On the first Sunday of the new year, TV offered Liverpool x Manchester United, a great choice for the early afternoon (Brazilian time).
The team of the moment, the Reds, who lead the Premier League and the Champions League, against the Red Devils, the biggest English winners (20 titles, one more than its rival), which has been contested since 1888.
This match, which almost did not take place due to the weather (a lot of snow throughout the day in the northwest of England), is considered the biggest classic in the country that created football in the modern era, between giant clubs from cities separated by 49 kilometers – by car , you can get from one to the other in about 40 minutes.
The game was very good, especially in the second half, when all the goals came from 2-2: Lisandro Martínez (Argentine team), after a pass from Bruno Fernandes (Portuguese team), Man United 1-0; Gakpo (Dutch team), after a pass from Mac Allister (Argentine team), 1-1; Mohamed Salah (Egyptian team, in a stupendous phase), from the penalty spot, Liverpool 2-1; and Amad Diallo (Ivorian team), after a cross from Garnacho (Argentine team), 2-2.
Both teams still had the opportunity to score the winning goal, in an electrifying finale. So much so that, at the end of the match, Carlos Eugênio Simon, Brazilian referee in three World Cups (2002, 2006 and 2010), who was commenting on the refereeing of the duel at the Anfield stadium filled with 60 thousand people, ruled: “Simply the greatest classic of the football country”.
I thought: had Simon committed a mistake? After all, historically, “the country of football” has always been Brazil, owner of five World Cups and which had Pelé, the best of all, and Garrincha, and Romário, and the Ronaldos (Fenômeno and Gaúcho), and hundreds of aces.
But maybe not. It may be that he purposely stated that he considers England today to be “the country of football”. It will be?
In terms of the championship, the Premier League is fantastic. Very busy matches, with lots of goals (two weeks ago there was Tottenham 3 x 6 Liverpool), filled with players who play for national teams.
The level of games is quite satisfactory, compared to other championships, on very well-maintained pitches even in adverse weather conditions, and the arenas are invariably full. The English love football.
Of the ten most recent editions of the Champions League, clubs from the land of the king have won three (Liverpool, in 2019; Chelsea, in 2021; Manchester City, in 2023), which proves the power of the English teams.
However, if the gaze shifts to the English team, the “country of football” seal loses strength, as the men’s team has only one World Cup title, that of 1966, almost 60 years ago – I, who no longer I’m young, I wasn’t even born. And he never won a European Cup.
What to say about Spain? There are a trio of very strong teams (especially Real Madrid, champion of titles in the Champions League, winning five of the last ten, and Barcelona, plus Atlético de Madrid), but the championship is not as attractive as the English one.
The Spanish team has triumphed in three of the six European Championships this century, including last year’s – beating England in the final. A respectable cartel for Fury (or Roja, as some prefer). And the 2024 Ballon d’Or is Spanish: Rodri, who however plays in England (Manchester City).
Regarding Brazil, the recent dominance in the Libertadores is evident: since 2019, only Brazilian teams have won. However, the Brasileirão has many weak games, on punishing pitches, and the country has not won the World Cup since 2002 – Italy, Spain, Germany, France and Argentina were world champions. We even had the best in the world, Vinicius Junior, at the FIFA awards. But it’s not much.
In this context, we may have been “the country of football”. We are no longer. Maybe England, maybe Spain, maybe Argentina, current world champion and two-time Copa América champion. Perhaps there is no “football country” today. I am only certain: Brazil is not.
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