Madness in its Seoul

Legends seem to proliferate on the pitch, legends that get a new lease of life every four years with every World Cup. It’s then time to relive the old magic and recall minutiae like how Brazil has the largest number of World Cup appearances to its credit, or how Cameroons’ Roger Milla, at 42, became the oldest player ever to figure at World Cup matches, or how the credit for the largest number of appearances should go to Lothar Mathaeus of Germany — 25 times, no less. Therefore, the most important question before the world at present is not whether there will be peace in the Middle East, not even whether Pakistan and India will go to war, but whether — hold your breath — it will rain during the opening game in Seoul, today, when the winner of the last World Cup, France, takes on debutants Senegal. Predictably, the weatherman is keeping everybody guessing — 20 per cent chance of rain, they say. Nasty characters, weathermen, with no sense of occasion. The next most important question has already been answered. No, Zinedine Zidane, or Zizou as he is called by his fans, who scored twice in 1998 to clinch that famous win for France, will not be playing the initial matches. Which brings us to the third most important question. Yes, David Beckham is fully fit after his recent injury and is ready to take on Sweden very soon, for queen and country. Queenie, incidentally, has sent him her very best.

But this, make no mistake, will also be a titanic clash of civilisations. Already Japanese policemen are trying to figure out such anthropological curiosities as English football fans. Why do they feel driven to take off their sweatshirts, for instance? The Japanese never do that. Welcome to the World Cup.