Lucky for us, one of the greatest rivalries in football is still unfolding in the here and now. Russia 2018 will be like a final contest for Ronaldo and Messi.
Ronaldo and Messi have won it five times each in the last 10 years, but a host of younger stars are being tipped to be the first Ballon d’Or winner after the decadal reign of the ‘big two’. Here are the front-runners…
A bickering world, quite rightly, gets Russia, the commonest bete noire, as host of its cup of life. Ah, but we mustn’t cavil. It might turn out to be fun after all.
Following matches through radio static to plugging in—Indian fans have been steadfast as ever. But has the dazzle of European soccer held us in enthralled stupor?
Fate and flaw conspired to keep egalitarian football at the margins in India. Cricket—race-erected, race-directed—flourished under post-colonial patronage.
