De-colonizing football: How the final 16 at the World Cup has changed over time.

I have been enjoying seeing the unexpected results at this year's FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 . When Saudi Arabia defeated Argentina, it seemed like a bit of a freak result. Some friends seemed to uncharitably suggest that it was all fixed.

But then Japan decimated ?Germany, South Korea held off Uruguay, and Iran beat Wales.

And in the days since, Australia went on to beat Tunisia, Morocco went way past Belgium and Senegal triumphed over Ecuador.

These now no longer seemed to be flashes in the pan. I couldn’t really imagine conspiracy theories about all countries new to world cup soccer paying slush money to buy results.

And it’s become more frequent since.

Tunisia took revenge for a century of history by dethroning former rulers and world champions France. Their ‘Lagaan’ moment, I imagine.

Australia played aggressive soccer to defeat Denmark. While Japan and South Korea played clean, passionate football to cement their reputation as giant-killers by defeating Spain and Ronaldo’s Portugal.

To me, a random viewer of the World Cup, a change seemed to have stepped in. I wanted to look at the data here, and pulled the round-of-16 results from the last 4 world cups. The chart above seems to say a few things.

If we were to consider Australia an Asian nation, this is the year Asia has its highest presence with 3 in the final 16 – with South Korea and Japan being the other two.

The original power in football – the colonial empires of Europe, if you will, are down to 8 teams in the final 16, from 10 last time around. Germany and Belgium didn’t make the final cut this time, and Switzerland almost didn’t – with a late goal downing Cameroon’s hopes.

The other traditional power, the South Americans have their lowest presence in the final 16. Down from 5 teams in Moscow to just Argentina and Brazil holding the continent’s flag high in Qatar. (But full dibs to both of them – they’re the only teams to have qualified for the final 16 of all last 4 World Cups.)

In fact, the combined might of the classic football superpowers – Europe and South America – has come down from capturing 14 of 16 spots last event to holding on to just 10 this year.

Africa has fought valiantly, and while Cameroon and Tunisia didn’t make it, Morocco and Senegal did.

All in all, it’s the most continentally diverse set of finalists in any World Cup. And that’s a good thing for the game. Making football head and shoulders above all others as the truly global sport around.

Maybe there’s a hint here in what the International Cricket Council needs to do next – to move the strength of cricket beyond of the colonies of the commonwealth – England, Australia, India and Pakistan included – to new lands, and make it a truly global sport.

Change is slowly on its way. Netherlands did to make well this year to make it to the T20 finals. I hear good things about the Mexican, Brazilian and Thai women’s teams. But there’s a long way to go.

Sport unites. And the sports federations can take a lead here in making the planet play as one by growing their sports across all the continents. Bringing more joy – and more money – to all concerned.

Once upon a time two baseball teams a few hundred miles from each other in the US could play each other and call it the “World Series”. That joke of branding became passe a while ago.

Football – and FIFA, even with all the alleged corruption, warts and all – has done well in creating a truly global behemoth.

My eyes are now on what happens among the final 16 this year.