Defending champions lose their right

On june 9, germany will play costa rica and get the world cup going. everyone will tune in, and they will all be clueless. they don't know that it should be a brazil game.

why isn't the world cup kicked off by the defending champions anymore? what happeneed to the time-honoured tradition of having the champions defend their title by starting the competition? i believe this is a sad turn, and marks the end of a wonderful chapter in world cup history.

opening matches often pit big teams against small teams, and every once in a while, we get some amazing giant slaying. it all adds to the fun of the world cup. the pressure has to be on the defending champions to perform. that's what makes the world cup tick.

Cameroon beat champions Argentina in 1990

who can forget francis omam biyik putting one past neri pumpido as cameroon shocked argentina in the opening game of italia 90? that was a major classic that went on to seal cameroon as the definitive african team to watch.

Senegal shock champions France in 2002

and who can forget pape bouba diop tucking one past fabien barthez in the opening of the last world cup, when senegal shocked france? that game, like its 1990 cousin, put senegal firmly on the footballing world map.

now having written four paragraphs on this, it now hits me - it's because the champions aren't given automatic qualification anymore. and so, it is not a necessary thing that the champions will be there to kick the world cup off. oh but the hosts will. no matter how unfashionable they mayt be. the next world cup will probably be kicked off with a south africa v saudi arabia game, if the luck of the draw will have it. imagine the tv screens tuned in for that one. major bloody yawn.

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