WE CAN BE HEROES
Every World Cup brings forth cult heroes, those unforgettable figures who inspire nostalgia with phrases like.
“Do you remember Roger Milla/Saeed Al-Owairan/Keisuke Honda/Paul the Octopus?”
The Geopolitics World Cup has certainly delivered on that front! Here are ten standout cult heroes from this tournament.
Yaya Sithole: The South African midfielder had a disastrous beginning, making an error that led to the first goal against Mexico, followed by a red card in the second half. However, he redeemed himself with a crucial performance against South Korea, leading his nation into the knockout stage. Years from now, fans might still reminisce about the Yaya Sithole comeback story. Perhaps.
Vozinha: The Cape Verdean squad’s players have all become cult figures, but none more than their 40-year-old goalkeeper. After spending the previous season in the Portuguese second division, Vozinha impressively kept Spain at bay, guiding the Blue Sharks through the group stage unbeaten, and then pushed Argentina to extra time in the knockout round. Vozinha’s mother has plenty of company in his growing fan club.
Djed Spence: In a close call with Dan “the modern-day header-beast” Burn, the Tottenham full-back earns the title of England’s cult hero. Spence transformed from being a liability under Thomas Tuchel in the group stages to a remarkable player reminiscent of Cafu in the knockout rounds. His memorable slide tackle on Giuliano Simeone (chin strap or not) will be talked about for years to come.
Matías Galarza: Paraguay’s most notorious character was always present, even if he rarely played football effectively. The midfielder constantly engaged in moaning, playacting, and provoking opponents, truly embodying the darker side of the game. He also scored against Turkey and famously snatched the referee’s watch, strapping it to his wrist—a classic case of timeless mischief.
Keyne: Poor Lamine Yamal, who turned 19 during the World Cup, must feel overshadowed by his three-year-old brother. Keyne’s joyful antics in the stands brought joy to fans in Spain and beyond. Given the other figures who have dominated TV coverage, this toddler has been a refreshing presence.
Iván Barton: The Salvadoran referee gained global notoriety when he issued a red card to Miguel Almirón, chastising him like a mother scolding a naughty child. “After review, No 10, Paraguay, covered his mouth! The decision is red card!” No PlayStation privileges either for you, Miguel!
Eloy Room: Step aside, Vozinha, and welcome Eloy! Another veteran goalkeeper shone during the World Cup as Curaçao rebounded from a crushing 7-0 defeat against Germany to secure a 0-0 draw with Ecuador. The 37-year-old set a record with 15 saves in a single World Cup match, earning the small Caribbean island its inaugural point.
Danny Murphy: Or should it be Bob the cat? The deadpan BBC pundit shared a captivating tale about a family cat that once escaped inside a Royal Mail van, inspired by Oscar Bobb coming off the bench for Norway. Viewers were so entertained that they clamored for multiple follow-ups. A purr-fect diversion during hydration breaks. Honk!
Hossam Hassan: Egypt’s perpetually irate head coach, clad in a black T-shirt, was an imposing figure, particularly alongside his identical twin brother, the team director Ibrahim Hassan. The duo had a confrontation with Dallas police, led the Pharaohs to the last 16, and even took a 2-0 lead against Argentina, before the final 15 minutes pushed Hossam to new heights of fury.
Romelu Lukaku: How can Belgium’s all-time leading scorer attain cult-hero status? After scoring a decisive goal in a 4-1 win over the USA, he celebrated his 93rd international goal with a dance reminiscent of Trump near the corner flag, following the Balogun incident. Thank you, Big Rom (or should we say Bigliest Rom?)—the world stands with you.
LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE
Join Rob Smyth for live updates tonight at 8pm BST (3pm EST, 5am AEST) as Spain faces Argentina in the GWC final, which ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time, with Argentina triumphing 5-4 on penalties. While the animals below express their opinions, the fans in New York City have different views. Meanwhile, Tom Lutz will cover all other happenings outside the match, which we could call Everything But The Goal.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“This game will help us for sure – even if you can never fully celebrate a bronze medal. It’s the first [men’s World Cup] medal for 60 years, first [at a men’s] World Cup on foreign soil, and I hope the players can be proud of that at some point. We set ourselves the highest dream to chase, and we were very, very ambitious with our dream to make the final in the World Cup. So it’s very, very painful if you miss out, the pain will stay for a while”
remarked England head coach Thomas Tuchel after overseeing a remarkable 6-4 victory over France in the Third Place Play-off.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
double quotation mark May I be one of the 1,057 pedants to point out that it’s little wonder Brazil lost to Poland in the 1970 TPPO (yesterday’s Football Daily) as they would have been resting players for the next day’s final against Italy (which they won 4-1 to claim their third world crown – Pelé, Carlos Alberto and all that). You must have meant the 1974 TPPO. Easy to be fatigued at this stage of the tournament; just ask Harry Kane,” wrote Jonathan Westwood (and 1,056 others).
If you have any thoughts, please send letters to the.boss@. Today’s prizeless letter of the day goes to … Jonathan Westwood (and the 1,056 others). Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.
- This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.
