The 23rd World Football Championship held in the USA, Canada, and Mexico since June 11 has reached its conclusion. The semifinals (France – Spain, England – Argentina) are scheduled for July 14-15, with the third-place match and final set for July 19.
Each of the semifinalists is a titleholder. England won in 1966, Argentina in 1978, 1986, and 2022, France in 1998 and 2018, and Spain in 2010.
There are four more winners from the previous 22 championships. Uruguay triumphed in 1930 and 1950, Italy in 1934, 1938, 1982, and 2006, Germany (West Germany) in 1954, 1974, 1990, and 2014, and Brazil in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002.
Italy did not qualify for the 23rd world championship, Uruguay remained in the group stage, Germany was eliminated in the round of 16, and Brazil was knocked out in the round of 16.
Thus, the 2026 World Championship will end with the victory of one of the previous champions. But whose? Will Argentina rejoice for the fourth time, France for the third, or will England or Spain celebrate their second championship?
Famous sports commentator Rasim Mövsümzade Medianews.az responded to the survey as follows:
“Among the semifinalists, I believe the Argentina team has a higher chance of winning the world champion title again. Because perhaps the luckiest person in human history is playing in their squad. Just as the phrase "Hand of God" entered the football lexicon after Diego Maradona’s famous goal with his hand in the 1986 World Cup, today it would be appropriate to say, half-jokingly and half-seriously, that Lionel Messi is "God's favorite disciple." Moreover, the Argentina national team has been lucky in that they have not faced any of the teams ranked in the top 10 of the FIFA rankings until the semifinals. Incidentally, when I discussed this with an Argentine journalist friend, he even told me: “In general, Argentines are very lucky people.”
Based on their performance in this World Cup, the French national team can be considered more deserving of the championship. If in the 2022 final alongside Kylian Mbappe, his teammates had shown the same determination, he could now share Pele’s record of three world championships.
The European champion Spain team traditionally controls the ball, sets the tempo of the game, and can keep the opponent in defense for long periods. Nevertheless, they sometimes experience serious difficulties in the final attacking phase and in creating scoring opportunities.
The England team does not seem to have the strength to repeat the world championship they won in 1966 with the historic decision made by our Tofiq Bahramov.”
Naile Gasimova,
Medianews.az