After CR7 inevitably wins fifth ballon dor, Portugal will have 7 overall, Italy, one of the superpowers will have 5 I believe. Spain has much less. Portuguese players also have the most european golden boots (Ronaldo 4, Eusebio 2 and Fernando Gomes 2) France has 1 CL title and 3 titles with its national team, Portugal has 4 CL /ECC titles and 1 with its senior team. But people on here seem to equate the strength of our football pedigree with teams like Belgium, Colombia, etc. Like I said, the WC is the only thing missing.
To me Italy not having many ballon de oros is mostly due to the fact that there is a bias and offensive players usually win it. If Defenders, Defensive Midfielders and Keepers got more love Italy would have won a lot more.
Figo didnt score many goals but he won a ballon dor... its just an example, of course Italy is much better in soccer history than Portugal, and so are most of the top nations. Italy is also around 6 times the size of Portugal. but in this forum, Portugal is often easily dismissed fact is it has great achievements that match or exceed many larger nations.
Why are you telling me this when it was @zahzah who implied Portugal were minnows. By the way, he will readily sink Portugal if it means undermining Messi by extension. In fact I argued the opposite. I also consider Eusebio's WC66 as one of the top five individual performances in World Cup history. However, you cannot argue that Portugal is very close to the level of Argentina AND that Ronaldo matches Messi at the WC, not when Messi went fiour layers beyond Ronaldo at the tournament. Something has to give, and for me that something is obvious - Ronaldo has been a disappointment at the past two World Cups. Not sure why you bring up the Euros or the Balon D'Or when I was only referring to the WC since it is the topic of the thread.
Once FOX hired Fernando Fiore I knew this was bound to happen. He has been kissing Mexican butt for decades while at Univision.
México gets away with one there. There was clear contact on the ankle/back of the leg. Should've been a PK.
Hey All, I did these calculations myself to find out who history tells us will win the 2018 World Cup in Russia!!! Take a Look and let me know your thoughts: All Reasonable Possibilities of World Cup Winners: Germany Spain France Italy Portugal Belgium Argentina Brazil Chile Uruguay Colombia Mexico 1. Be Either a European or South American Team: There has been no previous World Cup Winner from any other continent. Bad News For: Mexico 2. Be a European Team due to it being hosted in Europe: A South American team does not usually win in Europe. Only once has that ever happened. Bad News For: Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Colombia, Mexico 3. Don’t make the last World Cup Final unless you are Brazil: Brazil is the only team who has successfully won a world cup after making the final of the last world cup. Only other team to have done that as West Germany, and that as only once. Bad News For: Germany, Argentina 4.Don’t make the Previous Confederations Cup Final: No team that has made the most recent Confederations Cup Final has ever won the World Cup. Bad News For: Germany, Chile 5. Don’t make the most recent Copa America Final: No team that has played in the most recent Copa America Final has ever won the World Cup. Bad News For: Chile, Argentina 6. Don’t be the Runners Up of the most recent European Cup: No Team that was Runners up of the most recent European Cup has ever won the World Cup. Bad News For: France 7. Don’t be the Winner of either of the last 2 World Cups if you are a European Team: A European Team that has won a World Cup, has never won a second consecutive world cup, or the world cup after that. Only Italy has done it in 1934 and 1938. Bad News For: Germany, Spain 8. Don’t Exit the Previous World Cup in the Quarterfinals: All Teams that have won the World Cup have never exited the previous one in the Quarterfinals. Bad News For: Colombia, France, Belgium. 9. Don’t Win the Last Two European Cups: Spain and West Germany are the only teams that have won the most recent European Cup and also won the World Cup, and they only did it once. No team that has won the second most recent European Cup has won the World Cup. Bad News For: Portugal, Spain 10. Don’t be the First Team to Qualify for World Cup (Not the Hosts): First team to Qualify has never won the World Cup, unless it was the Hosts. Bad News For: Brazil Who will win the 2018 World Cup? Italy? Maybe? History Supporting the Italians: Italy makes the World Cup Final every 12 years. Played in 2006 Final. Every time an Italian referee is in charge of world cup final, Italy win Next World Cup. Nicola Rizzoli managed 2014 World Cup Final: Germany vs Argentina.
I rather rely on the present. For me, the present tells me that Germany is the current title holders, Confed finalists (and maybe winners we will see in a few hours) and u-21 European Champions. The present tells me also the Spaniards clubs dominates European club football (and thus world club football) with most club have a core of Spanish players. Their u-21 is European Cup finalists. Spanish players are well represented at all elite football clubs. The present tells me as well the vice-European champion is France. The biggest suprise in last seasons CL was a 'French' team. Some of the brightest and most wanted young talents are French. My prediction, Germany, Spain and France are among the favorites to win the World Cup next year. But to add some history in my predicition, some teams will always be at least dark horses in any World Cup. Italy is one of those country's as well as Brazil and Argentina. I think the Portugese have an interesting squad. But the true dark horse is Belgium. 3rd tournament is a row, this time the will compete for the title.
I very much doubt we will compete for the title. It would be a huge achievement if they finally make it to a semi-final.
