A world cup worth not remembering

Well my dear readers, gather round. The reason is this FIFA World Cup has given me a lot to think about while I sit on my porch with my evening coffee.

I have watched football, or soccer as some people call it, for many years. I always tell my neighbours both in London and Lahore the same thing. The World Cup should be a place where every team gets a fair chance. It does not matter if the country is big or small. That is what makes this tournament special. But this year, something felt a little wrong, and I do not think I am the only one who noticed.

Let me start with something that bothered me quite a lot. Iran was refused a visa and could not even take part in this World Cup as other teams did. The teams would land at the venue a couple of hours before the match and depart soon after the match. Now I am not a politician, and I will not pretend to understand all the reasons behind this decision. But I know one simple thing. A World Cup is meant to bring countries together, not shut the door on them before the games even start. This left a sour taste in my mouth, and I think many fans felt the same way while watching from their homes.

Then there is the matter of the referees. Oh boy, the arguments I have had with my old friend at the diner about these VAR decisions. Egypt was so upset about a decision that they filed an official complaint. There has also been a lot of talk about decisions going a certain way in matches involving Argentina. I will not point fingers without proof, but when so many people start asking the same question, FIFA should sit up and listen. Fairness matters, and fans deserve to trust what they are watching.

And can we talk about Ronaldo for a moment. That man has given us many years of magic on the football field. Watching him leave this World Cup was a sad moment for fans everywhere. Every great story comes to an end, but some endings still hurt a little, and this was one of them.

Now with all that said, I do not want you to think this tournament was only about sadness. No sir. This has been a World Cup for the history books in many good ways too. Lionel Messi scored his way into the record books with 21 career World Cup goals. That is the most goals scored by any player in World Cup history. Right there with him is young Kylian Mbappe, who also reached 20 career goals. Both players have scored eight goals each in this tournament alone. Watching them chase the Golden Boot has been a real treat for fans like me.

This World Cup is also the biggest one there has ever been. It has 48 teams taking part instead of the usual 32. That means many more nations are getting their moment on the big stage, and I think that is something worth celebrating.

So there you have it. A tournament full of brilliant football and real controversy, all mixed together. That is often how life goes too, if you think about it.

Now before I let you go, I will admit something. As much as I enjoy watching this World Cup, my true love has always been cricket. Football may be the most popular sport on this whole earth, and I respect that a great deal. But there is nothing quite like the sound of a cricket bat hitting the ball to make an old man smile.

Until next time, take care of yourselves.