Qatar Hero - The World Cup 2022 thread

[Royal Rother]

What a great final. I admire a man of principle but spare a moment for Ian who will now be reading about it (if he didn’t actually watch it).

Would have been even better if France had turned up for the entire game. Goodness me they were poor for 80 mins even if that was largely because of Argentina’s fantastic pressing and energy.

Argentina were excellent and thoroughly deserved their victory. Messi was absolutely brilliant and a pleasure to watch.

And overall a very good WC, made sweeter by Ronaldo and Suarez crying their Loser tears.

[Ark Royal]

How many players have "completed the set"?

Domestic League and Cup, Champions League, regional national tournament and World Cup?

If you take the European Cup as the equal of the Champions League, then Franz Beckenbauer has won the lot plus the World Club Cup with Bayern. He also managed a World Cup-winning team.

[leon]

What a great final. I admire a man of principle but spare a moment for Ian who will now be reading about it (if he didn’t actually watch it).

Would have been even better if France had turned up for the entire game. Goodness me they were poor for 80 mins even if that was largely because of Argentina’s fantastic pressing and energy.

Argentina were excellent and thoroughly deserved their victory. Messi was absolutely brilliant and a pleasure to watch.

And overall a very good WC, made sweeter by Ronaldo and Suarez crying their Loser tears.

All of this. A ridiculously good game. And the right team won.

All of this anti Messi shit completely ignores the fact that even if he's not dribbling around everyone - what he's actually doing is linking play, holding the ball up and releasing players. Quite brilliantly. This WC has made me understand what an actual team team player he is.

[Stranded]

didn't bother watching the WC Finals in 90,94,98,10, only saw bits of 2014 and I may not bother with this one

finals are generally a disappointment

Did you watch it Winst?

78 mins onwards. Thankful, was a great game!

Same here we always have a pre-Christmas event we attend on the last Sunday before Christmas so know we were going to miss most of it - thought about watching it on delay but knew I'd either see the score or just get bored watching it if it were anything less than excellent from the getgo, esp knowing the game was over.

As expected, saw it was 2-0 to Argentina through someone's living room window whilst at traffic lights and we got in and sat down at 77 mins - perfect timing as it happend and meant that Stranded Jr got to enjoy the rest of the game before he had to go to bed - which he otherwise wouldn't have been able to.

Did say to him, that that will probably be the best final he ever sees and he's only 5.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Great final. I thought Argentina were excellent bar the last 10 minutes. Messi, De Paul and MacAllister were very good in the game. France did well to make a game of it and Mbappe is ridiculously good as well. I was nearly out of my seat when he jinxed past a couple of Argentina defenders in extra time before someone just got a touch on the ball which took it away from him.

The French forward who missed that chance in extra time must be absolutely sick this morning, what a chance it was. It really came into life from the 80th or so minute onwards. I don't think I'll see a final better than that in my lifetime.

[Royal Rother]

This WC has made me understand what an actual team team player he is.

Yep. No sulking. No checking out his hair on the big screen. No big poses after scoring. No arm waving when he doesn’t get the ball.... etc. etc.

You get my drift.

[Hendo]

I've never understood how people don't enjoy watching Messi.

[Brum Royal]

How many players have "completed the set"?

Domestic League and Cup, Champions League, regional national tournament and World Cup?

Spain won Euro 08, WC 10, and Euro 12 so a good chunk of the squad who played for Real Madrid or Barca would have done I'd have thought. Maybe also some of the French squad from the WC98/Euro 00 winners

[genome]

Ah true. Maybe more common than you think!

[genome]

I've never understood how people don't enjoy watching Messi.

I think some people get fed up with the over-eulogising from the pundits, there was a bit in one of Argentina's matches where Danny Murphy wet himself over Messi taking a free kick that went over the bar

I really enjoy him as a player though. Certainly think he's settled the GOAT deb8 now.

[Hendo]

I've never understood how people don't enjoy watching Messi.

