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This World Cup Is Absolutely The Best Thing Ever

This World Cup Is Absolutely The Best Thing Ever

We're only halfway through the quarter finals and Russia 2018 has made us fall in love with football all over again.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

This year's World Cup is just over halfway done and there's absolutely no doubt that we're in love with the tournament and who knows just how good it could become.

Obviously no matter what happens as football fans we'll always love the World Cup. Four weeks of football during the day, most days, when there usually wouldn't be any football on, what's not to love.

But in all seriousness there are some World Cup tournaments that are really bad. 2010 was especially average, Vuvuzelas certainly didn't help, the back end of 2014 was only good because of Germany's 7-1 tonking of Brazil and 1990 had such boring tactics that no pass backs was implemented after.

2018 is another breed of World Cup though. When Russia vs Saudi Arabia was drawn as the opening game we all bemoaned what looked on paper like a boring start to precedings.

On FIFA rankings the hosts and their first opponents were the worst two sides in the competition and still we got five goals as Russia ran wild in the second half, including some brilliant goals.

The day after Spain and Portugal played out what would have been game of the tournament for most World Cups in a 3-3 draw that included a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick, with a last minute equaliser thrown in and Nacho's wonder strike.

Nacho with a brilliant strike. Image: PA Images
Nacho with a brilliant strike. Image: PA Images

Just over a day into the World Cup and we were already in love.

Since then though we've had some absolutely brilliant moments. Iran's failed flip throw in, Tite being pushed over by his own substitute, Sergei Ignashevich pushing players out of the way so Luis Suarez could score, Senegal fans clearing up the mess in the stadium and Michy Batshuayi kicking the ball in his own face spring to mind.

All that without mentioning Maradona, that man could be a whole World Cup of highlights on his own.

The Argentina legend was at all of his country's games shown twirling a t-shirt round his head, holding up a banner that was a picture of himself, swearing at Nigeria fans, getting very passionate about the team and he even had to get checkout by medical staff after binging on wine.

Maradona was on ridiculous form throughout Argentina's four games. Image: PA Images
Maradona was on ridiculous form throughout Argentina's four games. Image: PA Images

For fans of the own goal, and let's be honest we all are, this has been a World Cup of them and the record has already been broken with 10 people putting the ball past their own keeper already. Ignashevich was making us all last with his, the latest of them, against Spain with a backheel as he decided fouling Sergio Ramos was a better use of his time than actually watching the ball.

There's been penalties aplenty too with 27 awarded so far, plus two shoot-outs which we also love, thanks to the invention and application of VAR.

Quick mention for VAR, it's not always been perfect but it's largely been successful and it's very good and if nothing else we end up with a bunch of referees being full kit wankers in a tv studio in Moscow.

Alex Scott, Ally McCoist and Mark Lawrenson should all be applauded for very different reasons as broadcasters and pundits, if you're in the UK that is.

GERMANY WENT OUT IN THE GROUPS!!! Oh lord how did it take so long to remember this beautiful thing. That means that the last three winners have gone out in the Group Stage four years after winning it.

Argentina went out in the second round as Kylian Mbappe ran riot and Portugal followed them on the same day meaning Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both went out within hours of each other.

Literally no better sight, until England lift the World Cup. Image: PA Images
Literally no better sight, until England lift the World Cup. Image: PA Images

Hosts Russia then beat Spain on penalties and Croatia and Denmark played out one of the most incredible shoot-outs we've seen.

Before all that of course there was six goals in a game for England, SIX! Sure it was Panama but it still happened and now it might actually be coming home. (Remind me on Tuesday when Colombia win).

And so far we've only had one 0-0.

We've still got so much to go as well and it could just keep getting better and better.

We didn't even mention Kane's last minute winner! Image: PA Images
We didn't even mention Kane's last minute winner! Image: PA Images

It's impossible to explain everything brilliant that's been going on in Russia without being a bit "ahhhh everything great is happening!" but that's because everything great is happening. Who knew this tournament would be so great when we were all worried it would be about gangs, violence and racism.

The saddest thing is it's now halfway through but World Cup 2018 will live on forever in our hearts!

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Topics: Football News, Russia 2018, World Cup news, England, World Cup