1966 to 2026 – my 60 years of FIFA soccer world cups – part three (final)

Jun 11, 2026 Sports

---

Colin E. H. Croft – Former Guyana, Lancashire CCC & W. I. International Cricketer

Kaieteur Sports – Unlike commentators who “hem and haw” their opinions, hiding behind see-through shadows, saying nothing but making useless noises, I say this now:   USA and England will not make FIFA 2026’s Semi-Finals.  Too soft.  Big call.  Favorites:  France, Argentina, Spain, Germany.  Surprises:  Morocco, Mexico, Croatia, Japan.   Brazil over-rated.   Wagers anyone?

FIFA WORLD CUPS 2006 – 2022:  LIVING LEGENDS ARRIVE!

FIFA 2006: GERMANY:  Argentina’s Lionel Messi became nineteen in his first global tournament.  Not even “El Mesias” could have imagined that he would still be playing at elevated levels for his sixth FIFA World Cup.

Portugal’s Christiano Ronaldo debuted too; aged 21.  In FIFA 2022 QATAR, he became the first player to score in five consecutive World Cups.  Now “CR7” is in his sixth too.   At 73, I definitely need whatever No. 10 and No. 7 are taking!

It would be tremendous for Christiano Renaldo and Lionel Messi, “Gods of Soccer” last 20 years, to play FIFA 2026 FINAL – Sunday 19 July 2026; MetLife Stadium, New Jersey – Argentina v Portugal.  Possible but unlikely!

Newbies in FIFA 2006: Angola, Ukraine, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, and new CONCACAF representatives, Trinidad & Tobago, relieving T&T’s FIFA 1990’s “dread-ness”.  France beat defending champions Brazil; Quarter-Finals.  26 billion on-line views overall.

FIFA 2006 was seriously abrasive.  345 yellow cards; 28 reds.  Officials criticized for rigid rules.  T&T drew v Sweden; Angola drew v Mexico and Iran; Ghana won v Czech Republic and USA, qualifying for knock-outs, as did colorful, skillful Ukraine.  Nice!

Like FIFA 2002, massive corruption and bribery accusations in FIFA 2006, allegedly involving high-up politicians of several countries, prominent businesses, billions of dollars of business deals and well-known companies.  Supposed bartering allowed Germany to host FIFA 2006 instead of preferred Republic of South Africa, who, instead, hosted FIFA 2010.

Best games:  Germany 0 v Italy 2 a.e.t, and Portugal 0 v France 1; Semi-Finals; and FIFA 2006 FINAL: France 1 v Italy 1 a.e.t; Italy winning on penalties.  France’s mega-star Captain, Zinedine Zidane, was red-carded for head-butting Marco Materatti in a soccer war.

FIFA 2006:  ITALY – Four-time Champions:  Gianluigi Buffon (GK), Gianluca Zambrotta, Fabio Cannavaro (Captain), Marco Materazzi, Fabio Grosso, Mauro Camoranesi (or Alessandro Del Piero), Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo (Player of Final), Simone Perrotta (or Daniele De Rossi), Francesco Totti (or Vincenzo Iaquinta), Luca Toni.

SPAIN SPARKLES IN SOUTH AFRICA

FIFA 2010: REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: “Vuvuzelas” abounded; continuously numbing notes, like a big four-engined airplane always revving at full throttle.  Very thankfully, I was directly involved.  FIFA 2010 RSA was one of my favorites, behind FIFA 1978 ARGENTINA, FIFA 1970 MEXICO and FIFA 2022 QATAR.  FIFA 2010 RSA was wickedly, excitingly wild.  Wow!

Only African countries could bid to host FIFA 2010.  RSA, Egypt, Morocco, Libya / Tunisia (Joint) did.   Bribery and corruption accusations of FIFA Officials reached high fever pitch.  Some FIFA Officials were allegedly paid US $ 10 million, each, to secure votes for RSA.  Ouch!

CAF: Algeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, hosts South Africa.  CONCACAF:  Mexico, United States, Honduras.  CONMEBOL: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay.  Newbies Slovakia and Serbia.  Semi-Finalists:  Uruguay, Netherlands, Germany, Spain.

Best games:  Uruguay 2 v Netherlands 3; Semi-Final; and FIFA 2010 SOUTH AFRICA FINAL:  Spain 1 v Netherland 0; extremely contentious affair.  English referee Howard Webb was very busy indeed; thirteen yellow cards, one red.  Netherlands’ third World Cup Final loss.

FIFA 2010 SOUTH AFRICA:  SPAIN – First Champions:  Ikar Casillas (GK & Captain), Sergio Ramos, Gerald Pique, Carles Puyol, Joan Capdevila, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso (or Cesc Fabregas), Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Pedro (or Jesus Navas), David Villa (or Fernando Torres).

FIFA 2014:  BRAZIL:   Tried to get to Brazil.  I found out, even with massive aviation contacts, that, back then, travelling from the Caribbean to Rio De Janeiro, despite short distances as the crow flies, was difficult.

So, while no alcohol intake, I perched for every game either at Queen’s Park Oval’s Pavillion & Bar or at “Smokey & Bunty” old-style Rum Shop & Food Bar, western POS.  The camaraderie at both was very noisily fantastic.  Folks still owe me for wagers won!

Bosnia & Herzegovina, goal-line technology, cooling breaks, anti-doping passports, referees’ vanishing line-marking spray all debuted.  CONCACAF:  Costa Rica, Mexico, USA, Honduras.  Expectations for hosts Brazil to win its sixth championship but Brazil was just a bad mirage.

