Why this World Cup looks like no other – CM 2018

1. A triple absence
                                    

For the first time in World Cup history, no country among Brazil, Argentina and Germany is present in the last four of the event. This triple absence joint is unpublished since 1930 and the first World Cup played in Uruguay. Who would have been willing to bet on this possibility in early June? Reigning World Champion, Germany was a scarecrow, Brazil was also a favorite, and Argentina, with its offensive armada led by Lionel Messi, had reason to believe in his star.
        

2. France, only "historic" at the height
                                    

None of the three caps that played the most World Cup semifinals are in the final four of the event this year. Brazil holds the record (12 participations in half), ahead of Germany (8) and Italy (7). However, the Seleçao was eliminated in the quarterfinals, Germany in the group stage for the first time in its history, and Italy was not qualified. The fourth country in this ranking, France (6) defies Belgium Tuesday night in St. Petersburg, and therefore honors this historic status.
        

3. The early disappearance of the Golden Ball top oven
                                    

The semifinals of the Russian World Cup will be contested without any of the first four of the last Golden Ball. Cristiano Ronaldo (1st) was eliminated in the round of 16 with Portugal by Uruguay (1-2), same for Lionel Messi (2nd) with Argentina against France (3-4). Neymar (3rd) could not help Brazil to cross Belgium in the quarterfinals (1-2). Gianluigi Buffon (4th), he did not even have this possibility, since Italy was eliminated in dams by Sweden (0-1, 0-0). This quadruple absence is extremely rare: it was necessary to go back to 1962 to find such a case. Italy's Omar Sivori (1st) and Spain's Luis Suarez (2nd) had disappeared in the group stage, when Johnny Haynes' England (3rd) and Lev Yachine's USSR (4th) had been eliminated. eliminated in quarters. It was the only time that this situation had already occurred.
        

4. Europe holds the quartet
                                    

Europe walks the world holding the four semi-finalists of the event (France, Belgium, England and Croatia). It is only the fifth time, the fourth after the war, that such domination is exercised during the World Cup after the 1934 editions (Italy, Austria, Germany, Czechoslovakia), 1966 (England, Germany, Portugal, USSR), 1982 (Italy, Germany, Poland, France) and 2006 (Italy, France, Germany and Portugal). It should be noted that until now, Germany had always been in this quartet, while Italy had inserted it three times. Already present in 1982 and 1986, France joins the Nazionale on the list of "domination of Europe".
        

5. 100% renewal for semi-finalists
                                    

None of the countries in the last four in Russia had played in the semi-finals at the previous edition in 2014, which included Germany, Argentina, Brazil and the Netherlands. France and Belgium were eliminated in the quarterfinals, England and Croatia in the group stage. Such a complete renewal between two editions had not taken place since … 52 years and the World Cup 1966. England, the FRG, Portugal and the USSR were then in the semi-finals, four places occupied by Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Chile and Yugoslavia in 1962.
        

6. A historic quadruplet
                                    

Already winner of the previous three World Cups (Italy in 2006, Spain in 2010 and Germany in 2014), Europe will win its fourth consecutive crown. An historic sequence: before this quadrupled, she had never won more than two in a row, and it had only happened once, with the final victories of Italy in 1934 and 1938. Either 80 years ago!
        

7. A final with two novices?
                                    

France – Belgium and Croatia – England being the posters of the semi-finals, there is a possibility to attend a final 100% unpublished. The best performance of Belgium is its fourth place in 1986, when Croatia finished third in 1998. Since 1990, it is only the second time that this eventuality appears in World Cup. In 2002, the final was Brazil and Germany, but Turkey (0-1 against Brazil) and South Korea (0-1 against Germany) were still in the semi-finals and could fight for the match of the coronation. In 1998, if France and Croatia had not yet played in the final, the two countries were opposed in half and only one of them could therefore qualify. It was France.
        

Sébastien Buron