1. FORTUNE FAVORS THE FRENCH

It hasn’t been since 1998 Les Blues have lifted the coveted trophy and the cocks are now crowing once more. Past world cups have shown that the best most attractive team of the tournament will not necessarily win the tournament. This French team certainly was neither “the best” nor were they as attractive as say Belgium or Brazil. What they did though, was ride their luck. Their tremendously talented squad struck when given the opportunity and they got the job done.

Throughout the group stages France bumbled their way to top their group, all the while playing uninspired football that matched the entertainment value of a championship chess match. France played Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the second round, in what would become a high scoring world cup classic. The Argentines, lacking prper management, played a self destructive, erratic style of football, channeling the off the field shenanigans of their fallen God cum cocaine king Diego Maradona. France stuck to their game plan and Mbappe announced himself to the international stage, helping France to a 4-3 victory.

For the quarter final match-up against Uruguay, France had the luck of playing a team who was missing their talismanic striker, Edison Cavani. Uruguay without Cavini is like curry without pepper. France dispatched the South Americans comfortably, setting themselves up for a mouth watering clash with Belgium. It’s just a shame that after beating Brazil the Belgians decided that they already won the world cup and played their worst game of the tournament, essentially gifting the match to France.

So in the end it all came down to the final, with France as heavy favorites over the hardworking Croatia. A final which brings me to…

2. THE FINAL WAS LIKE WATCHING A DRUNK MAN PLAY FIFA

The final had it all: a ghost foul that resulted in a French lead through an own goal, a soft VAR penalty against Croatia,a player who scored at both ends of the field, a teenager scoring for the first time in a final since Pele, a goalkeeping howler that kept the match alive. Hell, it even had Pussy Riot streaking during the match.

It is a shame that this final will always be remembered as the one where the referee influenced the outcome in all the wrong ways. Call me an idealistic fool but poor refereeing calls, especially at a world cup final kills the game for me. This final had two major refereeing blunders, both of which resulted in France scoring. Everyone in the world outside of France knew the penalty call against Perisic was dubious. Initially, the ref made the correct call but thanks to VAR, the balding Argentinian began to doubt himself. If anything, the decision shows that the interpretation of the rules regarding handballs must be a lot clearer.

In the end though, football neutrals were treated to one hell of a final. Despite the benefits of fortune and refereeing gaffes France made the most of their world cup. They are deserved winners and are strong contenders for Euro 2020.

3. IT WAS A WORLD CUP FOR THE BANDWAGONISTS

We can all agree that World Cup 2018 was as unpredictable as a Trump tweet, causing many to blindly laud it as, “the best world cup ever”. If you’re one of those, calm down, take a breath and put your pants back on. Let me explain while this “unpredictability” was fun at times, it did destroy the purity of the sport.

There is something truly beautiful about supporting a team and sticking with them through thick and thin. The many moments of defeat and despair can all be worth it when your side eventually does win. It’s like if you’re working abroad for months waiting, hoping for the day you can get back home so you can make love to your woman. For World Cup 2018 the concept of sticking with a single team was put through the test, with many, including myself, succumbing to football infidelity.

Italy didn’t make the tournament so I justified making Argentina my outside team. Germany fell to the world cup champion voodoo so many had to abandon that Titanic. Spain then, they have a safe route to the fin…oops, guess you’ll have to pick again. Brazil ftw! Tough luck. Nobody, save the diehard French fans, had their team make it far into the tournament. The result was a hilarious yet confusing game of football musical chairs trying to figure out which team they should support. And in the end everyone lost as supporting the underdogs Croatia proved to be as pointless as Shaka Hislop’s footballing predictions.

We live in an age of post modern deconstruction where history is no longer held sacred. It seems as if that concept has finally taken a firm hold of the beautiful game. Bandwagonism, like an affair, can be fun but without loyalty, unbridled passion can lost.

4. ENGLAND WILL ALWAYS BE ASSHOLES

Coming into the tournament, England was a team with humble ambitions having been embarrassed at the Euros two years prior. It was refreshing to see an England that featured a collection of young players without a sense of entitlement and ego. Throughout their journey England were average at best but they ground out results in a workman like manner. The English media were also cautious, displaying an uncharacteristic level of of restraint..

Then England reached their first semi final since 1990, that irritating “it’s coming home” song exploded over social media and like a recovering alcoholic putting a pint to his lips after years of sobriety, England went right back into arrogance believing it was their destiny to win the world cup. It seems as if some things can never change. England overestimated Croatia and blew their best chance of winning a major title since 1966.

At least we all know if England decide to be the arrogant villains again, for Euro 2020 when they crash out, we can bask in a collective schadenfreude. And yes, they will crash out. They always do.

