This World Cup - The best in recent history?

M99 wrote:

Hapless_Hans wrote:Quality wise this is not a good world cup. The football is poor, the top teams all severely disappointing, the surprise teams scrubbing along.

Lots of upsets and hard to predict, but let's not act as if watching Sweden play Switzerland constitutes a great World Cup.

Someone's bitter. Sweden vs Switzerland is much more exciting than Germany vs Switzerland.

And maybe top teams have been poor because smaller teams have improved and gap is shortening (Croatia, Uruguay)

I don't regard Croatia or Uruguay as small teams tbh. Croatia vs Argentine was the best performance of the World Cup. I didN't see yesterday's Uru vs Portugal so I can't comment, seems like Uruguay were good.
Spain Portugal was rather good and very entertaining. But for me, the quality is far too over the place, I hope it picks up.

i don't think bottom teams have improved, there just seem to be less superstars/talent in the sport for quite some time now imo

Apart from whats said, I think most of the teams have general improved tactically, physically, mentality, and this has reduced a lot the top teams and stars the space and time the previous WCs allowed for them to really perform.

I still think also there were lots of moments were some of the stars have managed to shine though, if faced with less organized teams, I thought Pogba was very good vs Argentina for example.

This World Cup - The best in recent history?

Yes easily.

zigra wrote:It actually keeps getting better

This is definitely the most entertaining and dramatic world cup that i have experienced, incredible. Ronaldo, Modric, and Kroos with golden moments and both Argentina and Spain getting embarrassed in dramatic fashion are big reasons for my enjoyment but even as a neutral, this world cup has been incredible.

Remember when people wanted to boycott this a couple of months ago and the only hype about the WC you could read in the news was that every fan with a skin shade darker than kevin de bruyne is singing his/her death wish going to the tournament and will be coming home in a coffin? ....amazing power of propaganda!

Have to say as we make it farther the quality seems to be decreasing. The entire lower bracket is a snoozefest sustained only by England is Coming Home memes. It looks like a euro group, and not a particularly exciting one at that.

On the other half, Uruguay-France is a proper match, but for whatever reason I can't get too excited about Brazil-Belgium.

Not the Euro GAWDs fault that all the South American lads other than main lads Brazil are getting knocked out tbh.

Seasons   are more and more consuming, there are too many matches, big players come from 50+ matches , and it can influence the WC quality played in summer season.
Personally I haven't good memories about 2010 and 2014 for example, but this WC was amazing so far.
Just Sweden Switzerland wasn't a thrilling match in these 16th.
I don't know if it is a case, but World Cups played in Europe were my favorite as show . That's a fact.
Anyway more than location I'm worried for that enlargement for 48 matches. I already feel that this WC will miss me so much.

BarrileteCosmico wrote:Have to say as we make it farther the quality seems to be decreasing. The entire lower bracket is a snoozefest sustained only by England is Coming Home memes. It looks like a euro group, and not a particularly exciting one at that.

On the other half, Uruguay-France is a proper match, but for whatever reason I can't get too excited about Brazil-Belgium.

Shall I remind you the absolute shit that the so called elite and big teams served us in the last World Cup knock-out rounds ??

Germany 1-0 France (absolute snoozefest of a match decided by a set piece. Switzerland-Sweden earlier today had many more chances)

Argentina 1-0 Belgium (game of very few chances and no drama...not even a late second half Belgian surge..flat as *bleep*)

Germany 7-1 Brazil (A classic yes, but in terms of excitement and drama the game was over after 25 mins. If a team like Russia or Sweden gets murdered in the semi-final like that, we'll never hear the end of "Shit team ruining the competitiveness of latter stages" argument

Argentina 0-0 Netherlands (One of the worst semi-finals in history of WC, if not the worst. As dull as France-Denmark match last week....can a potential Sweden-Russia semifinal really be any worse??)

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The semi-final of the "snoozefest" part of the draw will be an unbelievable occasion. Whoever the teams will be....just the once in a life time chance for glory. Can't wait !!

Yeah as much as i enjoyed the last WC, the KO games were pretty meh at best tbh with very little tension, excitement or drama.

This one the only one which arguably falls under that category is Switzerland vs Sweden. The other games might be bad but who knows? i suspect most people didn't expect a lot from Japan vs Belgium going in.

Second revision after the first K.O. round. There has been one quality game in the last 16 which was Portugal vs Uruguay. That game was fought in high tactical, technical and individual level.
The other games were very thrilling/ suspensful but bad on the footballing eye for someone who has been following the sport for a long time.

I'd say so far: the best WC for the average couch potatoes, the WC with least quality which even tops 2014 from the footballing perspective.

Still going strong and the semis look promising as well

WC 2006 - Perhaps my top choice. Very traditional yes but so many big clashes and some of them great matches made it so memorable.

WC 2010 - My sentimental favorite although not the best in quality.

WC 2018 - Wonderfully, open, unpredictable and I will always remember it as the one that destroyed the old world order, for the time being at least.

After this I would place WC 1998. The trouble with that tournament was red cards deciding matches and the final becoming shrouded by the Ronaldo fit. Still there were some memorable clashes and after a long time Fifa had stumbled upon the right tournament format.

WC 1994 was ok for me. WC 2014 even worse. The one I hate most is WC 2002.

messixaviesta wrote:WC 2006 - Perhaps my top choice. Very traditional yes but so many big clashes and some of them great matches made it so memorable.

WC 2010 - My sentimental favorite although not the best in quality.

WC 2018 - Wonderfully, open, unpredictable and I will always remember it as the one that destroyed the old world order, for the time being at least.

After this I would place WC 1998. The trouble with that tournament was red cards deciding matches and the final becoming shrouded by the Ronaldo fit. Still there were some memorable clashes and after a long time Fifa had stumbled upon the right tournament format.

WC 1994 was ok for me. WC 2014 even worse. The one I hate most is WC 2002.

I do think that this world cup will have profound impact on world football and its future. So much positives to look at.