Random World Cup Facts

Damn that sucks...

 

I'm kind of amazed they included footage of Zidane's head butt as part of the music video. Not exactly FIFA's proudest moment.

 

in the last there dozen of posts here, many postings were about stuff like the official world cup song (belongs to the russia 2018 thread, but not to this one here) or quizzes like 'name the 12 countries that became semi finalist' at a world cup.

the last one is no RANDOM world cup fact, as it might simply be 12 other teams and they are not related to each other in a special way. if they all come from 1 confed, if they all start with the same letter, if they all would have missed the worldcup after their biggest success, well that would be special and worth a post, but not the simple fact, that there is a list of 12 countries.

i myself used a quizlike intro question in my friday's post here only as to make readers think and i concluded with... dont waste your time, you will find none.

you can post what you want of course, but it should be the correct thread. if a world cup quiz or song thread does not exist so far, then create one, but dont misuse this one please.

got me now?

 

No, not really. It seems you have, if you'll forgive me, a somewhat "random" definition of the word random. You say my 12 countries were "not related in a special way." Of course they were related in a special way, they were the 12 countries that have reached the semi-finals but failed to reach the final.

You go on to give an example of something special as "listing all the countries that start with the same letter." I can't imagine why anyone would care about that, but you know what, fine, if that is special for you. I won't decide what is special for you, and hopefully you will extend the same courtesy to me. Not to mention, I don't think anyone ever appointed you official arbiter for what is the proper use of this thread.

I'll just reiterate that the title of the thread is "Random World Cup Facts". My posts easily fit within that criteria.

 

World Cup quizzes are fine if they show some random WC facts that make you go, "Hmmmmmm" as they bring strange situations or anomalies that bring interest. Asking, "Who qualified in Group B in 1990" is not a random WC fact, it's just asking a random question.

The World Cup song belongs in the WC thread - not a thread about random WC facts. The only fact regarding that WC theme song is that is fucking sucks.

 

Well, it is a "random World Cup fact", it's just not a very interesting one.

Anyway, in the 12 years this thread has existed I doubt that anyone has ever asked so prosaic a question.

 

Posing a question is not a fact, but you're right, the answer, whatever it may be, would be a WC fact - one in fact that no one really gives a shit about.

 

There has never been a non-native manager who has guided a team to a World Cup title. If it were to happen this year, the best possibilities are probably:

1. Belgium

2. Mexico

3. Denmark.

Others that will have foreign managers at this World Cup:

1. Egypt
2. Japan
3. Morocco
4. Panama
5. Peru
6. Saudi Arabia

Colombia and Switzerland have managers that were born in Argentina and Yugoslavia respectively, but have become naturalized citizens. As for Australia, they might end up with a foreign manager, because they still don't have one.

 

Iran has a foreign manager as well.
p.s.
I am among a small minority of Iranian fans who generally favor a native, domestic, coach to a foreign coach for Iran's national team. Carlos Queiroz has done well for Iran but that to me doesn't bring as much credit for Iran as an Iranian coach doing well for Iran. Indeed, if it was up to me, I would have a rule that would require all head coaches for national teams be citizens of the country they are coaching with similar rules as you have for players who want to play for a national side. Sounds extreme and maybe xenophobic to some, but the real issue to me is to make sure national football competitions are kept distinct from club competitions. The former should really say something about the football culture and level of each nation and that includes the fellows who coach a team.

 

Right IM, I knew about Queiroz, but forgot to add him. I don't think I agree about limiting the national teams to native-born coaches, but that's all I will say about it because some of the good citizens on this thread have nervous breakdowns if the discussion deviates even slightly from "Random World Cup Facts".

 

Expanding on this a little, only two losing finalists were coached by non-natives:
1958 Sweden - George Raynor (English)
1978 Netherlands - Ernst Happel (Austrian)

 

Number of points against host teams.