11. No team eliminated at group stage the 2 WC's before, has ever won the next WC Very bad news for Italy...
Strange logic, you consider France among the favorites for being vice-European champions, and you don't consider Portugal, whom were the ones whom beated them there. . . Btw, wasn't there another thread to discuss about favorites to win next WC ?........
Whatever happened to that 'tree' everyone loved talking about before the 2006 tournament? ......................................... 1982 Italy ......................................... ................................ 1978 Argentina 1986 ................................ .......................... 1974 (West) Germany 1990 ........................... ....................... 1970 ----------- Brazil ----------- 1994 ....................... .................. 1966 England -- (Host) -- France 1998 .................. ................ 1962 ------------------ Brazil ------------------ 2002 ................ .............. 1958 Brazil -------------------------------- Italy 2006 .............. ............. 1954 West Germany ------------------ Spain 2010 ............. ........... 1950 Uruguay -------------------------- Germany 2014 ........... ......... 1938 Italy --------------------------------------------- ??? 2018 ......... Looks like Italy is out of the running.
Actually, first and only team to do that was Brazil, in 1958, so in their case they can perfectly do it again. 1929, Uruguay made Copa America finals (didn't win), and next year won the 1930 WC 1949, Uruguay again made Copa America finals (didn't win), and next year won the 1950 WC 1957, Brazil made Copa America finals (didn't win), and next year won the 1958 WC 1959 , Brazil made both Copa America finals that year (didn't win), and won the 1962 WC Only thing you could say, is that whom won the most recent Copa America, afterwards didn't win the WC, which in this case would only affect Chile. 1954, Brazil got eliminated at quarters, and afterwards won the 1958 WC 1962, England got eliminated at quarters, and afterwards won the the 1966 WC 1974, Argentina got eliminated at quarters (equivalent), and afterwards won the 1978 WC 1982, Argentina got eliminated at quarters (equivalent), and afterwards won the 1986 WC 1938, first team qualified, diferent to the host was Italy, take a guess who won that WC 1962, first team qualified , diferent to the host was Brazil, whom also won there. Not true. From 1938, where Italy won, till 1970 where Italy reached the finals again, 32 years went through, where Italy couldn't even make it to the semi's. That suposed 12 year gap, only started since 1970-1982, and if we were to seek for a tendency, in each every other gap, Italy wins the WC, and in each every other gap, Italy loses the final match, so as Italy won in 2006, if the gap continues : 1970 : lost 1982 : won 1994 : lost 2006 : won 2018 : ........bad news to Italy
Yes, because I don't look to just 1 tournament result. France did well at the European Championship but they also have lots of talented players and had one of the most suprising teams in last year CL (with many French players). I do consider Portugal I dangerous team, however Ronaldo might be to dominating in this team. But the future of the Portugese looks bright.
Yeah I guess so but it only happened once. Maybe Brazil could do it again. WHAAAA? 1929 Copa was Argentina vs Paraguay 1949 was Brazil vs Paraguay 1957 you are right, but thats only one time. 1959 the later coppa final was Uruguay vs Argentina 1974 World Cup wasn't set up like that, so it doesn't count, same with 1982. I suppose I mis-looked at 1953 and 1962 though. Don't know how I missed that but you are right. Yeah but did you also see what else I wrote as well, in terms of the italian ref system?
Got you : You are posting without even informing yourself before. In all those years, Copa America was played in one big group that included all teams taking part, where they all played vs. all , and therefore every team from South America, made the finals It's simply a coincidence that only happened twice, for Italy's 2 last WC championships, as for Italy's 2 first WC championships (1934 and 1938), nothing of that happened. It's lot more a tendency, in this aspect (which has never failed yet), that for every WC won by Brazil in the past, at the WC before it, referee's have had a new diferent nationalities : 1954 : W. Ling (England) ---------1958 Brazil champion 1958 : M. Guigue (France)---------1962 Brazil champion 1966 : G. Dienst (Switzerland)----1970 Brazil champion 1990 : E. Codesal (Mexico)--------1994 Brazil champion 1998 : S. Belqola (Morocco)--------2002 Brazil champion an well, you know the rest, last WC the referee was italian........
I think Germany are the clear favorites, with Portugal, Argentina, and Brazil as the most likely opponents in the Final. After that you have a large group of teams who could make the semis if they play to the best of their potential and the breaks go their way (in terms of the draw, refereeing decisions): Spain, France, Belgium, Italy, England, Switzerland, Chile, Uruguay, Colombia, Mexico, and the USA. I don't see any of the African or Asian teams as being strong enough at present to make the semis, especially in light of how poorly those two federations performed in 2014.
Africa didn't actually perform too bad in 2014. Algeria and Nigeria did make round of 16. That's pretty normal for Africa honestly. However they are a lot worse now than back then, and Cameroon the team that won the cup looked atrocious and they were the best team. If that's not enough, most African teams might have trouble with the weather conditions in Russia. I agree that African and Asian teams will not do well, in fact I honestly think this might be one of the worst world cups for them. Why you put USA in that group is beyond me. Iceland, Poland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Croatia, Sweden, Serbia, and Greece are all better. In fact even Wales and Slovakia are the same level as USA or better. Some of the teams I just mentioned might not even make the thing just because Europe is the toughest region and many teams that deserve to be there over other regional teams just cannot make it.