At the time the prisioners had a football tournamente and he made his team won the competition, what makes him probably the only player who has the title of prision's football tournament winner, despite world's cup and etc

[GeorgeSears]

Peter Drury's commentary is unparalleled.

Watch on YouTube

[Raps in 4]

Wild drone footage of the parade: https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/zpcvbz/madness_in_buenos_aires/

[Raps in 4]

I'm a bit of a fan of the French team, but I'm happy for Messi. I honestly thought they were going to choke it away, but they closed it out.

The game itself is getting a bit overrated though. Yeah, it was dramatic, but 3/6 goals were on penalties lol.

[GSWFan1994]

Can't decide if 2010 South Africa or 2022 Qatar was my favorite World Cup. But they are both in the top 2 for sure!
.

You should check 1982 and 1986. Still two of the best ones for me. Amount of fantastic games in those was simply crazy. Not sure what you are liking about 2010, one of the worst WC ever in my opinion. Only good thing was Shakira's song. This guy seems to agree with me https://www.espn.com/soccer/fifa-world-cup/story/4790515/ranking-the-world-cups-all-21-editions-from-worst-to-best

That list is soooo all over the place, it's not funny, lol.

For example, it puts the 1990 WC at the near bottom (rightfully so), but puts the 1994 WC near the top. Both were hard to watch! I specifically remember the 1990 final between Germany and Argentina as a drag, absolutely horrible match. 1970 is almost universally considered a top 3 WC for many, and it's number 6 on the list. I dunno then, doesn't seem like a reliable list to me.

I've been watching the WCs since 1990 (I don't remember 1982 and 1986, I was too young), and 1990 was very bad for the eyes, too many teams playing an extra defensive style, too much flopping, holding the ball, etc. The best ones I remember are 2002 and now, 2022. 1998 was good too, I revisited it once someone posted here reminding me.

My late grandfather watched every WC from 1950 until 2010. He even watched one of the games (of the 1950 WC) in the "Pacaembu" stadium, he could talk about that for hours, had a very good memory. So, as far I remember, he liked 1970 and 1982, that was the ones he talked about the most.

1970 was the first WC to be seen in colour on TV, before that games were black and white.

[Cactus Jack]

Can't decide if 2010 South Africa or 2022 Qatar was my favorite World Cup. But they are both in the top 2 for sure!

I really started watching in 2006. I remember 2002, but I was still a kid and I didn't have cable TV so I missed a lot of games.

2014 (Brazil) is the most recent one that stands out to me. More so than 2010. Maybe because Brazil was the host. Also who can forget the absolute thrashing by the Germans? A classic.

'98 (France) was the first tournament that I watched. I don't really remember much about '02 (Korea/Japan), likely due to the time difference. But during the Summer of '06 (Germany), I was entering college & had a lot more time available to watch. So that's probably why I look back more fondly on that time.

[Calvin Klein]

HELL YES.

[magik9113]

I’m still processing that match. Beautiful match. Beautiful game

[fbalmeida]

good decision

Care to explain why you think so?

I happen to think it was an awful and spineless decision. There's a reason why all Russian national teams and clubs are banned from international competitions.

keep politics out of sports

That is impossible. Politics is naturally intertwined with sports at every single level. From local youth sports associations to the selection and construction of venues for international tournaments.

[GSWFan1994]

For those who still don't understand the Brazil x Argentina rivalry:

Watch on YouTube

(part 1 of 3, just open the link instead of watching it here and the other 2 parts are in the "related" section)

Back in 2017, word was out that Messi would be having his wedding in Argentina.

This brazilian humour show (called Pânico) found a Messi lookalike in São Paulo, working in a bakery, and took him to Argentina and got him to marry his girlfriend at the same place, day and time the real Messi was having his wedding... priceless, lol.

[madmaxmedia]

I've had those cookies BTW. They're f'ing delicious.

My wife is Argentine and loves them, I order them from Amazon sometimes. Somehow reasonably priced with free shipping, comes via FedEx international.

[Sedale Threatt]

I've had those cookies BTW. They're f'ing delicious.

My wife is Argentine and loves them, I order them from Amazon sometimes. Somehow reasonably priced with free shipping, comes via FedEx international.

We were lucky. This Manu Ginobili fanatic (very nice lady) used to bring them to Spurs games and would always bring some extra for us. I'd eat dog sht if it had frosting or caramel on it, and I love butter cookies, so I couldn't shove them in my mouth fast enough. Now that you mention it, I'm gonna see if I can track some down here in Atlanta.

[madmaxmedia]

Hey, any of you guys remember France’s opportunity with about 20 seconds left in extra time of the overtime? It was a great/fortunate save by Martinez, but I feel like the shot was a bit rushed and would have been an easy score with an extra touch first by the French player.

As it was, I couldn’t believe it didn’t go in.

[GSWFan1994]

I've had those cookies BTW. They're f'ing delicious.

My wife is Argentine and loves them, I order them from Amazon sometimes. Somehow reasonably priced with free shipping, comes via FedEx international.

What cookies are you guys talking about... alfajor?