As a rule, small countries do not play in the World Cup final. Only 13 countries on earth have ever even made the final, and aside from one of Sunday’s participants, only big countries have played for the cup in the modern era. It’s been over 50 years since there was a final that didn’t feature one of Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, or France. Even then, it’s not like England, who won in ‘66, is some scrappy underdog nation. You may have heard that tiny Uruguay won two World Cups, but while that is indeed both remarkable and true, the tournaments of 1930 and 1950 were so different from the modern World Cup as to defy any meaningful comparison. Underdogs have made long runs before—South Korea in 2002, Croatia in 1998, Bulgaria in 1994—but none of them have been able to outmuscle the sorts of established soccer powers that always make the semifinals. The World Cup is not the NCAA Tournament, where little Cinderella teams can make the Final Four with some luck and hot shooting. All of which is to say that Croatia’s run to and eventual 4-2 loss in Sunday’s World Cup final is really and… Read full this story
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