13 Italy
Win vs France (1938)
Win vs Mexico (1970)
Win vs Argentina (1978)
Draw vs France (1998)
Win vs Germany (2006)

13 Germany
Win vs Chile (1962)
Win vs Spain (1982)
Draw vs Mexico (1986)
Win vs South Korea (2002)
Win vs Brazil (2014)

10 Brazil
Win vs Sweden (1958)
Win vs Chile (1962)
Draw vs Argentina (1978)
Win vs United States (1994)

7 Uruguay
Win vs Brazil (1950)
Draw vs England (1966)
Win vs South Africa (2010)

6 Turkey
Win vs Japan (2002)
Win vs South Korea (2002)

4 England
Win vs Switzerland (1954)
Draw vs Spain (1982)

3 Austria
Win vs Switzerland (1954)

3 East Germany
Win vs West Germany (1974)

3 Northern Ireland
Win vs Spain (1982)

3 Romania
Win vs United States (1994)

3 Netherlands
Win vs Brazil (2014)

2 Switzerland
Draw vs Brazil (1950)
Draw vs United States (1994)

2 Spain
Draw vs Italy (1934)
Draw vs South Korea (2002)

2 Argentina
Draw vs Italy (1990)
Draw vs Germany (2006)

2 Mexico
Draw vs South Africa (2010)
Draw vs Brazil (2014)

1 Wales
Draw vs Sweden (1958)

1 Russia
Draw vs Mexico (1970)

1 Honduras
Draw vs Spain (1982)

1 Paraguay
Draw vs Mexico (1986)

1 Belgium
Draw vs Japan (2002)

1 United States
Draw vs South Korea (2002)

1 Chile
Draw vs Brazil (2014)

 

Thanks Sevenace for these interesting stats about games against host teams.

22 teams have met at least once the World Cup host without ever getting a single point:

• Serbia/Yugoslavia: 5 losses
• Poland: 4 losses
• France, Portugal, Sweden: 3 losses
• Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic/Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Peru: 2 losses
• Australia, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Iraq, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tunisia: 1 loss

Eliminating the hosts:
Here are teams which have actually eliminated the hosts from the competition:

• Germany (Spain 82, Mexico 86, South Korea 02, Brazil 14)
• Italy (France 38, Mexico 70, Germany 06)
• Brazil (Sweden 58, Chile 62, United States 94)
• Uruguay (Brazil 50, South Africa 10*)
• Austria (Switzerland 54)
• Argentina (Italy 90)
• Turkey (Japan 02)

*South Africa was eliminated out of goal difference at the 3rd game, but its only loss was against Uruguay at the 2nd game.

So we have 4 "host killers" (Germany, Italy, Brazil, Uruguay), achieving 80% of World cup hosts eliminations (12 out of 15).

As a reminder, 6 world cups have been won by the host (Uruguay 30, Italy 34, England 66, Germany 74, Argentina 78, France 98).

 

Quite a nice infographic! Stole it from: http://alphasportsbetting.com/sports-betting-tactics/fifa-world-cup-2018-stadiums

 

In 1990, Argentina was the first country to fail to score in the World Cup championship match. Since then there has been a major change, with a team failing to score in five out of the six World Cup Finals that have been played.

1994: Both Brazil and Italy

1998: Brazil

2002: Germany

2010: Holland

2014: Argentina

 

Not to mention that four of the six Finals since 1990 have gone into extra time, which only happened in two of the first 14 World Cups. So either defenses are better than they used to be among the Finalists, or they are playing a lot more cautiously than in the earlier years.

 

The European defending champions have been eliminated in the group stage in the three consecutive World Cups. France in 2002, Italy in 2010 and Spain in 2014.

 

That's not consecutive. Granted, the winners of 2004 did not qualify for 2006 but still.

 

Technically, I guess you could say they were eliminated in the group stage of World Cup qualifying. I'm not sure if that is what the OP meant.

Greece actually didn't even come close--they finished 4th in their WC qualifying group.

 

italy did not win ruto 2008, that was spain.

 

Worst success rate of making the knockout stage appearance in the World Cup.