5. NEYMAR: THE SHAME OF A NATION

World Cup 2018 was supposed to be a story of redemption for Neymar. The Brazilian was condemned to watching his beloved nation capitulate 7-1 to Germany in that historic semifinal after Zuniga buried his knee into the starlet’s spine. This time though, Neymar was supposed to cement himself as a true Brazilian great, leading his side to world cup glory.

Now Neymar did indeed show flashes of brilliance for Brazil. He’s undoubtedly an immensely talented footballer. It’s just a shame he behaves as a teenage girl who throws a tantrum when her daddy doesn’t allow her to go Starbucks to meet her friends. It was embarrassing seeing Neymar dive and roll around at the slightest of fouls, as if the spirit of the Wicker Man version of Nicholas Cage possessed him. Statistically, Neymar spent 15 minutes on the grass for his entire time in a Brazil shirt. Let that sink in. Fifteen. Full. Minutes.

Whatever his future holds, Neymar will go down in history as a petulant child who is blinded by his own ego.

6. BATTLE OF THE GOATS – ADVANTAGE RONALDO

Before I say anything I want to make one thing clear – I love both Ronaldo and Messi. Messi is imo the most naturally talented footballer in the world and CR7 is the most driven athlete that plays the game. As such, the Ronaldo Messi debate is something I find childish, I mean what’s wrong with having your cake and eating it too? Both players have different challenges and obstacles but in the end what we’ll all remember is neither has lifted a world cup, let alone score in a knockout match for their country.

With that being said, a major highlight of the world cup was to see how these two GOATS would fare in possibly their last tournament. Now that the dust has settled I can look back on both players and I will say that objectively, Ronaldo had a slightly better tournament than his counterpart. Ronaldo exploded in his first two group matches, whereas Messi floundered. However, for their remainder of the world cup Messi tried his upmost best to drag the dead horse of a team he was carrying, while Ronaldo seemed to lose that initial fire. So why do I say Ronaldo had a slightly better tournament?

The answer has nothing (yet everything) to do with the world cup. It was Ronaldo’s move away from Madrid to Turin that proved to me a declaration of him as someone who constantly wants a challenge. It was even more hilarious that Ronaldo decided to complete his transfer right in the middle of the damn tournament, no doubt stealing many a headline. In fact while the very final was being played Ronaldo was on a plane to Italy. A player that commands such stature, who had a tremendous start to a world cup and who is off to a new challenge deserves some respect. While Messi will be on a holiday, ruing another missed opportunity to lead his nation to a long overdue title, Ronaldo will be preparing to embark on a new adventure at the age of 33.

7. CROATIA IS GOOD PEOPLE

There’re many reasons why I fell in love with Croatia following this world cup; many of their players ply their trade in Serie A, they were underdogs who battled their way to the finals, they played with great heart and humility, their president is a cougar… yes we all fell in love with Croatia. But let me now, for a minute, talk a little about my favorite player of the tournament and the guy who encapsulates all that was good for Croatia – Luka Modric

Modric is a player who grew up amidst the backdrop of war. His grandfather was assassinated when he was six years old, his home was razed to the ground and his family fled to Zagreb where the little blonde haired Modric grew up in a modest hotel. He would spend his days playing football in the hotel’s parking lot, sporting a jersey of his football hero, the great Davour Suker.

Fast forward some years through an odyssey that took him from Dinamo Zagreb to Tottenham Hotspur and finally the illustrious Real Madrid. For all these years Modric was criminally underrated as a footballer. His diminutive size and quiet disposition is a stark contrast to the many larger than life egos that fill the football world today. If it’s one thing though, Modric is undoubtedly one of, if not THE best midfielder on the planet. He runs and runs, never tiring, his keen eyes ready to spot that perfect, penetrating pass.

Modric is a proven winner; he was instrumental in helping Real Madird win back to back to back Champions League finals. It was also Modric who, with quiet confidence and a never say die attitude, led his nation to the greatest sporting accomplishment in their history. He has now eclipsed his hero Suker as the greatest Croatian footballer and will forever be cemented as a legend of the game.

Croatia played an entire match more for the tournament, coming from behind on three occasions, winning two straight penalty shootouts against Denmark and Russia, and beating England in extra time. After the England match Modric slammed the press for underestimating his team saying, “All these words from them we take, we were reading and we were saying, ‘OK, today we will see who will be tired'”

Thank you Luka and Croatia for showing hard word, determination and talent can get you places beyond your wildest dreams. But all dreams must end and Croatia’s one ended today, France (and the referee) being too big a hurdle to climb.

So France won their second world cup, Giroud won a medal despite not having a single shot on target, Modric won the golden boot and Croatia won our hearts.

I guess in the end football won.