Every four years the World Cup crowns a new champion. But the tournament itself isn’t just about who is left standing at the end; it’s about the fans, the historic meetings of rivals, the David vs. Goliath matchups, the World Cup upsets.
While the globe gathers every four years to see who the winner is, one of the best parts of any tournament is the upset — the unexpected favorite falling to an unlikely underdog. World Cup upsets are no different.
Bruce Arena and Jurgen Klinsmann are two very different people both hung with the blame for failing to get the U.S. to the 2018 World Cup (because it’s easier to blame coaches than the players fans worship).
Booze and soccer go together like wine and cheese, beer and nachos or rum and coke. The only thing that brings people together more than booze is the World Cup. So we thought it would be a great idea to compile the best World Cup cocktails for each nation competing in this summer’s tournament.
Quick! I want you to grab a friend, a piece of paper and a writing utensil. Now, using the 10 items listed below, it’s time to start wagering on the World Cup!
“But what do I bet with?”
Your money! Your savings! Your firstborn child, ya Rumpelstiltskin looking drangus! I don’t care how you do it, just honor the U.S. high court by putting a bet on something, anything!
Here are 10 fun bets you can explore with the World Cup just 29 days away.
When James Rodriguez scored six goals in five games to earn the 2014 World Cup Golden Boot, he cemented his status as the tournament's breakout star. Few expected the then-22-year-old to perform the way he did, but in retrospect, there were signs that his goal-scoring outburst was coming.
Rodriguez led Colombia to three wins in perhaps the tournament's weakest group, which included Greece, Japan and Ivory Coast. He carried his confidence into the knockout stages, where he scored twice to beat Uruguay and then converted a penalty in a 2-1 loss to Brazil.
This year's 2018 FIFA World Cup will be held in Moscow, Russia. Luzhniki Stadium will be the main venue and the heart of the tournament, used for the opening match, a semifinal and the final, among other matches. In addition to the millions of tickets sold for the tournament, 12 million people already live in Moscow.
The final 23-man England World Cup squad was announced on Wednesday. But I’m not really sure if Gareth Southgate actually named any players to it or if those English kids were just spewing jibberish.
OK, so I admit I’m an American. I prefer American grammar to British grammar and sometimes need to turn the subtitles on to watch “Snatch” or “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.” But the England World Cup squad announcement video was just pure garbage to my ears.