waroffutbol

  The 1962 World Cup is often regarded as the first edition in the competition history staged in a developing nation. Many believed the tournament was a ‘gift’ from FIFA to Chile — and the hosts made the most of it, finishing third, their highest achievement in World Cup history. Initially, Chile were not favourites to stage football’s greatest show. They had to compete with neighbouring Argentina, who appeared superior in terms of pedigree, squad quality and infrastructure. In the end, however, FIFA sided with the long, narrow nation along South America’s western coastline — even after the devastating Valdivia earthquake in May, just days before the tournament was due to begin, threatened to derail the event entirely. 1962 World Cup Fun Facts Chile 1962 may not boast as many headline-grabbing stories as other editions, but it remains memorable for its own unique reasons. Here are some notable facts from the seventh World Cup in history: * Romania and Indonesia withdrew fr...

  A few Scottish internationals have been actually England -born and managed to shine in the FIFA World Cup. Scotland finally returns to the FIFA World Cup ending their 28-year wait this year. The Tartan Army boss, Steve Clarke , knows they have to improve their team before the kick off to end their negative record in the final round. Scotland has never been able to progress from the group stage in their world cup campaign. This year they hope to do things differently. Unfortunately, Scott McTominay and Co are seeded in a fairly tough group with Morocco , Haiti and Brazil.  Steve Clarke’s men are in need of more prolific forwards in the squad following the not-so-satisfactory form of their attacking lines. Che Adams just scored two goals in the qualifiers while Lyndon Dykes or Lawrence Shankland only netted once each. Such a disappointing record if they aim to advance further in North America later. Thus, when Newcastle’s Harvey Barnes was eligible to switch sides to Scotla...

  Germany vs Argentina is a World Cup classic match that refuses to fade with time. The meeting of two giants from Europe and South America has become the most frequently contested fixture in World Cup finals history. The two nations have faced each other three times in the showpiece occasion: 1986, 1990 and 2014. The rivalry truly gathered momentum at the 1986 World Cup and continued four years later in Italy, where the two sides took turns beating each other in consecutive finals. Their feud resurfaced again in the mid-2000s, as Die Mannschaft and La Albiceleste were drawn together in decisive knockout rounds at three consecutive tournaments. Naturally, this heavyweight clash has also been defined by the stars of different eras. In the 1980s and 1990s, Germany boasted figures such as Lothar Matthäus, Rudi Völler and Jürgen Klinsmann , while Argentina relied on the brilliance of Diego Maradona, Jorge Valdano and Sergio Goycochea. The 2000s ushered in a new generation, with nam...

  The 1958 World Cup is inseparable from Brazil, as it was at this tournament that marked the rise of the Samba. The South American giant truly began their dominance and were crowned by the emergence of their greatest legend, Pelé, on Swedish soil. Beyond everything related to the Seleção, this edition of the World Cup was the first to adopt a standardized tournament format that remains in use to this day. Group winners and runners-up progressed to the knockout stage from a round-robin group phase, in which each team faced every other side in the group.  Sweden 1958 was also one of the editions in which Indonesia had a genuine chance of qualifying.   At the time, Egypt and Sudan, who were supposed to face Indonesia in the playoff round, withdrew in protest against Israel, their prospective opponent. The Southeast Asian side eventually followed suit after FIFA rejected its proposal to play Israel at a neutral venue. 1958 World Cup Fun Facts   Sweden 1958 produce...

  Mario Zagallo was the first figure to win the World Cup both as a player and as a head coach, all while keeping jogo bonito firmly under his command. Zagallo’s name is inseparable from Brazil’s commitment to beautiful football. His role as the custodian of jogo bonito spanned several eras with the Seleção: as a player at the 1958 and 1962 World Cups; as head coach in 1970, 1974 and 1998; asassistant manager from 1991 to 1994 ; as caretaker in 2002; and finally as technical assistant from 2003 to 2006. Across these various positions, his presence helped ensure that Brazil consistently delivered an attractive, expressive style of play. It was a remarkable, long-term dedication to the national team. World Cup Records   The former left winger was first appointed head coach of the Seleção in 1967 while still managing Botafogo. During his initial spell, which lasted until 1968, Zagallo held dual roles at club and international level. He later returned to lead Brazil at the ...

The 1954 World Cup was the first to be staged in Europe after the Second World War. This edition is synonymous with the ‘Miracle of Bern’ in the final and an unprecedented flood of goals. Unsurprisingly, Switzerland 1954 still holds the record for the highest goals-per-game average in World Cup history, with a remarkable 5.38 goals per match. Switzerland were appointed hosts unopposed at the FIFA Congress in 1946. The decision made sense: the country housed FIFA’s headquarters and 1954 marked the organisation’s 50th anniversary. This tournament also saw West Germany and Japan permitted to participate for the first time. Several nations, including East Germany, Poland, Argentina and Taiwan, withdrew or declined to take part in the qualification process. Facts and Figures of the 1954 World Cup   Switzerland 1954 featured a number of unique quirks that set it apart from other editions. Here are some of the standout facts from the first post-war World Cup in Europe: * Seeded tea...

  Three goalkeepers in the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 have been statistically in the lead and deserve to be considered the UCL's best shot-stoppers this season. UCL 2025/26 have just completed their league phase, and the playoff round draw result has been revealed. A few unexpected results in the last games cost Napoli , Real Madrid and even the reigning champions, PSG , the chance to qualify directly for the knockout stage. Even Il Partenopei failed to secure one spot in the playoff round due to their loss to Chelsea at their home turf. In some of the last games in the league phase, some goalkeepers stole the spotlight to help their team’s campaign to stay alive in the competition this season. The likes of Newcastle’s Nick Pope and Bodoe/Glimt’s Nikita Haikin were some of them. Their heroic saves contributed to their team’s success in going through to the next stage. Here are the top three best goalkeepers in the UCL this season, who are leading on the competition’s st...