Scotland (8-0)

Iran (4-0)
Tunisia (4-0)

Bolivia (3-0)
Honduras (3-0)
Ivory Coast (3-0)
South Africa (3-0)

Egypt (2-0)
El Salvador (2-0)
New Zealand (2-0)
Slovenia (2-0)

Angola (1-0)
Bosnia and Herzegovina (1-0)
Canada (1-0)
China (1-0)
DR Congo (1-0)
Haiti (1-0)
Iraq (1-0)
Israel (1-0)
Jamaica (1-0)
Kuwait (1-0)
Togo (1-0)
Trinidad and Tobago (1-0)
UAE (1-0)


Worst team by region

AFC : Iran (4-0)
CAF : Tunisia (4-0)
CONCACAF : Honduras (3-0)
CONMEBOL : Bolovia (3-0)
OFC : New Zealand (2-0)
UEFA : Scotland (8-0)

 

Most appearances without advancing out of the group would be a more accurate title. The worst teams from these regions would hardly qualify much less qualify multiple times, regardless of whether they advance. But certainly Iran and Tunisia are going to their 5th World Cup in Russia without having advanced from the group stage yet and this is a distinction they need to shed. Especially since the only team that remains with more appearances without advancing out of the group stage, namely Scotland, hasn't qualified to the World Cup in a long time.

That said, it should be noted that until 2002 when South Korea hosted the World Cup, recorded its first win(s) in the World Cup, and advanced from its group (to make it all the way to the semifinals), they had previously qualified to the World Cup 5 times without advancing from the group stage. While they have since remedied that distinction, the record in the AFC for the most appearances without advancing from the group stage, therefore, would still belong to them even if Iran has the chance to equal that dubious distinction in Russia. But unlike the Koreans, we have already recorded a win so their record of 5 World Cup appearances until World Cup 2002 without a victory will not be broken by Iran.

In fact, the record for the most appearances at the World Cup without making it out of the group stage is actually held by: 1- Scotland (8 appearances) 2- Mexico (6 appearances) and 3- South Korea (5 appearances). While Mexico (like South Korea) managed to advance from its group finally when it got to host the 1970 World Cup, it was not until the second time they go to host in 1986 that they managed to begin writing a totally different chapter, advancing from their group each and every time ever since 1986 (not counting 1990 when they were disqualified).

 

Between 2002 and 2014, three defending champions - France in 2002, Italy in 2006 and Spain in 2014 - were knocked out in the group stage. Only Brazil, who reached the quarter-finals in 2006, avoided this unenviable fate.

This is a remarkable stat, which shows how competitive international football is. Out of those three countries, too, only Spain in 2014 could really be said to have been placed in a so-called "Group of Death". France's group in 2002 looks tough in hindsight, but at the time, no-one really thought there was any chance they wouldn't make the knock-out stage; most commentators predicted they'd easily beat Senegal in the opening game, for instance. Italy's group in 2010 looked easy on paper, but wound out being anything but.

Prior to 2002, the previous defending champ to not reach at least the second round of competition was Brazil way back in 1966. Interestingly, Brazil in 1962 was the last team to successfully defend their title.

France in 2002 - 1 point, zero goals - stands alone as the worst-performing defending champion. Uruguay chose not to defend their 1930 trophy in 1934.

 

The one thing that has stood out for me from these "random facts" arises from the discussion about South Korea and Mexico in my last post and it is actually something that is not really random at all. Which what makes it more. Specifically:

Mexico, South Korea, and Japan, had never advanced from their group until they hosted the World Cup. Indeed, between them, they had only 1 win in 12 prior appearances at the World Cup (Mexico's win against Czechoslovakia in Chile '62) before each hosted the tournament. After twice hosting the World Cup, Mexico has been a regular and consistent team advancing to the knock-out stage. South Korea, which recorded its first win(s) in World Cup 2002 as hosts, has since won more games and advanced out of its group in World Cup 2010 as well. The same with Japan. None of these teams have a record in the World Cup that is remotely similar to what their record showed before they hosted these tournaments. Even tiny Uruguay, which established itself as a football power early on, began its success hosting the first World Cup and wining the tournament in 1930!

I don't think the privilege of hosting that is shown is a random fact per se and, for that reason, I actually have a very different idea about how World Cup hosting should be arranged. I will discuss that elsewhere.