By Santino Raftellis –
“I’m living a dream, I never want to wake up from”
Cristiano Ronaldo
Pre-Game
‘With kick-off about to take place in fifteen minutes, there is a palpable sense of excitement building amongst the supporters in the ground. We welcome you to this live broadcast of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the twenty-first edition of the finals competition.’
The World Cup first began in 1930, and to date 79 different countries have competed at some point in the tournament’s 88 year history. Brazil is the only country to appear in all twenty-one tournaments and it is also the most successful country to compete, winning five World Cups.
32 countries currently compete, with qualification from six different member federations ensuring that all regions of the world have access to the beautiful game. While 208 countries attempted to qualify for the 2018 tournament, representing an unprecedented diversity, only eight countries have ever won the World Cup – all of them hailing from Europe or South America.
First Half
‘Welcome ladies and gentlemen to Moscow Stadium where this incredibly important fixture will be decided in likely just over ninety minutes of football.’
Germany, winners of the 2014 World Cup, were knocked out in the group stage, continuing a tradition dating back to the past two world cups. In the 2010 competition, reigning champion Italy was knocked out in the group stage, whilst in 2014 the previous winner Spain was also knocked out of the group stage. The rise of the winner’s curse has left the competition open to more diverse winners with Croatia potentially winning this year’s tournament when they face France. This is a country who only declared independence in 1991 and has qualified for the same amount of World Cup’s as Brazil has won.
‘As the first half ends, presently the spoils of the game are to be shared equally with the score nil all.’
Second Half
‘A lively first half, and on reflection a phenomenal game thus far.’
‘Who is this we see in the corporate box? Russian President Vladimir Putin and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.’
Now, the dark underbelly of international football. If it’s not exorbitant wages and transfer fees at a club competition level, the next best thing is the rank corruption of FIFA in international tournaments. A FIFA President who took over after his predecessor, Sepp Blatter, was found to be immensely and patently corrupt, and a Russian President who has been described by many international observers as effectively an autocrat.
Although the football is great, the course of the game has left a sour taste in your mouth and you are forced to confront the ultimate question: is the World Cup merely a corporate sham in which dictators and tyrants play host to the beautiful game’s penultimate competition? The selection of Qatar as host in 2022 seemingly vindicates that belief, with castigating reports commissioned by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International noting the ‘serious exploitation’ of the Qatari Government employing slave labour to build the giant cathedrals which will house the competition in the scorching Middle Eastern heat. Furthermore, the means of the Qatari Government obtaining the World Cup demonstrates the sheer corruption of the organisation that runs the leviathan that is world football.
The consistent advertising of sportswear companies, gambling agencies and financial firms, further reinforces your dismay at modern football. This is a far cry from the black and white footage of footballing icons with moustaches and mullets passionately playing football in stadiums filled to the brim with cheering and militant supporters.
‘As regular time comes to a close, the score is still nil all’
Extra Time
As the game goes into extra time your eyes glass over as you wonder if the game is too far gone; tainted by corruption and inequality. What’s beautiful about this game anymore? Even if countries such as Croatia can make the final of a World Cup, the exceptionalism of that claim is contrasted with the corruption of the competition.
The referee holds up the Hublot board indicating four whole minutes of extra time.
With only a minute remaining the ball goes out for a corner and is whipped in with significant pace by one of the teams.
The keeper punches the ball away as it flashes across the face of goal, and suddenly the lone attacker sitting near the half way mark has his chance.
With no teammates around him and only a defender marking him, he flicks the ball with the outside of his boot and then inside beating his defender and suddenly he’s clear on goal with only the keeper to beat.
From those inside the ground, to the suburbs of Melbourne, to the pubs of England and the slums of Lagos; your heart beats, thudding in your chest in rhythm with tens of millions of others glued to this spectacle.
He feints to the left, and then slots it straight down the right of the goal.
The crowd erupts and you scream with raw ecstasy.
The final whistle blows and the team that has one screams and jumps with happiness, whilst the losing team sinks to the ground. Supporters and players hug one another.
