International Football
At the World Cup, opening matches are often crucial
As the first World Cup in the Arab world kicks off, it is pertinent to note that in the tournament, the outcome of the first match is often crucial and goes a long way in shaping a team’s prospects.
Such matches are sometimes tension-filled, irrespective of the relative strength of the teams. With
three first round matches, a team may not feel same pressure at their first match of the World Cup as they might prior to their third match.
But the opening matches may hold more importance than many realize. Take for instance France ‘98. Of the 16 teams that advanced into the second round, not one of them lost the opening match.
Ten of the 16 teams that went through to the next stage attained the required two victories necessary while four others went undefeated with a win and two draws.
Only Denmark which eliminated Nigeria in the second round of France ‘98 went through with just a win and two draws. Chile was able to keep afloat with three draws in their Group B encounters.
The trend is carried over to the next two World Cup finals. At Korea/Japan 2010, only two of the 16 qualifiers for the second round lost their opening matches.
They were Mexico and Turkey who lost their opening matches 0-1 and 2-1 respectively. Some others who drew
their opening games were also able to scrape through.
Such included both England and Sweden who played 1-1 draw in their opening game. Ireland drew 1-1 with Cameroon and was able to advance just as did Belgium and Paraguay.
The same thing happened at Germany 2006 when Ukraine and Ghana were the only teams that lost their opening games and still got to the Round of 16. The 11 others of the remain ing 14 had outright victories leaving Sweden, Switzerland and France as teams with barren draws in their opening game and still managed to advance.
However at the last World Cup in South Africa, Spain achieved a rare feat. The country became the first to lose an
opening round and still went on to win the final match. Also in winning the cup, Spain became the first European team to win the World Cup outside Europe.
The in-built rule therefore for ambitious teams in the World Cup or any tournament with similar format is to avoid an opening match defeat. A win of the first match can buoy confidence as it happened to Cameroon at Italia ’90 against Argentina and also to Nigeria 28 years ago as well as Senegal in 2002.
A defeat could be devastating to the psyche of a team as did to the potentially strong Spanish side that surprising
lost 3-2 to Nigeria in their opening game in Nantes.
Spain who were upset in the first match tried to make up and looked ahead to Paraguay and Bulgaria, and still looked good bet to still pick scale through to the round of 16.
But a scoreless draw with Paraguay made their 6- 1 pounding of Bulgaria in the last match worthless after the Super Eagles lost their last match to Paraguay in the final group match.
France ‘98 was the first tournament that comprised 32 teams divided into eight groups of four. The 16 teams that move into the second round are two top finishers of the groups. In the four World Cup tournaments before France ‘98, just 24 teams were involved, meaning four third place finishers also advanced out of group play.
Whereas in USA’94 for instance, a team could almost assure itself of a fourth match with four points from the first
round, the general consensus now is that a team must try to win twice to continue to the second round.
One fact that has emerged in the 92-year history of the World Cup is that only one team ever lost the opening match and went ahead to World Cup .
Only two teams have won the cup after drawing in the opening game. Paulo Rossi-inspired Italy in
1982 did not even record its first win until after the group games. Also in 1966, England recovered from their scoreless draw with Uruguay to win their next five games and eventually the cup.
The aspiring teams of Qatar 2022 will be wise to avoid defeat in the opening games
Soccer chiefs from Europe and South America will hold a final meeting before a Thursday deadline to decide whether and where this month’s “Finalissima” between Spain and Argentina will be played, with London emerging as the leading candidate after doubts over Doha, multiple sources told Reuters on Tuesday.
The match between European champions Spain and Copa America holders Argentina had been scheduled for March 27 at Lusail Stadium in Doha.
However, it has become increasingly unlikely that Qatar will host the fixture after the Qatar Football Association suspended soccer tournaments indefinitely following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory missiles fired at the Arabian Peninsula.
The Spanish FA (RFEF) has been pushing for a swift resolution, mindful that the March international break is viewed as vital preparation ahead of the June-July World Cup in North America.
“I know that negotiations are underway,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente told Spanish Public Radio (RNE) on Monday. “The first thing, as a society, is to stop the conflict, but once you are immersed in it and you don’t know how long it will last, the solution would be, as long as you can’t play there, to find another venue as soon as possible.
Wembley Stadium staged the previous edition in 2022, when Argentina beat Italy, but it is set to host England v Uruguay on March 27. London, however, has other stadiums capable of staging the showpiece, leaving the English capital as the most likely alternative should Doha be ruled out, sources confirmed.
ALTERNATIVE OPPONENTS CONSIDERED
While keen to face Argentina and high-profile players such as Lionel Messi, sources told Reuters that Spain had made clear their priority was not to waste the last window of international fixtures before the World Cup and they were already contemplating alternative opponents.
With Spain also due to face Egypt three days later, any change would require agreement between the RFEF and European soccer body UEFA, South American confederation CONMEBOL, global governing body FIFA and the Argentine FA (AFA).
The RFEF, AFA and UEFA did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
A spokesperson for South American confederation CONMEBOL told Reuters that several meetings between the parties had taken place in recent days but did not confirm Thursday’s deadline or London as the preferred venue.
Madrid was initially proposed by the RFEF but rejected by the AFA, who preferred a neutral venue rather than giving Spain home advantage.
