Europe Is Favourite To Be Winning Continent
There are more countries in FIFA than the United Nations. Football truly is the global sport and every four years the best teams compete in the World Cup. In Holland and Italy there are two notable absentees and ultimately only England of the home nations and the Republic Of Ireland qualified for the finals in Russia. Most of the best players in the world will be in action over the next five weeks.
Only Brazil and Germany have won the World Cup out of their own continent so at least England have a chance at the first World Cup in Europe since Germany were the hosts in 2006. The earliest the continent can stage the tournament again is 2030. RUSSIA are 50/1 with William Hill to win their World Cup but the hosts have not prevailed since France in 1998.
Only teams from South America and Europe have won the football world championships. Cameroon, Nigeria and Ghana have flirted with winning the ultimate prize in the sport and no side from Asia or Australasia have got close except South Korea who reached the last four in 2002 as joint hosts with Japan.
England (1966) and Argentina (1978) won the World Cup in their own back yard but the weight of expectation was too much for Brazil four years ago. The hosts were humiliated and broken in the 7-1 defeat to the eventual winners Germany in the semi-finals. Several players are still in the squad and they are owed better fortune.
The rights and wrongs of holding the World Cup in Russia could be debated until the 2022 event in Qatar. Conditions should favour the European nations and EUROPE is the favourite in the continent of the winner market at 4/11 with Ladbrokes. However, that price seems short when you don’t have Brazil and Argentina on your side.
It seems a bit trivial to discuss some ordinary racing 2 days before the big kick-off but life goes on outside the bubble of the World Cup. Salisbury stages a half decent Flat meeting for a Tuesday and the most competitive race is the handicap over seven furlongs at 3.30pm. AFFLUENCE is the horse to back at 6/1 with Coral.
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