Germany’s stunning savagery and silky skills destroyed Brazil; 7 – 1.  Brazil’s 2014 team was as over-rated as Brazil’s 2026 team. Some stupidly uninformed even dared to compare Neymar to Pele.  Nonsense.  I won bets on Germany but no-one expected Brazil to blow-out like a bloated balloon.  Hundreds of millions of Brazilians cried yellow!

USA v Belgium; round of 16; was excellent.  USA’s goal-keeper Tim Howard; magnificent; sixteen saves.  Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku saw Belgium home 2 – 0.  Then USA President Barack Obama even called Tim Howard to congratulate him on his performances.  FIFA 2014 FINAL:  Argentina v Germany.  Germany’s Mario Gotze’s 113^th minute goal won it.

FIFA 2014:  GERMANY – Fourth Title:  Manuel Neuer (GK), Phillip Lahm (Captain), Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels, Benedikt Howedes, Christopher Kramer (or Andre Schurrie), Bastien Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller, Miroslav Klose (or Mario Gotze), Mesut Ozil (or Per Mertesacker).

FRANCE TO THE FORE AGAIN

FIFA 2018: RUSSIA:  First in Eastern Europe.  France’s Kylian Mbappe’s, aged nineteen, debuted.  By then, I had already been employed by Delta Air Lines for three years; hired at age 62.  Can you even imagine that happening anywhere in the Caribbean?    Nah!

As for FIFA 2014 BRAZIL, I really wanted to go to FIFA 2018 RUSSIA, one of very few countries I have never visited.  I might have gotten there but returning could not be confirmed.  No trip!

Readying Russia for FIFA 2018 was very difficult.  It cost a heart-stopping US $ 14 billion plus.  Allegations of clubs’ and country’s overt racism, Neo-Nazism, and slave labour used to build stadia.  Scores died on construction sites.  Security and terrorist threats major concerns.

High-end political inquests for bribery and corruption on awards for FIFA 2018 and FIFA 2022.  High-end resignations too.   Referees and Assistants expelled for alleged match fixings and bribery.  Video Assisted Referees (VAR) premiered.  Free public transport for ticket-holders.

Iceland and Panama debuted.  Ghana, Ivory Coast, Italy, Chile, Netherlands, USA missing.  CAF:  Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia, Nigeria, Morocco.  CONCACAF:  Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama.  Surprising Semi-Finalists:  France, Belgium, Croatia, England.  12 own goals in tournament.

France 4 v Argentina 3 and Belgium 3 v Japan 2; both round of 16, were brilliant.  Semi-Final Croatia 2 v England 1, a.e.t., was a good preview for FIFA 2018 FINAL.  Croatia’s Captain, Luka Modric was “Tournament’s Best Player”; his team beaten by France; 4 – 2; in FIFA 2018’s excellent FINAL.

FIFA 2018:  FRANCE:  Champions.  Second Title:  Hugo Lloris (GK & Captain), Benjamin Pavard, Raphael Varane, Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Hernandez, N’Golo Kante (or Steven Nzonzi), Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, Blaise Matuidi (or Corentin Tolisso), Oliver Giroud (or Nabil Fekir).

FIFA 2022:  QATAR:  First held in Middle East.  Only host Qatar was new.  Held just after Covid-19 pandemic.  No masks.  Astronomical costs; supposedly US $ 220 billion, apparently including nationwide infrastructure projects.

France’s Kylian Mbappe “Golden Boot” winner – eight goals. Argentina’s Captain, Lionel Messi “Player of the Tournament”.  Morocco first African nation to play Semi-Final, losing 0 – 2 to France.  Argentina beat Croatia 3 – 0 Semi-Final No. 2.

FIFA 2022:  QATAR:  FINAL:  Best ever.  Seasoned Legend v Emerging Legend.  Lionel Messi’s Argentina v Kylian Mbappe’s France; mano a mano.

Messi’s penalty, and flying winger Angel Di Maria, had Argentina 2 – 0 up by half time.  20 minutes to full time, Mbappe scored a penalty, then miraculously volleyed France’s second, despite FIFA 2022’s Best Goal-Keeper, Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez:  Full time 2 – 2.

Messi again scored in 2^nd half of extra time, before Mbappe scored again, another penalty, in the 117^th minute.  3 – 3.  Mbappe had scored a hat-trick.  Penalty shoot-out followed; Argentina winning 4 – 2.  France’s Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni missed.

FIFA 2022:  ARGENTINA: Champions.  Third Title:  Emiliano Martinez (GK), Nahuel Molina (or Gonzalo Montiel), Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Nicolas Tagliafico (or Paulo Dybala), Enzo Martinez, Alexis Mac Allister (or German Pezella), Rodrigo De Paul (or Lautaro Martinez), Lionel Messi (Captain), Julian Alvarez (or Leandro Paredes), Angel Di Maria (or Marcos Acuna).

FIFA 2026:  USA-MEXICO-CANADA:   Portugal v Argentina would be a fantastic Final, to properly celebrate Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.  48 teams.  Ambitious Curacao, population only 160, 000, smallest country ever to a FIFA World Cup, might even win a game.  Whatever happens, be safe, enjoy fully, and have several brandies for me.  Cheers!

---

• Argentina, Colin Croft, FIFA, FIFA Soccer World Cups, France

---