FIFA World Cup Finals 2022- Argentina & Messi World Champions

Football is a beautiful game. It is all about stamina and strength. Each football player runs on an Average 10km in a football match. Imagine the amount of stamina and perseverance that is needed for each player. The kind of team building through passes this game slowly evolves is a sing song music in play.

I have been viewing FIFA World Cup matches since 1986. That world cup was played from 31^st May to 29^th June in 1986 in Mexico. That was the first FIFA world cup that was telecast on Doordarshan National TV Channel. Ever since then all the world cups have been telecast on Doordarshan and later on private sports channels. Myself along with my elder brothers who were football players used to sit late in the nights to watch the most exciting football matches.

I got interested in Football because of my elder brothers, Ram and Laxman who both played for Andhra Pradesh at National Football Games in Kolkata in 1990-91. I used to be the goalkeeper of the School team along with my classmate Gulab Singh. Our school team was one of the best football teams in Karimnagar district (of then Andhra Pradesh) having won the Rs.10,000 Prize money tournament in 1990 and again in 1991. Both my brothers got selected to represent Andhra Pradesh School Level Team to play at National School Games of 1990-91 in Kolkata. They were extremely athletic and could run 100m in less than 12 seconds.

1986 World Cup was played in Mexico. It was ITALIA in 1990 I really enjoyed with my elder brothers as teens. After that 1994 USA, 1998 France, 2002 South Korea & Japan, 2006 Germany, 2010 South Africa, 2014 Brazil, 2018 Russia and now 2022 Qatar. I fondly remember all the world cups with their distinctive features and games. It is always the players who made these world cups memorable. Occasionally there were other elements of the game that get etched in our memories.

Whilst 1986 World Cup belonged to Argentina and Maradona. Madadona made Football a household discussion in India. He was the God of Football. 1990 World cup belonged to Schilacci, Baggio of Italy, Lothar Matthaus & Klinsmann of Germany, Gary Lineker of England and Roger Milla of Cameroon. I was in Intermediate College away from my home when the 1994 World Cup took place. I was in Hyderabad in the final year of my Engineering when the 1998 World cup was swept away by France and Zinedine Zidane. The 2002 world cup belonged to Brazil and Ronaldo. The 2006 World Cup belonged to Miroslav Klose. The 2010 South Africa was all about Waka Waka - This time for Africa by Shakira. The 2014 World Cup of Brazil is remembered for their defeat of 7-1 at the hands of Germany and Thomas Muller. The 2018 World Cup belonged to France and Mbappe.

The 2022 Qatar World Cup had promising teams from Brazil, Croatia, Morocco, France, Argentina and Portugal. But it is Argentina which has most deservingly won the World Cup. Argentina is a great team where players play for their team whilst France has great players who mostly play for themselves. Their team effort is not seen that much as of Argentina. But occasionally France tends to win due to their players’ individual best. This game belonged to Messi and Mbappe. What a game it was in the final. Goalkeeper Martinez was the Super Hero. Messi held his team in such a cohesive way as if he held world in his Cup carefully. It was also the end of road for Ronaldo who couldn’t lead his team. It was also the emergence of Morocco, Japan and Korea as leading Football playing nations. Celebrating the watching of this World Cup Final along with family.

Vamos Argentina

19th December 2022