It usually goes like this in every major Football competition – most of the underdogs getting eliminated in the group stage or knockout round, a couple of favorites going out along the line en route to the final, and probably one underdog making it to an advanced stage of the competition.
The Three Lions came into the 2022 FIFA World Cup as joint third favorites to win the trophy and bring football home for the first time since their famous 1966 victory. The improvement of the squad from their previous appearance four years earlier was glaring and the England team looked good to go.
The myth. The legend. Basked in pure greatness. From Madeira, to Manchester to Madrid, to Turin and then a second Manchester spell, Cristiano Ronaldo has had arguably a career that many legends of the game would envy. Unthinkable? No, not anymore.
The Belgium National team and Football Federation will be in severe pain after their shocking early exit. This is not because they went out early, but mainly because it’s possibly the end of their “Golden Generation” era as many of their players are at the verge of retirement.