What your list shows is that football has changed. Goalies are more or less the same in terms of quality. Then, we have fewer elite defenders and strikers. This is balanced by an over abundance of midfielders in the present game. And they're deferent from your 2006 midfielders in that we have fewer robust types. Now it's a lot of versatile, technically competent guys. I won't list the midfielders, but the current list of top international mids will surpass the one you have.

Been ok in terms of stories but the quality of football on show has been poor. Don't think there's one truly great player on show.

International footy has been boring ever since the millennium

Part of the problem is the huge commercialisation and hype created in the media. We all tune in expecting to see a show of epic proportions each time.

Just let the footy do the work

4/10.

Sicario wrote:

World Cup 2006 was average IMO. I mean let's look at the quarter finals, apart from Zidane v Brazil there wasn't one good game.

06 was great. Germany-Italy from that year is the best World Cup game I've seen.

Agree with Clrnc that 2014 was a brilliant tournament.

Ricky1985 wrote:

Mirth wrote:

WC 2006 was the last great international tournament.

Lehmann, Kahn, Buffon, Peruzzi, van der Sar, Barthez, Cech, Casillas, Canizares, Julio Cesar, Dida....

G.Neville, A.Cole, Ferdinand, Terry, Campbell, Carragher, Lahm, Ayala, K.Toure, D.Srna, Zambrotta, Nesta, Materazzi, Cannavaro, Barzagli, van Bronckhorst, R.Carvalho, Cafu, R.Carlos, Lucio, Rafa Marquez, Vidic, Sagnol, Abidal, Gallas, Thuram, Salgado, Ramos, Puyol....

Gerrard, Lampard, Beckham, J.Cole, Modric, Ballack, Schweinsteiger, Ljungberg, Mascherano, Cambiasso, Riquelme, Aimar, van Bommel, Cocu, Sneijder, Cahill, Kewell, Stankovic, Costinha, Maniche, Deco, Figo, Rosicky, Nedved, Essien, De Rossi, Gattuso, Pirlo, Camoranesi, Gilberto Silva, Emerson, Ze Roberto, Juninho, Makelele, Vieira, Malouda, Zidane, Xabi Alonso, Marco Senna, Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas, Joaquin....

Rooney, Owen, Klose, Larsson, Ibrahimovic, Messi, Tevez, Saviola, Crespo, Drogba, Robben, van Nistelrooy, van Persie, C.Ronaldo, Pauleta, Totti, Del Piero, Inzaghi, Gilardino, Luca Toni, Kaka, Ronaldinho, Robinho, Adriano, Ronaldo, Ribery, Wiltord, Trezeguet, Henry, Reyes, Raul, Villa, Torres, Shevchenko....

Not altogether surprising given the quality of player on show. It just gets worse and worse with every passing season and tournament on that front...

Bah- You're just turning into a grumpy old middle aged man Ricky, next thing you'll be complaining that stuff costs too much these days.

3/10 for me. The worst tournament I can remember watching. Both the quality of the football and the entertainment value was dire.

How come France seems to get to host big tournaments as often as it does?

I've actually warmed to this tournament since it wrapped up. Lot of good stories (Iceland, Wales, Portugal to an extent, etc), great selection of top quality goals, and some interesting subplots (Zazza run up, hooligans, etc.).

Solid 7

I think the last 7 games of the tournament were quite good and intriguing. On that basis would give the tournament at least a 7 or 8. The first two rounds were far too long and had too many filler teams like Albania, Hungary, England, etc. Those first two weeks set a dreary tone

Really thought it was awful. 2/10. A full point of that for the Italy-Spain game.