Opinion: Who Should Win the World Cup and Why
July 3, 2006
There is one truism in soccer that continues to hold: the best team doesn't always win. Playing great soccer doesn't always guarantee success. Given that soccer is as much about good fortune as good performances, maybe we should forget about who has the right to win the World Cup on the basis of their displays and look at which team should win the World Cup for other reasons.
Germany has been riding a wave of euphoria ever since the first game of the tournament proved that Klinsmann's kids were not the huge risk that everyone though they would be. With every game, the nation's smile has gotten broader.
Germans have displayed a new enthusiasm and pride in their country which would surely increase even further should the national team with the Cup. The collective hope -- now bordering on unwavering belief -- that the World Cup will stay in Germany after July 9 has brought the people together, uniting Germans of all backgrounds and ethnicities.
This has not been lost on those outside the country's borders. The most pleasant side effect of this tournament is the image of Germany as an inclusive, friendly and welcoming nation. The German people themselves have shown that they are not the dull, humorless race of a sausage-scarfing, beer-swilling stereotypes but a nation capable of putting on one hell of a party and playing a great host to those who want to join in.
Even if Germany were to go out to Italy in the semi-finals, the enduring image of the World Cup will be the millions of Germans celebrating together with fans from all over the globe, turning this tournament into a soccer Summer of Love.
But if Michael Ballack were to lift the trophy in Berlin this new German belief, pride and positivity would go to another, hopefully, sustainable level. It could provide Germany, a country which has suffered from collective depression for so long, a solid base for a social recovery. This is why Germany should win.
Italy: Stain of corruption
Italy find themselves in a real quandary. If they lift the trophy on July 9, they may be the first world champions to be crowned on the day that a court rules that their game is endemically corrupt. The investigation into match-fixing back home could come to a close on the day of the World Cup final and, if those at the top of the Italian game are found guilty by the findings, soccer in Italy could be set back a decade.
Top clubs like Juventus, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio are in the dock as investigators look into allegations that corrupt referees manipulated matches, mostly in favor of champions Juventus, who have won four of the past five championships. The Turin club could be stripped of their titles and relegated, meaning a high number of Italy's squad would be returning to second, even third-division soccer.
Because soccer defeat in Italy is something akin to national bereavement, the country would enter a period of mourning that could affect all aspects of Italian life for many years to come.
If they would win the World Cup, then the Italians would have a title to live up to. Such is the pride in their team and their country, the Italians would demand that their game be purged of those who have dragged it into the mire.
A World Cup victory could provide the catalyst for empowerment both in society and in soccer circles, leading to a cleansing of the Italian game. This is why Italy should win the World Cup.
France: Public unity
When France won the World Cup in 1998, the team was heralded as a success story for the country's integration policies, fielding descendents from colonies such as Surinam, Algeria and Guadeloupe. The knock-on effects of that win and of a team built up of players of different ethnicities carried France as country on a wave of unity for many months.
History now shows that the gloss of the '98 World Cup win was no more than paper over the serious cracks in French society and that it was just a matter of time until the failure of France's integration experiment was once again clear to see.
The riots of 2005 and the student protests of earlier this year have abated but the sources of French discontent remain. While the experiences of 1998 tell us that a French World Cup win in 2006 will not cure the ills, it would provide some relief. Coming in the year of a presidential election, a wave of optimism flowing from an incredible swansong for Zidane and the old guard could sweep through France and bring about real change.
The French team have already stood up to the far-right Jean Marie Le Pen and have declared unswerving allegiance to la Grande Nation in the face of nationalistic slurs. A victory in Germany for the multicultural Bleus could inspire their splintered country to take similar action and bring the sometimes warring sides together. This is why France should win the World Cup.
Portugal: Reform inspiration
Portugal may be seen by some as the party-crashers of the semi-finals. Figo and Co. find themselves in illustrious company made up of former world champions. A country which has yet to win an international title, Portugal could be the flag-bearers for all those teams outside the perceived hierarchy of "big" teams who are consistently touted as favorites. A World Cup win for Portugal would give hope to all those outside that exclusive club.
But a World Cup win for Portugal would also send out another message: that play-acting and cynicism can get you as far as playing the other team off the park. A victory in Berlin for this Portuguese team would be a triumph of simulation. No other team has conned referees or intimidated the opposition more at this World Cup, and considering that Holland, Italy and Argentina all featured -- that's worthy of a trophy on its own.
In an ideal world, a win for Portugal on July 9 would shock soccer's governing bodies into much-needed action. A World Cup victory for Portugal should mean an overhaul of the game's rules, the clear rewriting of what is unacceptable and widespread reform of the increasingly ugly Beautiful Game. That is why Portugal should win the World Cup.