FIFA World Cup 2018

Are you one of those people who doesn’t not like soccer? Well, I’m sorry to tell you that you’re going to get sick of seeing boys in shorts behind a ball this summer. If, on the other hand, you are one of those people who love football and every four years life regains meaning for you, then you will know full well that you are in luck. The 2018 FIFA World Cup is here! This championship is the Babel tower of football, all countries participate in what is probably the most prestigious competition by national teams of the world. To win the World Cup is really a feat, in which the technical quality, regularity, good strategy, and, as in everything in life, a bit of luck, are the basic elements for success. Today at ShBarcelona we talk about the most anticipated competition in 2018, the FIFA World Cup.

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What Is The World Cup?

The World Cup began its journey in 1930, where Uruguay beat Argentina in the finals in front of a home crowd in Montevideo. The tournament was set up to play every four years but was suspended twice due to World War II. It resumed in 1950 in Brazil and has not bee interrupted since. In order to participate in the World Cup held every four years, it is necessary to go through a qualifying phase in which more than 200 world teams participate. In the end, 32 teams will have qualified for a tournament that lasts one month, namely in June and July. In future editions, FIFA (International Federation of Football Association) will expand the number of participating teams to 48.

To choose the host country, FIFA meets six years before the dated tournament in their headquarters at Zurich to select the country bidding to host. This year, it will be in Russia, in 2022, in Qatar, and in 2026, a joint bid of Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

The tournament begins organizing the selections in groups of four by a draw and they face the group of four play each other. When the group stage is finished, the top two teams with the most points (3 points = 1 win, 1 point = 1 draw, 0 points = 1 loss), advances to the second round. The 16 teams left then play the knockout phase, where it’s win-or-go-home all the way to the Finals. In the event of a tie, first, there are an extra 30 minutes, and if not resolved, penalty kicks.

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The World Unites

This year we will all be able to see the World Cup and every single country, whether they are in or not, will watch it too. In the beginning, several European teams did not want to participate, saying that it was very expensive to travel to South America and questioned the need for the tournament. Since the 1950s, world nations have taken part to proclaim themselves world champions. Brazil, Germany, and Italy have won the World Cup the most times. The World Cup is one of the most followed media events in the world, at the same level as the Olympic Games, if not bigger. And for Spain, the 2010 World Cup champions, it is a religious event. 

Do you like football? Who do you think the World Cup will win this year?