Saturated media coverage has removed the element of surprise as today's fan knows what to expect from players heading to South Africa. But playing in the World Cup remains the zenith of a career.
From Seoul to Seattle, Oslo to Auckland, more than 200 million people are expected to watch the opening match of the World Cup when it kicks off on June 11 in Johannesburg.
South Africa, the hosts, take on Mexico in the curtain-raiser and while in tournaments of yesteryear much might not have been known about either side, nowadays, courtesy of modern media, we know Steven Pienaar will wear a vest under his Bafana Bafana jersey that reads "God is Great", we know El Tri striker Javier Hernandez's father was called Chicharo and we know the capacity of the Soccer City stadium in Soweto is 91,141 making it the 19th largest stadium in the world.
There is no denying we are more informed now than ever before, yet, by undergoing an overload of information are we losing our sense of surprise? Is the globalisation of football resulting in the World Cup being less exciting?
When Pele made his debut at the 1958 tournament, few people outside Brazil had heard of the 17-year-old, who went on to score a hat-trick in the semi-finals and two more in the final. When he was kicked off the pitch in 1962, even fewer had heard of his replacement Amarildo, who successfully carried the torch for the Brazilians en route to victory.
South American football was not available to fans living outside the continent and so players' reputations were built or broken on the back of their performances in the game's global showpiece.
This month, the much-lauded Lionel Messi will have the opportunity to join South American icons Pele and Diego Maradona - widely regarded as the two best players ever. Messi has been in sensational form for domestic side Barcelona, netting 43 goals in 49 games. If he can replicate that form in Africa, few could argue he would deserve a place at the game's top table.
But he will arrive with a burden of expectation. Such is the media saturation surrounding the Argentine, everybody knows Messi's talents and anything less than a starring role will be seen as a failure.
The bar has already been set for the 22-year-old, and it is higher than ever before. And it is not only the spectators who will expect Messi to shine; his opponents will pay him special attention and with the likes of Didier Zokora and Emmanuel Eboue, the Ivory Coast duo, facing him yet again this year, their homework will have been done.
Zokora, of Sevilla, faced Barcelona twice in the Primera Liga last season, while it is no mere coincidence that Eboue, the Arsenal defender, came up against the diminutive magician when the London side met Barca in the Champions League quarter-finals, Europe's elite annual competition which is now, some believe, rivalling the quadrennial World Cup for being the greatest football show on Earth.
"I've been fortunate to play in it and it's the best competition in the world," says Peter Crouch. The fact the England and Tottenham forward could be talking about either competition proves there is substance to the belief that the Champions League - of which he was indeed referring - is quickly becoming the world's premier competition.
The world's best players strive to play in the Champions League and for the best teams, but a talented player from a small country cannot switch nationalities; his dream of playing in the World Cup hinges on his compatriots.
As a result, the majority of the world's best players compete in the European competition, while some - think George Best, Ryan Giggs, George Weah - never had the chance to compete on the global stage. John Barnes, the former England and Liverpool midfielder, however, strongly disagrees, labelling such arguments as Eurocentric and ill-informed.
"It may be more important to the European clubs, but the World Cup will always be the biggest; it is the one every player wants to be involved in," says Barnes. "The Champions League isn't anywhere near.
"From a financial aspect, then maybe, but you ask any player which medal they would rather have - Champions League winners' medal or World Cup winners' - and you will see where they stand."
"And I don't agree with the argument that everybody gets to watch the best players every week either - the Argentine fans don't see Messi every week. What we are talking about is European fans; there are fans all over the world, not just in Europe.
"But football is a global village, everybody follows it so you will see and know of the Messis and the [Cristiano] Ronaldos, but the World Cup is undoubtedly the biggest and most prestigious tournament in world football."
And it would appear the television ratings prove likewise: last year's Champions League final between Manchester United and Barcelona attracted 145.2 million viewers, which, while being 39 million viewers more than the Superbowl, still lags way behind the expected figures for this Friday's World Cup curtain-raiser.
@Email:gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
RESULT
Arsenal 1 Chelsea 2
Arsenal: Aubameyang (13')
Chelsea: Jorginho (83'), Abraham (87')
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Fight card
1. Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) v Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
2. Featherweight: Hussein Salim (IRQ) v Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
3. Catchweight 80kg: Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Khamza Yamadaev (RUS)
4. Lightweight: Ho Taek-oh (KOR) v Ronald Girones (CUB)
5. Lightweight: Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) v Damien Lapilus (FRA)
6. Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) v Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
7. Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
8. Flyweight: Shannon Ross (TUR) v Donovon Freelow (USA)
9. Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Dan Collins (GBR)
10. Catchweight 73kg: Islam Mamedov (RUS) v Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM)
11. Bantamweight World title: Jaures Dea (CAM) v Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
12. Flyweight World title: Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
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LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday Athletic Bilbao v Celta Vigo (Kick-off midnight UAE)
Saturday Levante v Getafe (5pm), Sevilla v Real Madrid (7.15pm), Atletico Madrid v Real Valladolid (9.30pm), Cadiz v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday Granada v Huesca (5pm), Osasuna v Real Betis (7.15pm), Villarreal v Elche (9.30pm), Alaves v Real Sociedad (midnight)
Monday Eibar v Valencia (midnight)
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP
Group A
Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA
Group B
Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti
Group C
Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia
Group D
Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community
• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style
“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.
Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term.
From a personal perspective, learning how to invest using Bogle’s approach was a turning point in my life. I quickly realised there was no point chasing returns and paying expensive advisers or platforms. Once money is taken care off, you can work on what truly matters, such as family, relationships or other projects. I owe Jack Bogle for that.”
• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International
"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed. Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."
• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."
• Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com
"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.
His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.
Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."
• Zach Holz, who blogs about financial independence at The Happiest Teacher
"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen. He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”
• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."
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