After the first weeks more marked by the political scandals only by the results, the sport finally seems to impose itself in the competition.
With a flamboyant Brazil, mastery of the Blues or a team from Morocco which stands out as the revelation of this competition, last week has finally given this World Cup of all scandals the appearance of a great football celebration.
Without forgetting the context in which it takes place.
We liked
The Palestinian flag waved by Morocco
Victorious against the Spanish selection in the round of 16, the Moroccan team appears as one of the revelations of this world.
With a game full of speed and technicality, carried by individuals such as Boufal, Amrabat or Hakimi, the Atlas Lions can already boast of having beaten Spain, Belgium and Canada, but also of standing up to the solid Croatian selection.
Beyond these good sporting results which enabled it to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in its history, the Moroccan selection gave a little lesson in political courage by waving a Palestinian flag at the end of the match against ‘Spain. A strong message of support sent as Nethanyaou’s victory in the Israeli legislative elections will intensify the repression against the Palestinian people.
Stéphanie Frappart, first woman to referee a World Cup match
Decidedly, this World Cup is that of all paradoxes. While she stands in a country where women’s rights are reduced to a trickle, she will have seen for the first time a woman become the main referee of a World Cup match. And she’s a Frenchwoman.
Well known to Ligue 1 pitches and regular European competitions, Stéphanie Frappart officiated as main referee during the pool match between Germany and Costa Rica.
Beyond the symbol, and the abject use made of it by Qatar to boast of being a reference in matters of women’s rights, this is real progress allowing us to move towards greater diversity in football which still too often remains a “men’s affair”. We will find her on the pitch in the coming days since she has been selected to continue to referee during the quarter-finals.
The blues who continue to make their way
Forget the little hitch against Tunisia during the last group match which at least allowed a few players from the sidelines to show themselves. In the round of 16 against Poland, the tricolor selection won without great difficulty against a team that will still have been able to impose a little resistance.
But that was without counting on Kylian Mbappé once again exceptional, behind Giroud’s first goal on a millimeter pass then author of a double – once again! — to allow France to win.
Each of the two goals is a gem, as is the decisive pass delivered just before half-time to the now top scorer of the France team.
With this match, France confirms that they are among the big favorites of the competition, and that their opponents will have to be at the top of their game to prevent them from winning the competition again.
We liked less
Spain trapped in its own game
As we mentioned last week, we particularly appreciated the opposition between Germany and Spain, as it showed two very different styles of play. But against Morocco, the Spanish Tiki taka showed all its limits.
If this all-passing and possession game allowed the Spaniards to dominate world football in the 2010s, it is because it was extremely effective in getting to goal. A goal that seems to have been forgotten by the selection against Morocco.
La Roja was content, for 120 minutes, to spin the ball without ever being dangerous, thus depriving Morocco of any possibility of developing their game. So certainly, once again, Spain posted a possession rate sassy. But possession doesn’t score goals.
Totally tasteless in attack, refusing to play set pieces and not having players capable of causing panic in the defense, the performance almost turned into an anti-game operation.
Logically eliminated by a Morocco which seemed ready to play football, La Roja will have to resume its game plan and get out of this football caricature if it wishes to become a reference on the football scene again.
The ubiquitous advertisements for sports betting
It is now a habit during each international competition or when Ligue 1 resumes: sports betting sites use and abuse advertisements on all possible media to encourage the youngest to spend their savings.
This World Cup is no exception to the rule: wait for your bus, watch a match, open an internet page, and you will be filled with it.
However, behind these advertisements hides a serious phenomenon of addiction, isolation and financial difficulties for a large number of players.
This year, stakes should reach a new record in France with no less than 500 million euros played, mainly by young people.
For Pierre Dharréville, a communist deputy who pleads to have sports betting addiction included in the health code in the same way as addiction to tobacco or alcohol, advertisements remain too present, despite commitments made by operators. from Paris.
These advertisements seem particularly indecent this year given the context of the organization of the World Cup, thus making sites like Winamax accomplices in the scandalous choices made by FIFA.
The list of shame
Rainbow armband, episode 352…
Decidedly, the FFF continues to cover itself with shame during this world. After having banned the wearing of the “One Love” armband for the captain of the blues, Noël le Graët is asking amateur clubs… to wear them during their meetings!
It might be laughable if it weren’t so hopeless. In a letter sent to all the amateur clubs of the federation, the boss of the FFF thus asks the captains to please wear the famous armband (provided with the letter) so that amateur football shows “its unity against all forms of discrimination”.
Immediately received, club presidents were indignant at the hypocrisy of the federation, accusing the FFF of making amateur clubs their “good conscience”. An understandable indignation as this operation appears to be a pitiful attempt to save face, by making amateur clubs rely on what professionals are clearly incapable of doing.
Marcel Desailly ambassador of greenwashing in Qatar
It is no mystery to anyone, the World Cup is an environmental scandal, with its air-conditioned stadiums, its structures built and which will no longer be used, its hundreds of round trips a day by plane to transport supporters and players …
However, the emirate intends to deploy all its means to make believe in a virtuous World Cup, with a lot of communication operations, often carried out with the complicity of FIFA.
Everything goes: “exemplary” eco-neighborhoods, “carbon neutrality” with loaded figures… In this most caricatural greenwashing enterprise that borders on the ridiculous, Qatar can also count on the support of a former glory of French football: Marcel Desailly.
It appears during each match on the giant screens in the stadiums to encourage fans to properly sort their waste, all with the ambition of “saving the planet”. Just that. We would have preferred that the 98 world champion use his notoriety to denounce the scandals of this world cup rather than lend his image (in exchange, one imagines, for a certain amount of money) to this desperate enterprise — and hopeless — of greenwashing.
