Football: simply beautiful

By Artchil B. Fernandez

Without question, football is simply beautiful. The recently concluded 2022 World Cup in Qatar has demonstrated the beauty of football with all its glory before the world. From the group stage to the final match, the World Cup has shown why football is the most popular sport on the planet and its allure.

The opening match between fancied Argentina and unheralded Saudi Arabia was a genuine shocker, and so far is the biggest upset in the World Cup’s history. The world was in disbelief when Saudi Arabia defeated the two-time world champion Argentina 2-1. The high theatrics in the match, with the video assistant referee (VAR) rationalizing the game and taking away its magic set the tone of the entire tournament.

Another surprise was delivered by Japan beating (2-1) another football powerhouse and four-time world champion Germany. Not to be outdone, the Taegeuk Warriors also sprung their own surprise when South Korea won over Portugal 2-1. The two Asian teams along with Australia advanced to the group 16, marking the first time three Asian teams made it to that stage of the competition.  Another history was made.

But the game that drew the most attention in the group stage was between the United States (US) and Iran. The match was the most politically charged game in the tournament considering the hostile relationship between the two countries. The game was not just a sport duel but was also proxy war between the warring parties. The US won 1-0, avenging its defeat 2-1 in the 1998 World Cup.

Final games in the group stage between Japan and Spain and between Germany and Costa Rica exhibited why football is suspenseful, unpredictable and gripping. The last matches in the group stage are played simultaneously to prevent game fixing. In the 1982 World Cup, West Germany and Austria colluded to prevent Algeria from advancing to the round of 16. The incident came to be known as the “Disgrace of Gijon.”

In the final match of Group E, the fortunes of Japan, Spain, Costa Rica and Germany were constantly shifting while the games were in progress depending on who the scored. There was time when Japan and Costa Rica made it to the group of 16 and few minutes later, Germany scored, pushing Costa Rica out. There was an instance when both Spain and Germany seems to have advanced only to see the configuration change again afterwards. In the end, Germany helped Japan secure a slot in the elimination stage by defeating Costa Rica while Spain did not help Germany by failing to defeat Japan thus ensuring the Blue Samurai’s place in the next round.

The round of eight delivered thrilling matches which brought supporters of the teams on the edge. Two successive games were decided by penalty shootout. Croatia eliminated highly favored Brazil on penalties and Netherlands suffered the same fate in the hands of Argentina. The dreaded sudden death sent chill down the spine of the fans, sending the global audience in deep angst.

Speaking of penalties, Croatia survived and reached the semi-finals through this route. Croatia ejected Japan in the round of sixteen through penalties. Morocco also got out of the round of 16 by winning on penalties against Spain. Croatia has an impressive record on penalties. It won all its four penalties in the last two World Cups (2018 and 2022) earning Croatia the moniker “master of penalty shootout.”

The semi-finals ended the Cinderella campaign of Morocco which broke the heart of millions. Morocco is the first African and Arab nation to reach the semi-finals and the unprecedented achievement of the Atlas Lions is an inspiration to other nations. The remarkable feat of Morocco is testament to the beauty of football where small and non-prosperous nations can take on large and rich nations.

Final duel between defending champion France and Argentina arguably the best championship match in the history of World Cup is proof football is truly the beautiful game. It was a roller coaster of a ride, nail-baiting until the end. After the first half, it appears Argentina’s victory is certain with a 2-0 lead.  The second half is about to close with victory within the La Albiceleste’s grasp only for it to slip from its hands when France equalized in a matter of two minutes. Everyone was stunned. How can this happen? Football is really unpredictable.

The game went on extra-time and Argentina scored through Messi’s penalty and is again headed to victory only to be rebuffed by France three minutes before the end with another goal. Like a zombie, France kept on rising again from the verge of defeat and refused to die. The match was finally settled on penalties with Argentina becoming World Cup champion for the third time. The beauty of football with its splendor was in full display in the Qatar championship match between Argentina and France.

Qatar hosting the World Cup is hounded by controversies ranging from poor treatment of migrant workers who built the stadiums to LGBTQ+ issues. The tournament proper however overshadowed the issues by delivering splendid matches that are memorable, historic, electrifying, delightful and spine-tingling. It was one of the best if not the best World Cup and this will be debated in years to come.

One beauty of football is the sport negates physique and is based purely on talent and skills, strategy, and tactics. It is a sport that requires brilliant planning and terrific intelligence.

Despite the pandemic, global recession, conflict and division, the World Cup was able to unite the international community for a moment and reminds everyone that we all belong to one human race. Perhaps this is where the true beauty of football lies – it being a potent unifying force.