Cup of joy

Brazil’s emotion-charged victory in the World Cup final has done more than bring them the trophy for a record fifth time — it has rewarded those who value entertainment over efficiency. The game has now returned to the people for the football played by Ronaldo & Co was, in a way, football at its most basic level: a bunch of youngsters having fun. It helped, of course, that they are naturally blessed with talent but it is also important to note that, to achieve this, their coach abandoned his unnatural defensive tactics and allowed his wards to play their game. It also brought back some order in a footballing world gone topsy-turvy. The achievements of Senegal, Korea, Japan and the US, among others, were a delight to watch and, more importantly, landmarks in each country’s footballing evolution. But they went as far as they should have; any farther would have been too much.

The game’s great powers — notably France and Portugal — have got the message: there are no longer any small nations. Perform or perish. Hopefully, they’ve got another message as well — that too much football can be harmful. France, England, Spain, Italy, even Germany, have all suffered from extended domestic seasons. The game’s greatest star, Pele, noted last week that he and his team would assemble five months before each World Cup. That is not possible today, of course, but even a month off would see better stuff from the likes of Beckham and Zidane. Off the field, too, this has been a remarkable competition — the first of a new millennium, the first in Asia, the first with joint hosts. It began amid controversy: Sepp Blatter’s stormy, ugly re-election as FIFA president. Controversy dogged it, from empty seats to charges of biased referees. Thankfully, Blatter has refused to contemplate any role for video replays. A welcome decision and one that will keep football a game for the masses.

What FIFA really needs to do now is re-think its policy of awarding the staging of such tournaments – Japan and Korea are now stuck with a clutch of white elephants in the newly built stadia. They can probably afford it but what if it were Africa, as it probably will be in 2010? That, though, is in the future; now, it’s time to drink in one of life’s more beautiful spectacles: the return of a great sportsman to the peak of his powers. For the memory of an intoxicating, frustrating, ultimately fulfilling World Cup will be that of a bucktoothed grin that just got bigger as the games went on and the pressure grew. The Beautiful Game is alive and kicking.