On 11th June this year, 19th World Cup tournament will be held in South Africa, first time in the African continent. Earlier it used to be held in rotation in Europe and in South America except in 2002 when it was jointly hosted by Japan and South Korea. To participate in World Cup tournament every participating nation has to undergo a very rigorous qualifying process lasting over a year but only in the first tournament in 1930 when Uruguay hosted this tournament the participating teams were invited, some even at the last moment; India was also invited but last minute had to refrain from participating because Indian players were not accustomed to play wearing soccer boots, Indians then were known to play barefooted. The first ever World Cup tournament was won by the host country Uruguay by defeating their rival and neighbour Argentina and the next day as a mark of joy, Uruguay declared a national holiday. FIFA is the governing body under which World Cup tournaments are supervised. To organize World Cup is not a joke, the organising country must provide many and best of facilities in number of fields including best of world class soccer stadia with all the necessary facilities. Japan and Korea being industrial giants in Asia could not individually organize this tournament in 2002 and to make this edition a success FIFA had to allot this World Cup jointly to two countries, to Japan and Korea.
Seen in the picture above is World Cup winning Italian captain Fabio Cannavaro in 2006.
Currently 32 national teams participate in the World Cup but earlier in the beginning and till 1978 only 16 national teams were allowed and from 1982 the number of participating teams increased to 24 which number lasted till 1994 and finally it brought to the current level of 32 teams in France in 1998.
Brazil is the only country in the world to participate in every World Cup tournament since the inception time in 1930 at Uruguay and Brazil is the only country having a distinction of winning the World Cup Tournament 5 times, followed by Italy 4 times, Germany 3 times, Uruguay & Argentina twice each and England and France once each.
Almost every World Cup produces a great player and prominent among them in 1958 was Brazilian Pele and in 1962 again a Brazilian, Garincha; in 1966 Portugal’s Eusebio; in 1970 West Germany’s Gerd Mueller; in 1974 Netherland’s Johan Cruyff; in 1978 Argentinian Mario Kempes; in 1982 Italian Paulo Rossi; in 1986 Argentinian Diego Armando Maradona; in 1990 Italy’s Salvatore Schillaci; in 1994 Brazil’s Romario; in 1998 Zinedine Zidane; in 2002 Brazil’s Ronaldo and in 2006 Italy’s Fabio Cannavaro.
The highest number of goals scored in a single W. Cup tournament was 13 in 1958 at Sweden by Frenchman Just Fontaine and till now none of the later on highest scorers managed to break this record of Just Fontaine. When Fontaine created this record of 13 goals the number of participating teams was only 16 but later on it increased to 24 and then 32. Inspite of being bigger competitions having bigger number of players from around the world, none managed either to equal Frenchman’s record or surpassed that record.
Every World Cup tournament produces a surprise team like in earlier tournaments produced, namely Cameron, Algeria, Israel, Tunisia, North Korea, Croatia etc. These surprise teams came from the third world and they created upsets for the gigantic teams as North Korea an Asian minnows in soccer sent mighty Italy packing its bags back to Rome Airport without even reaching to the quarter final in 1966 in England. Which will be the surprise team in this year’s edition in South Africa? Will it be from African continent or Asian? Only the time will answer this question.
Seen in the picture Brazilian skipper Dunga receiving World Cup in 1994.
Being the biggest soccer sporting event, World Cup tournaments give best of footballers to the soccer world and with their super talent and sheer artistry they delight the spectators all around the world. Some of the footballers whose memory from the minds of the people will never erase are Brasilians Pele nicknamed Black Pearl, Garincha nicknamed Small Bird, Carlos Alberto Pereira, Dr. Tostao, Rivelino, Zairzinho, Gerson, Dr. Socrates, Romario, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho; from Portugal Eusebio nicknamed Black Panther; from Hungary Ferenz Puskas; from France Just Fontaine, Platini and Zidane; from Germany Uwe Scheler, Backenbeur, Sep Meier, Gerd Mueller nicknamed Bomber and Rummenigge; from England Gordon Banks, Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton and Kevin Keegan; from Argentina Alfredo di Stefano, Daniel Passarela, Osvy Ardilles, Mario Kempes and Maradona; from Mexico Mario Campos and Hugo Sanchez; from Cameroon’s Roger Milla.
Among the best footballers in the world as per my observation in their rankings are (1) Argentianian and later on Spanish Alfredo de Stefano; (2) Hungarian Ferenz Puskas; (3) Brazilian Pele; (4) Argentinian Maradona; (5) Portuguese Eusebio; (6) German Backenbeur; (7) German Gerd Mueller; (8) England’s Bobby Charlton; (9) England’s Bobby Moore; (10) German Karl Heinz Rummenige; (11) Russian Lev Yaschin; (12) Dutch Johan Cruyf; (13) Dutch Ruud Gullit and (14) Brazilian Roberto Carlos.
In the later part of last century, approximately in early eighties, France Soccer Magazine known all around the globe as very interesting organized a Poll of experts to select 3 best sportsmen of this planet of past century. The result was Footballer Pele first; Olympian Athlete Runner Jesse Owens second and on third place came World Champion Boxer Mohammed Ali (Cassius Clay).
Seen in the picture above is West Germany's skipprt Franz Backenbeur joyfully holding the World Cup in 1974.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
TO BE CONCLUDED.
N.B. All the pictures seen in this article are provided by the well-known Kuwait based Goan scribe Gasper Crasto from Navelim. Mr. Crasto was a well known national footballer from Goa representing Salgaocars Sports Club, Goa.