I think some people get fed up with the over-eulogising from the pundits, there was a bit in one of Argentina's matches where Danny Murphy wet himself over Messi taking a free kick that went over the bar

I really enjoy him as a player though. Certainly think he's settled the GOAT deb8 now.

Some of the fawning is a tad annoying, just got chalk it up to pundits thinking airtime has to be filled, when the pictures can say more than anything they could think up.

[Sanguine]

The 'fawning' never bothers me. He's brilliant. Let's hype it. Because once he retires there won't be Messi any more (albeit Mbappe might surpass even his career).

On 'the set' - being Barca widens the trophy cabinet a little, as they also won the Super Cup and World Club Cup in 2009 and 2011.

Pedro can also boast a Europa League title, courtesy of his time with Chelsea, as well as a League and Cup 'double', as he won both competitions with both Barca and Chelsea.

[jd82]

I swear Murphy is getting worse by the game. Adds so little, and his Gary Neville style groans are so obviously forced

Anyway, football wise a very good WC, and a superb final, despite one team dominating for 75 minutes.

[Sanguine]

Ally McCoist paired with Sam Matterface is like ordering a fillet steak and then covering it in mayonnaise.

[6ft Kerplunk]

The 'fawning' never bothers me. He's brilliant. Let's hype it. Because once he retires there won't be Messi any more

^ this. If you can't go over the top as a pundit at one of the greatest ever players in the twilight of his career dragging his country to a world cup win when can you?

[Winston Biscuit]

am chatting with my work friend in Buenos Aires. Things she has said:

the partying is still going on and will only increase when the players arrive back there, and with Christmas at the weekend it means pretty much no work with happen this week.

They have been watching images of all the other countries cheering them on and its become a big thing on the build up and into today that they are aware many people around the world were on their side, and they have taken this in great surprise and affection

There was a fear there that with the economy and politics in such a terrible way that a poor tournament could spark something ugly, and this win has just brought people together with no violence and families out celebrating on the streets. The government are trying to arrange something official but the public don't want this and would rather see something without them involved

She said 'finally Maradona can be put in the past and we can look forward with a new healthy generation'. She said the country has needed to move on from him for some time and his status and memory has held them back, both in football terms and just as a nation. She said he is of course adored there but his influence has been beyond football and its not always been a healthy one for the nation. 'Now something more inspiring has arrived for the young generation'

[fartdad]

The 'fawning' never bothers me. He's brilliant. Let's hype it. Because once he retires there won't be Messi any more

^ this. If you can't go over the top as a pundit at one of the greatest ever players in the twilight of his career dragging his country to a world cup win when can you?

I believe it’s a self fulfilling prophecy.. you want to believe Messi is god.. get enough of others to convince you too. He doesn’t really do anything for me. He gets away with pretty much with everything because he has everyone believing that he isn’t a dirty player, like literally sticking his hand out to block the ball against Netherlands. Messi dived, oh wait Messi doesn’t dive.. penalty for ya boy

He did single handily almost bankrupt Barca which led them to selling the rights of blades of grass for the next 50 years, so that something I’ll remember him by.

[Ascotexgunner]

How many players have "completed the set"?

Domestic League and Cup, Champions League, regional national tournament and World Cup?

Spain won Euro 08, WC 10, and Euro 12 so a good chunk of the squad who played for Real Madrid or Barca would have done I'd have thought. Maybe also some of the French squad from the WC98/Euro 00 winners

Indeed the likes of Fabregas. Think Terry Henry won everything but didn't actually kick a ball in the WC tournament.
Probably a shedload of Germans as well.

[bcubed]

https://www.football365.com/news/rankin ... -argentina

England ranked 27th according to this

In terms of how well they did compared with how well they should have done

[Franchise FC]

https://www.football365.com/news/ranking-each-teams-world-cup-showing-relative-to-official-fifa-ranking-england-france-argentina

England ranked 27th according to this

In terms of how well they did compared with how well they should have done

Weren’t England ranked 5 before the tournament ?
If so, they reached exactly the round they were supposed to

And Wales ranked above England after scoring 1 goal, getting 1 point and, quire possibly, being the worst performing team in the tournament