J. Harder
Padova · UEFA Europa Conference League · Midfielder · #15 · Italy · 20 yrs
J. Harder news
How rare are back-to-back World Cup titles? Lionel Messi’s Argentina aim to make history
Argentina and Lionel Messi try to reach the feat of winning back-to-back titles. Winning the World Cup title is never an easy task with the best players in the world competing for the trophy. Repeating as champions is even harder, with Lionel Messi now trying to win back-to-back titles with Argentina. Only two teams have successfully defended the World Cup, both doing so many decades ago. The first was Italy, who won the title in 1934 on home soil before repeating as champions in France in 1938. The other team to achieve the feat was Brazil, led by Pelé among other greats. They won the title in Sweden in 1958 before successfully defending it in Chile in 1962. Failed repeats While only those two teams managed to win consecutive World Cup titles, several defending champions came close. Uruguay entered 1954 as champions but were eliminated by Hungary in the semifinals. West Germany also fell in the semifinals in 1958 after losing to Sweden. Zinedine Zidane prevented Brazil from repeating with two goals in the final (Stu Forster /Allsport) Brazil couldn’t defend their 1970 title in the following edition. They were eliminated in the second group stage under the tournament’s format at the time, which meant they played in the third-place match instead of a semifinal. The next team to come close was Argentina in 1990, when they reached the final but lost to West Germany. Brazil did the same in 1998, falling to France in the final. France then became the latest defending champions to narrowly miss out after losing the 2022 final to Argentina. Failed three-peats Winning three consecutive World Cup titles has proved even more difficult. Italy had to wait 12 years to defend their second title because World War II prevented the tournament from being played. When the World Cup returned in 1950, they were eliminated in the first round after finishing behind Sweden. Brazil also failed in their attempt after winning in 1958 and 1962, as they were eliminated in the first round of the 1966 World Cup.
Altitude: how does it affect players and how big is England’s disadvantage?
England play in Mexico City on Sunday, 2,240m above sea level, and research shows high-speed running is harder and recovery is slowerEngland have made it into the last 16 of the World Cup, and will face Mexico on Sunday (1am Monday BST). But they will also be up against another opponent: altitude.We take a look at how playing in the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, 2,240m above sea level, might affect their performance. Continue reading...
DR Congo manager’s tactics may provide tougher challenge for England than Opta stats suggest
Despite the chances of victory in normal time being 73.9%, Sébastien Desabre has changed his approach for stronger teams such as EnglandEngland head into their match against the Democratic Republic of the Congo expecting to win. Opta rates their chances of victory in normal time at 73.9%. Yet the tactics deployed by the DRC manager, Sébastien Desabre, will make it harder than this probability suggests.Desabre has a clear strategy for facing the stronger teams in this tournament that differs from how he approached qualifying matches. Continue reading...
From cheap transport to football geekery: how Zohran Mamdani won the World Cup
The New York City mayor has made his mark on the tournament to cap an extraordinary run of sporting success over the last few monthsA stunning evening sun was setting behind Union City on Wednesday. It made it slightly harder to see the giant screen that had been set up for the Brazil v Scotland watch party in Hudson River Park, but not enough to ruin the vibe of a New York City World Cup evening. Partly it didn’t matter because the clutch of Brazilians watching the game, kitted out in canary yellow and “100% Jesus” headbands, were already in full samba mode, given how comfortable their 3-0 win was. But mainly it was because this was a beautiful World Cup moment.This is my eighth World Cup. The outdoor screening, combined with the gentle breeze off the Hudson – I had already navigated the hubbub in Times Square, colonised by chanting Germans and flag-waving Ecuadorians – was as captivating as anything I’ve experienced in Marseille, Seoul, Cape Town or Rio de Janeiro. New York City is perhaps the only place in the world where a World Cup may go unnoticed but the tournament genuinely feels like an intrinsic part of life in large parts of the city, certainly since the Knicks’ victory parade finished. In fact, the feelgood endorphins seem to have segued seamlessly into World Cup fever for many in the city. Continue reading...
What is Ecuador’s current FIFA ranking ahead of its 2026 World Cup match vs Curacao?
The current ranking of Ecuador ahead of their match against Curacao is lower than when the 2026 World Cup started. Ecuador head into their Group E match against Curacao at the 2026 World Cup with plenty to prove after a drop in the FIFA world ranking following their loss to Ivory Coast, but they still remain in a strong position to compete for a place in the next round. The current ranking of Ecuador is 28th, which is five spots lower than the June 11 update. Only three teams lost more positions than them in this competition: Turkey (10), Tunisia (9) and Panama (6). In a system that gets updated with every match, Ecuador will be looking to respond against Curacao. A positive result would help them stay in the race in a group that also includes Germany, so this is a must-win match for them. Ecuador’s rivals As expected, the team that stands out most in the group is Germany. They are currently 8th in the FIFA world ranking, making them the highest-ranked side in the section by a clear margin after climbing one spot. Ivory Coast were Ecuador’s main rivals (Megan Briggs/Getty Images) Ivory Coast follow at 31th, a gap that was narrowed by the match between them a few days ago. That result also made the battle for the top spot much harder for Ecuador, who may need a major upset in their final appearance, not just in this one. Curacao are further behind in 83rd, leaving them as the lowest-ranked team in the group and the side with the most ground to make up. That position puts them just ahead of Haiti among the 48 teams in the competition. Ecuador’s highest ranking Ecuador have had some notable moments in the FIFA ranking over the years. Their highest position came in 2013, when they reached 10th place, while their lowest ranking came in 1995, when they were 76th.
Barcelona homegrown star accepts his fate and ready to walk away this summer in search of regular football
For many La Masia graduates, breaking into Barcelona’s first team is the dream, although staying there is often the harder challenge.That reality now appears to have caught up with Marc Casado, who ...
