Preparation for the World Cup

The World Cup takes place every four years and is always greeted with the same excitement and joy. Adult men and women are transported back to their childhood memories of previous tournaments and speak lyrically of former players.

Everyone has a favorite tournament. Mine is France 98 because it was the first tournament I watched in its entirety. Many liked Spain 82 as it was the first World Cup England had played in for twelve years, having missed out in 1974 and 1978. Other favorites are 1966 and the 1970 tournament in Mexico for the generation of my father.

The Italian company Panini releases a new collection of World Cup stickers before each tournament and many fans go out and buy handfuls of packs, hoping to complete their collection. I've almost finished the Brazil 2014 Panini sticker collection. However, I now have a few spares left and a big handful of sticker swaps, including about eight of the same Algerian player!

During the build-up to France 98, Sainsburys released a coin collection featuring portraits of the England team they believed would continue to play in the tournament that summer. I completed the collection and I still have the album, but I now have a few spares. I don't have the heart to throw them away yet!

In addition to stickers and other collectibles, companies are quick to jump at every marketing opportunity, selling all sorts of trivial merchandise. Huge numbers of St George's flag are suddenly appearing on car windows and hanging from many houses and pubs.

If you're looking to save some cash before Christmas, cheap car flags could be a great way to show your support for the England national team. The new home and away shirts were recently released and cost £70 each!

Many famous moments in football history have taken place at World Cups. Whether it's the dazzling performances of the Brazil sides of 1970 and 82, the Cruyff turn in 1974, or Maradona's Hand of God goal against England in 1986, these moments will be remembered forever. Many feature in the 'Iconic Moments in Football' series that I wrote. You can find this series here.

This tournament is the first to be played at the end of the calendar year due to the weather in Qatar. The World Cup is normally played in June and July, which already gives the tournament an eerie feel. There will be no games to watch in the pub gardens and post-match barbecues in England this time around!

This year's tournament, however, is very different. It is played in Qatar and has received a lot of very bad publicity. Several hundred underpaid immigrant workers died while building state-of-the-art stadiums. The beliefs of Qataris have been openly criticized, with their views on ethics being questioned. England captain Harry Kane has previously told the press that he will continue to wear his 'OneLove' armband, showing anti-discrimination and promoting LGBTQ+ rights.

The last tournament played in a country with such a political scandal would have been Argentina '78. It was during this time that the junta ruled the country, during what was called the dirty war that took place from 1976 to 1983. Thousands of Argentine civilians who opposed the junta's rule " disappeared" during those seven years, many of whom were tortured and eventually killed. Although it started two years before the World Cup, the South American country was still allowed to host the competition.

Despite all the negative publicity about the upcoming tournament, there are still 64 football matches to play. There may be a moment that will be talked about for years and I look forward to the action on the pitch.

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