The World Cup history, trends and future

Bold Tone

[font=Source Sans Pro]Year (Location) : Winner W-L Runner-Up[/font]

[font=Source Sans Pro]1930 (Uruguay) : Uruguay 4–2 Argentina[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]1934 (Italy) : Italy 2–1 Czechoslovakia[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]1938 (France) : Italy 4–2 Hungary[/font]

[font=Source Sans Pro]1950 (Brazil) : Uruguay 2–1 Brazil[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]1954 (Switzerland) : West Germany 3–2 Hungary[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]1958 (Sweden) : Brazil 5–2 Sweden[/font]

[font=Source Sans Pro]1962 (Chile) : Brazil 3 - 1 Czechoslovakia[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]1966 (England) : England 4 - 2 West Germany[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]1970 (Mexico) : Brazil 4 - 1 Italy[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]1974 (West Germany) : West Germany 2 - 1 Netherlands[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]1978 (Argentina) : Argentina 3 - 1 Netherlands[/font]

[font=Source Sans Pro]1982 (Spain) : Italy 3 - 1 West Germany[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]1986 (Mexico) : Argentina 3 - 2 West Germany[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]1990 (Italy) : West Germany 1 - 0 Argentina[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]1994 (United States) : Brazil 0 - 0 Italy (Brazil won 3–2 on penalties)[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]1998 (France) : France 3 - 0 Brazil[/font]

[font=Source Sans Pro]2002 (Japan)     : Brazil 2 - 0 Germany[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]2006 (Germany)      : Italy 0 - 0 France (Italy won 5–3 on penalties)[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]2010 (South Africa)       : Spain 1 - 0 Netherlands[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]2014 (Brazil)     : Germany 1 - 0 Argentina[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]2018 (Russia)     : France 4 - 2 Croatia[/font]

[font=Source Sans Pro]What has caused the flip in international dominance from South America to Europe?[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]
[font=Source Sans Pro]https://thecomeback.com/soccer/will-south-america-ever-be-able-to-claw-back-europes-international-dominance.html[/font][/font]

Bold Tone

Is South American football in decline?

https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2018/08/06/is-south-american-football-in-decline

[font=Source Sans Pro]The arguments in the articles highlight a few facts but don't provide answers.[/font]

[font=Source Sans Pro]The strongest one is the national identity but almost every team has abandoned their traditional games with relative success for Uruguay and Mexico compared to the shite Brazil and Argentina have come up with the past 2 decades whose tactics seem to depend on a superstar to win games for them with no plan for the rest of the team.[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]I don't know how you youngsters see the game but i miss the old world cup when you could recognise a team from it's play.[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Sticking with South America, Brazil had the beautiful samba with a shit keeper, Argentina had efficient quick passing, Colombia had the most skilful player but were usually disorganised, Uruguay were skilful but rugged with Ecuador/Peru capable of beating/losing to anyone with their elevated brand of park football and Mexico looking like bees.[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]It was always fascinating when any of these teams played the organised European sides and i always supported them over any European side including Scotland and Wales.[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Back to the present day, i am baffled when i see an elite striker like Aguero look as toothless as he does for Argentina over several games and several years.[/font]

MuswellHillGooner

I like this video as it contains great World Cup goals from a number of less celebrated players.

deardevil

The Europeans have always dominated the World Cups. The only time South Americans won it, namely Brazil was when they had golden generations with numerous Ballon d'Or candidates (if it were available to non-Europeans before 1995) playing in one side. Aside from that, you had a couple early Uruguayan victories either side of the war, a cheating Argentine victory on home soil and Maradona.

Bold Tone

deardevil wrote:
The Europeans have always dominated the World Cups. The only time South Americans won it, namely Brazil was when they had golden generations with numerous Ballon d'Or candidates (if it were available to non-Europeans before 1995) playing in one side. Aside from that, you had a couple early Uruguayan victories either side of the war, a cheating Argentine victory on home soil and Maradona.

No they haven't

They were even after 2006 but Europe have now won 3 on the bounce.

As for your other points, what about the cheating Italians every time they have won it, cheating Germans in 74 on home soil?
It all balances out.

Also winning with world class players does not diminish the achievement.

This is even before you take into account the fact that Europe takes up the lions share of the participants and UEFA kicks up a massive fuss whenever other federations ask for more representation.
https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/mexico1986/teams/index.html
https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2061216/we-deserve-more-world-cup-slots-says-afc-president-sheikh-salman

https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2017/1/12/14226016/why-does-fifa-want-to-expand-the-world-cup

Qwiss

Bold Tone wrote:
What has caused the flip in international dominance from South America to Europe?

Money.

Bold Tone

That's the obvious answer but it seems to have mainly affected Brazil and Argentina but not the rest of the South American teams.
I am no expert but know the English, Spanish and German associations implemented developmental schemes that raised the standards of their football.
The Brazilians actually tried this after the 82 World Cup by selecting the bigger and more physical players to match the Europeans. The culmination of that strategy was the 94 triumph. There was a backlash as Brazilians hated that boring style of football. To this day they are stuck with it and Deardevil is right that it requires a superstar to succeed.
Argentina, i have no idea. How an established football nation cannot field a single decent midfielder is beyond me.

MuswellHillGooner

Add France with Le Centre National du Football (Clairefontaine) to that group of nations and only England are yet to win the World Cup in recent times.