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Journalism of Courage
After a troubled build-up, stories about deaths of migrant workers, human rights violations, exclusion of the LGBTQI+ community, and serious allegations of corruption, one of the most controversial football World Cups ever will get underway in Doha on Sunday.
On the manicured pitches inside futuristic stadiums, several intriguing storylines will play out over the next one month. This truly is an end-of-an-era World Cup. Not just because it’s the last edition with 32 teams — there’ll be 48 from 2026 onward — but also because a galaxy of stars will be playing their last World Cup.
Lionel Messi, 35, has said Qatar will be his last time on football’s grandest stage. Cristiano Ronaldo, who nearly stole the World Cup’s thunder with an interview lashing out at his club Manchester United, hasn’t said this will be his last World Cup in so many words — but the 37-year-old is unlikely to be in Portugal’s scheme of things going forward.
Messi and Ronaldo — football’s biggest and most influential since the 2006 World Cup — aren’t the only ones either. Brazilian attacker Neymar is just 30 — but has hinted he won’t stick around for four more years.
Neymar’s teammates Dani Alves (39) and Thiago Silva (38), Croatia’s Luka Modric (37), Poland’s Robert Lewandowski (34), Belgian playmaker Kevin de Bruyne (31), France’s Karim Benzema (34), Uruguay’s Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani (both 35), and Germany’s sweeper-keeper Manuel Neuer (36) are among the superstars who will compete in a World Cup for the last time.
Will Messi, the greatest player of his generation, cement his place as arguably the greatest of all time by lifting the trophy in his final attempt? Or will Ronaldo, his eternal rival, defy the odds and stand up to the challenge once again? Or will Neymar’s Brazil be crowned champions 20 years after they last won the title?
No non-European country has won the World Cup since Brazil in 2002. But this time, it’s tough to not look at the South American giants, and their bitter rivals Argentina, as contenders for the title.
Spain has an incredibly exciting team full of young, creative players who look like the real deal. But other European sides do not inspire the same confidence. Germany are going through a re-building phase after poor performances at the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020. France are plagued by injuries and the Netherlands are still a work in progress.
For Argentina’s supporters, these are hopeful days — even for a neutral, in fact, rooting for the Albiceleste might not be a bad idea. Lionel Scaloni’s side is a prime contender — and not just because Messi, for once, is looking happy in the national team’s colours, unlike the forlorn figure he cut four years ago in Russia. Argentina looks like a team that is playing in a rhythm they lacked in the previous campaign, where they exited in the quarterfinals.
After a barren season with Paris St-Germain, Messi has found his magical touch at the right time. The supporting cast around him too has risen to the occasion, with Scaloni managing to plug the weaknesses in the defence, especially in the goalkeeping department. Argentina is a well-rounded side which is unbeaten in 36 matches and won the Copa America last year, where they defeated Brazil in the final.
That final was the only time Brazil have been found wanting.
Coached by Tite, Brazil they were unbeaten in the qualifying campaign, conceded only five goals, and scored an average of 2.5 goals per match — a testament to their attacking flair. Brazil has an exciting young side that has looked unstoppable although they haven’t played much against quality European opponents. Unlike Argentina, they do not depend only on one player. But Neymar remains central to their plans.
For Messi and Neymar, it’s also about matching up to the legends from their countries. Despite achieving all at the club level, Messi, it seems, will be put on the same pedestal as Maradona only if he wins the World Cup. Neymar is nearly the same age as Pele when he quit playing for Brazil. Unlike Pele, however, Neymar still has to win a World Cup title.
If all results go as expected, Argentina and Brazil will face off in the semifinal. But World Cups seldom follow the script.
That might be truer than ever in Qatar. Unlike the previous editions, which are held during summer and teams get at least a month-and-a-half to prepare, Qatar 2022 is a winter World Cup where squads have been together for less than a week before the tournament kicks off. This is because domestic leagues were being played until last Sunday, and all players were tied to their club commitments.
As a result, coaches have had less time to prepare their players. This will be a critical factor, since national teams have a style that is different from clubs, and the roles and responsibilities of a player vary. Given the growing list of injured players across teams, and the hot weather in Qatar, the coach’s job will become even harder.
All this means the group stage might see some surprises.
France will hope they aren’t the biggest early casualty. History suggests the group stages aren’t kind to defending champions — all champions but one since 1998 have made first-round exits in the subsequent tournament.
While France have talent in abundance, they are missing six players from the first-choice starting 11 from the Euro 2020, including Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante, who were instrumental in the triumphant 2018 campaign. To compound coach Didier Deschamps’ problems, the team’s biggest star, Kylian Mbappe, recently led an internal revolt against the national federation, while the federation’s president was embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal.