Morocco offered to stage the game, but the RFEF was unwilling to back their Mediterranean neighbours amid tensions behind the scenes over the 2030 World Cup, which Spain, Morocco and Portugal will co-host. Both Spain and Morocco are campaigning to stage the final.
Miami was also considered, with Messi based there at Inter Miami, but Hard Rock Stadium is hosting the Miami Open tennis tournament at the same time.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
International Football
Spain-Argentina ‘Finalissima’ in Qatar at risk amid US, Israel attacks on Iran
The match between Spain and Argentina, tagged “Finalissima” in Doha, is in doubt after the Qatar Football Association suspended soccer tournaments indefinitely following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory missiles fired at the Arabian Peninsula.
The contest between European Championship winners Spain and Copa America champions Argentina was scheduled for March 27 at Doha’s Lusail Stadium, with potential big-name draws including Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi.
“Qatar Football Association announces the postponement of all tournaments, competitions and matches, effective from today and until further notice,” the association said in a statement on Sunday.
“The new dates for the resumption of competitions will be announced in due course through the Association’s official channels.”
The final call on whether to postpone the game rests with event organisers UEFA and CONMEBOL.
The Bahrain Football Association postponed all its matches until further notice, while the Asian Football Confederation on Sunday announced it was delaying Champions League Elite fixtures in the region.
The Asian Champions League Two, currently at the quarter-final stage, has also been impacted, along with games in the Challenge League.
Countries across the Middle East have been on high alert since Saturday, when the U.S. and Israel launched air strikes against Iran, aimed at diminishing Iran’s military capability.
Iran retaliated by attacking U.S. targets around the region, including in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
On Sunday, Qatar’s interior ministry reported a fire in an industrial zone after debris fell from an intercepted missile.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
International Football
Iran Conflict Casts Uncertainty Over Super Eagles’ Four-Nation Tournament Opener
Nigeria’s Super Eagles may face fresh uncertainty ahead of their scheduled participation in a Four-Nation Invitational Tournament in Amman, Jordan, following reports that Iran — their intended first opponents — is now at war after attacks by the United States and Israel.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had earlier confirmed that the Super Eagles would compete in the mini-tournament during the FIFA Men’s International Window in March 2026. The competition is slated to run from March 27 to 31 in the Jordanian capital.
Under the original fixture schedule, Nigeria were due to open the tournament on Friday, March 27 against Iran’s senior national team at the 17,000-capacity Amman International Stadium. Hosts Jordan were set to face Costa Rica the same day at the 62,000-capacity King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
However, the escalating military confrontation involving Iran has cast serious doubt over the participation of the Iranian national team and the viability of the opening fixture.
While tournament organisers in Jordan have yet to issue an official statement regarding possible changes, the developing security situation is expected to force urgent consultations between the participating federations, tournament organisers and FIFA.
The competition was designed to provide competitive match exposure during a window initially reserved for the intercontinental play-off for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Nigeria’s inclusion in the tournament had already generated debate at home, with observers questioning whether the NFF’s commitment signalled a shift in focus away from potential qualification disputes.
The new geopolitical crisis further complicates matters. International conflicts often trigger travel restrictions, airspace closures and security advisories that can directly affect national teams’ ability to assemble and travel.
Should Iran withdraw or be unable to participate, organisers may be compelled to seek a replacement team or adjust the fixture format entirely.
Nigeria are scheduled to face hosts Jordan on March 31 in their second match of the tournament, while Costa Rica and Iran were originally billed to meet the same day at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
Kick-off times for the four fixtures had yet to be officially announced before the outbreak of hostilities.
For the Super Eagles, the tournament was seen as an opportunity to build cohesion and test tactical adjustments ahead of future competitive engagements. Now, attention will turn to whether the event can proceed as planned — and whether Nigeria’s opening match will require a late reshuffle.
The NFF is expected to monitor developments closely and may issue further clarification in the coming days as the regional and international situation evolves.
Meanwhile, Reuters has quoted a senior Israeli official as saying that Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead. But the Iranians have dismissed the claim, saying that the leader is ‘firmly commanding the field’. Both Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran.
President Donald Trump says action will give Iranians a chance to topple their rulers. Hits were reported in Israel and Gulf states as Iran retaliated. The attack has triggered fear and panics as as Iranians flee cities.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
- WAFCON5 days ago
BREAKING: CAF Postpones WAFCON 2026
- World Cup1 day ago
Iraq coach calls for delay to World Cup playoff amid travel shutdown
- DIPLOMACY1 day ago
Morocco Backs Gulf Security, Condemns Iranian Attacks Against Brotherly Arab States
- OBITUARY6 days ago
Nigerian Sports Journalism Mourns Oyeniyi Oyeleke and Tonex Chukwu
- DIPLOMACY17 hours ago
Trump calls on Australia to give asylum to Iranian women’s soccer players
- MLS1 week ago
Trump to Host Lionel Messi and Inter Miami at the White House
- OBITUARY16 hours ago
Breaking! Former Super Eagles Coach Adegboye Onigbinde Dies Four Days After Clocking 88
- World Cup6 days ago
‘I really don’t care’ if Iran plays in World Cup, Trump tells Politico