So apparently Germany broke the World Cup trophy. This isn’t the first time a team has broken their championship hardware. Sergio Ramos dropped the Copa del Rey trophy, Billy Donovan and the Florida Gators dropped the NCAA's crystal basketball, and who knows what really happens to the Stanley Cup every year...and those are just a couple.
We here at The18 have touched on the fiasco that is the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process. We have now learned that the report on possible ethics violations will not be made public following the 18-month investigation.
For the next four years (at least), Germany will be the kings of soccer. It was a long time coming for Deutschland who finished 2nd in 2002 and had back-to-back third place finishes in the past two World Cups. They were the best team of the tournament and there really is no debating that.
We here at The18 have taken a critical look at Brazil’s preparation for the World Cup, especially when it comes to stadium infrastructure. It’s necessary to say that the Itaquerao, the stadium hosting the opening match between Brazil and Croatia, is still not finished. But, for the moment, let's put those worries aside and look at the 12 stadiums that will host the 2014 World Cup's 64 matches.
It has been three-and-a-half years since FIFA president Sepp Blatter awarded Qatar the 2022 FIFA World Cup.