Portugal captain’s hat-trick could jump-start the World Cup on its own but it was one of many subplots in the 3-3 draw with SpainAge shall not wither him nor custom stale his infinite variety. Ruthless Ronnie was at it again, his 51st career hat-trick topped off with a superlative last knockings free-kick hit with a new technique. Alongside that there was the pace he should have lost five years ago, an efficacy of action that bordered on the supreme and the spatial awareness of a quantity surveyor. The Portugal captain gave a display that was enough to jump-start the World Cup in and of itself. But the delight of this match was that his performance was only one of many...
Argentina’s first opponents are following in the tradition of Uruguay by achieving big results from such a small base and it may require Leo Messi’s genius to crack their rock-like resolveHow many inhabitants does a country need before we have a right to demand a footballing style? I have been thinking that as Argentina prepare for their opening game, just as I wonder that every time I think of Uruguay, who have been determined to win since the beginning of time without getting into debates about the way they do it. Related: Uruguay’s Diego Godín: ‘They kicked Luis Suárez out like a dog. It was unjust, disproportionate’ Related: Iceland’s Heimir Hallgrímsson: I have one of the best jobs in the...
The Manchester United midfielder will be important for Didier Deschamps but the attacking trio of Mbappé, Dembélé and Griezmann are the real keyFrance v Australia, the opening match for my country at the World Cup. Time to stop the talking, time for action. I’ve been there and have had to cope with the pressure – pressure from the fans, the expectations of a nation and the pressure you put on yourself. Wanting to deliver.Everybody knows the first game is really tricky and really important, psychologically. You will all look at this fixture and think it shouldn’t be too complicated for Les Bleus. But this is a key moment for the French team. And we will find out a lot from...
In his first Guardian World Cup column, the former Germany international says recent displays suggest Joachim Löw’s team may have taken their eyes off the ballI’m often asked who my Germany heroes were growing up. I could pick anyone – if not all – of the side that won the World Cup in 1990. That is the first tournament I remember and, for obvious reasons, it is a great memory. Lothar Matthäus’s goal against Yugoslavia in the opening game set the tone for a great run of results by a truly great team.Going into this World Cup Germany are champions again and I expect them to defend their title in Russia. They have a really strong squad and, having won...
Over the next five weeks the greatest show on earth will again show it has the power to enthral, kicking aside Fifa’s tarnished reputation and the murkiness of Vladimir Putin’s regimeWelcome, once again, to the world. Eight years, $19bn and two terms in the glorious 100-year rule of Vladimir Putin in the making, the 2018 World Cup in Russia is upon us. This has been a fittingly Soviet-scale construction project, taking in eight new superstadiums, thousands of miles of new roads and 53,000 civilian volunteers trained in the arts of pointing, waving and – toughest and most Russian of all – smiling at strangers.As ever the greatest show on earth carries its own irresistible heat before the tournament opener on...