Every four years, 32 countries select their 23 best soccer players and head for the world’s biggest sporting event: the FIFA World Cup.
It’s by far the most-watched sporting event, attracting 3.5 billion viewers in the last Cup. The 2014 World Cup final alone attracted 1 billion fans.
This year, the thrilling event is being held in Russia, and it promises to have all the excitement and glory typical of the event. Here are the some of the major stories to watch.
Messi vs. Ronaldo
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are easily considered to be the greatest players of their generation, with the debate revolving around which one is better.
All the greatest soccer players in history, from Diego Maradona to Pele, have a World Cup to their names. Yet neither Messi or Ronaldo has been able to claim one for their respective countries.
With both stars over 30, this could be the final year where either of the two can have a major impact on their team, which means the urgency to win it all this year will be huge.
A World Cup for either will not only cement the winner’s name in soccer history, it will also put to bed the debate of which one of these two is the greatest of the generation.
Neymar
When Messi and Ronaldo leave the scene as the best players of their generation, they are sure to leave behind Neymar as the greatest player of the following generation.
Having just entered his prime at age 26, Neymar seeks to prove his stardom once again on the world stage.
In the 2014 World Cup, Neymar shone. Scoring 4 goals with 1 assist before a horrific back injury ended his campaign, he had to watch his team, Brazil, get annihilated, 7-1, from the sidelines.
This World Cup, Neymar and his team seem determined to avenge their embarrassing loss in the last World Cup. And Neymar should solidify his place as the next great player.
Russia
Russia is probably better known for putting pucks in the backs of nets rather than soccer balls, but that doesn’t mean it can’t.
Having already won the opener by a score of 5-0 over Saudi Arabia, it looks poised to make a big run in this tournament.
Seeing Russia be successful wouldn’t be a huge shock — host countries are historically good in the tournament.
Four of the last five host countries have made semifinal appearances, and that includes South Korea in 2002. So don’t be surprised if Russia has success trading in its skates for cleats in this tournament.
Belgium
The country that is home to the best waffles in the world could also be home to the best soccer team in the world when this year’s tournament is all eaten and done.
There is no shortage of star power on this squad. Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, Eden Hazard, and Ronelu Lukaku are just the beginning of Belgium’s bottomless talent.
But it has had talent before.
In the 2014 World Cup, it was stopped in the quarterfinals, and in the 2016 European Cup, it was also ousted in the quarterfinals.
Once again, it enters a major international tournament with all the talent in the world; will this be the tournament Belgium finally puts it all together?
If it is, it seems unlikely that any team will be able to stop it.