The World Cup has turned into a nightmare for the traditional football powerhouses. Several countries, multi-time champions and regular participants, failed to qualify, such as Italy, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Ukraine. Others, lords of the round ball and gods of the stadium, were humiliated—Germany was dispatched by Paraguay, the Netherlands pushed aside by Morocco, and Uruguay was eliminated in the first round, just like Turkey. These performances seem to vindicate FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the initiator of the 48-team World Cup.
Many were skeptical about the level of play with teams like Cape Verde, Haiti, and Curaçao, but the results proved these fears wrong. Even Haiti, a country without a president or a government, did more than just show up, 52 years after its first participation where it suffered heavy defeats.
Even Brazil had great difficulty getting past Japan, while Spain was not dominant against Cape Verde, a small African island nation whose population is not even a quarter of the number of registered players in a large Spanish city.
In football, the gap has clearly narrowed between the usual big countries and emerging nations.
However, it is the decline of major nations like Germany and the Netherlands that is surprising. The Mannschaft is now composed mostly of unknowns, with the exception of a few more or less famous names like captain Kimmich, goalkeeper Neuer, and attackers Wirtz and Havertz. We once knew all the players’ names, their stats, birth dates, clubs, and goals scored. Germany has been painful to watch for several years now, just like the Netherlands, which is made up of nothing more than good players who possess nothing exceptional.
As for Brazil, its game has become Europeanized, losing its identity and the remarkable individuals that defined generation after generation. After Pelé, Vavá, Didi, Garrincha, and Djalma Santos from 1958 to 1970; then there were Tostão, Gerson, Rivelino, Clodoaldo, and Jairzinho. After a slump in 1974 and 1978, Brazil returned to its true self in 1982 with the generation of Zico, Eder, Sócrates, Falcão, and Júnior. It was one of Brazil’s best lineups along with the 1986 team, which featured the arrival of Careca. One had to wait until 1994 to see a flamboyant and magical Brazil again with the duo of Romário and Bebeto. Later, Brazil reclaimed its crown in 2002 with a team brimming with talent led by the phenomenal Ronaldo, flanked by Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Kaká, and Robinho.
Today, Brazil wins without brilliance or conviction, even with Neymar. It is just a good team whose qualification for the next round leaves one perplexed.
The Netherlands finds itself in the same impasse, playing without enthusiasm, talent, or assurance. The Oranje are searching for their glorious past.
All things considered, FIFA did well not to broadcast every match. So far, there has been no exceptional spectacle. Just fierce matches where the favorite moves the ball around while the underdog closes down the game by crowding the goal. As a result, most matches are insipid. Only the teams of France and Argentina offer a show worth watching. The rest resemble a dud, as they say.
Sylvain Ranjalahy
Captured & Published at: 2026-07-01 06:43:31 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/07/damnation.html