Excitement over the football World Cup, which kicked off Thursday in Russia, is built on nostalgia. Fans will recall Brazil’s Carlos Alberto finishing off a wondrous team passing move in the 1970 final, or Argentina’s Diego Maradona scampering past umpteen English defenders to score in 1986.
The prospect of more moments of beauty builds anticipation for this year’s competition. But the memories mask a hard truth: the football over the coming weeks is unlikely to be particularly good. Or, at least, as good as the standard to which fans are accustomed. Globalisation and the end of football protectionism are to blame. Decades ago, national club leagues were closed shops, with the majority of the places on the roster reserved for natives. National teams were therefore stronger than the clubs they sourced players from.
Then, in 1995, the European Court of Justice issued the so-called “Bosman ruling”, forcing European national leagues to end limits on foreigners playing in their divisions. Top continental clubs began to pay huge fees to snap up the world’s best players. Elite clubs are now made up of a kaleidoscope of international stars, drilled in the latest tactics and techniques.