The problem with Ghana, Senegal, and Cameroon is the rampant corruption at all levels of government. It might seem irrelevant, but it’s not. That much corruption means investment suffers, especially as in those countries, there isn’t a lot of money to go around.
When you have people dying of preventable diseases, forgotten communities surviving on bushmeat and entire regions descending into open warfare, investing in the national football program is a low priority. Investing in football at youth level, which is equally as important, is non existent.
Costa Rica are just too small to overcome the lack of infrastructure.
USA will never be a serious threat so long as their best athletes choose other sports and their kids at 5-10 years old are playing with hockey sticks and basketballs instead of a football.
Tunisia was added to this list because they have invested heavily in their domestic football program but, upon reflection, I might actually remove them.
I get that, but I think the first non-european and non-south-american team to win will be an underdog who organised their team well and also got lucky - just like Greece at Euro 2004. Greece were huge underdogs and their odds were some of the longest at the tournament. I think any of those teams could do that, or maybe also someone like Nigeria or Japan.
It might take 100 years or it might happen in the next decade, but it’ll happen sooner or later.
to your USA point. I don’t think we need our best athletes. but our best soccer players. and less focus on the physical at younger ages. lot’s of stories of the tall 12 year old who can kick it a mile but nothing else getting the A team while the shorter 12 year old who keeps the ball glued to his foot gets B team or nothing.
The problem with Ghana, Senegal, and Cameroon is the rampant corruption at all levels of government. It might seem irrelevant, but it’s not. That much corruption means investment suffers, especially as in those countries, there isn’t a lot of money to go around.
When you have people dying of preventable diseases, forgotten communities surviving on bushmeat and entire regions descending into open warfare, investing in the national football program is a low priority. Investing in football at youth level, which is equally as important, is non existent.
Costa Rica are just too small to overcome the lack of infrastructure.
USA will never be a serious threat so long as their best athletes choose other sports and their kids at 5-10 years old are playing with hockey sticks and basketballs instead of a football.
Tunisia was added to this list because they have invested heavily in their domestic football program but, upon reflection, I might actually remove them.
I get that, but I think the first non-european and non-south-american team to win will be an underdog who organised their team well and also got lucky - just like Greece at Euro 2004. Greece were huge underdogs and their odds were some of the longest at the tournament. I think any of those teams could do that, or maybe also someone like Nigeria or Japan.
It might take 100 years or it might happen in the next decade, but it’ll happen sooner or later.
Unless it’s corrupted towards football
Yeah, but none of those are. Not to the point that the money gets to anywhere useful to actually producing a team.
to your USA point. I don’t think we need our best athletes. but our best soccer players. and less focus on the physical at younger ages. lot’s of stories of the tall 12 year old who can kick it a mile but nothing else getting the A team while the shorter 12 year old who keeps the ball glued to his foot gets B team or nothing.