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LET the final countdown begin.
The FIFA World Cup kicks off on Friday and that means that sports fans, curious onlookers and everyone in between joins football fans in anticipation for the tournament, which kicks off on Friday.
So, here's how you'll sound smarter than your mates with your A-Z guide to the tournament.
MORE WORLD CUP NEWS
QUIZ, FEATURES, GALLERIES: OUR CUP COUNTDOWN CONTENT
SOCCEROOS SELECTOR: PICK YOUR FIRST XI
CHECK OUT OUR WORLD CUP INTERACTIVE – YOUR PORTAL TO MATCH REPORTS, VIDEO, LIVE COVERAGE AND STATS
WORLD CUP FANTASY
Brazilians paint a section of the Santa Marta shantytown, or 'favela', in Brazilian colors. Source: Getty Images
A is for… Alcides Ghiggia
Ghiggia scored the winning goal for Uruguay against a heavily favoured Brazil in the 1950 final (the Brazil players were given gold watches inscribed "For the World Champions" before the final was played). The defeat sent the host nation into mourning and the scars of 'the Maracanãzo' are still felt to this day. And guess who Brazil could face in the quarter-finals this year? Yep, Uruguay.
THE CURSE THAT STILL HAUNTS BRAZIL DESPITE FIVE TROPHIES
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B is for… Bern
For such an unassuming place, the Swiss city of Bern has played host to two of the most iconic World Cup matches in tournament history. During the 1954 finals, the "Battle of Bern" saw Brazil and Hungary carry on the fight after the final whistle and into the dressing rooms, while the "Miracle of Bern" saw Germany beat the seemingly unbeatable Hungarians in the final.
C is for… Conspiracy
The World Cup is fertile ground for conspiracy theories, from Mussolini's fiddling with referees in the 1930s to accusations of the Germans being doped to the gills against Hungary in the 1954 final. The most recent? Some alleged dodgy handiwork during the 2014 draw to place the USA, England and Australia – FIFA's most vocal critics of the 2018 and 2022 hosting process – into the hardest groups.
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D is for… Dogs
Man's best friend has had a chequered history in the finals. An unnamed mutt ran riot on the pitch during England vs Brazil in 1962 (even peeing on England's Jimmy Greaves when caught), while Pickles became the hero of a nation when he found the stolen Jules Rimet trophy hidden in a South London hedge.
E is for… Exit, A Quick
Unfortunately for the Socceroos, this looks like the most likely outcome after being drawn in the 'Group of Death' for the 2014 finals. A match against dark horses Chile hardly eases them into clashes against European powerhouses (and 2010 finalists), Holland and Spain. Australia have nothing to lose, so expect Ange Postecoglou's men to take some chances in pursuit of an upset.
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F is for… Fontaine, Just
France's Just Fontaine holds the record for the most number of goals scored in a tournament, finding the net 13 times in 1958. The feat was all the more impressive considering he completed it in a pair of his teammate Stéphane Bruey's boots as he didn't have the money to buy a replacement pair in host nation Sweden.
French Soccer player Just Fontaine. Source: Supplied
G is for… GBH
The finals has seen its fair share of thuggery disguised as football. Lowlights include neck-high kicks and roundhouses in 1962's Battle of Santiago, Claudio Caniggia being kicked out of his boot by Cameroon's Benjamin Massing in 1990 and Nigel De Jong leaving his studs in Xabi Alonso's chest during the 2010 final. And I think there was a head butt somewhere, too…
One of sport's most infamous pictures. Source: Supplied
H is for… The Hand of God
Diego Maradona's moment of infamy came in the 1986 semi-final against England, when he leapt high above Peter Shilton and scored the opener with "a little of the hand of God and little of the head of Maradona". After the 'goal' the Argentinian can be seen urging his teammates to run after him and celebrate for fear of the goal being disallowed by the referee. Scoring the greatest goal in the history of the tournament just moments later didn't stop the English from branding him a cheat. And they still do to this day…
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I is for… India
There have been some good excuses for teams not playing in the World Cup but few can top India's reason for pulling out of the 1950 finals: they didn't want to wear boots. The bare-footed Indians played brilliantly in the 1948 Olympics but the killjoys at FIFA stated all teams must wear boots and the Indians protested by leaving the tournament, despite being allocated a group in the Brazilian finals.
J is for… Jairzinho
'The Hurricane of 1970' wrote himself into World Cup folklore by scoring in every game of the 1970 tournament, the best of which was a brilliant individual effort in the final against Italy. He wasn't a bad judge of talent either, discovering a young Ronaldo in the early '90s and helping him get his first contract with Cruzerio.
West Germany captain, Franz Beckenbauer, holds up the 1974 World Cup trophy. Source: AP
K is for… Kaiser, Der
Few nicknames are more fitting than Franz Beckenbauer's monicker "The King". As Germany's most influential and classy player he came first, second and third in the three tournaments he played in, and also guided 'die Mannschaft' to two finals (and one victory) as coach, becoming the first man to win the trophy as both player and boss.
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L is for… Lionel Messi
He might be the greatest player of his generation but the little Argentinian will never be seen as an equal to Pele or Maradona unless he wins a World Cup. In 2010 he took a backseat to El Diego's sideline histrionics, but 2014 will see Messi front and centre in a quest to guide the albiceleste to a mouthwatering, all-South American final against deadly rivals Brazil.
M is for… Mwepu Ilunga
One of the World Cup's Benny Hill moments came courtesy of the Zaire defender Mwepu Ilunga, who suddenly burst out of the wall and blasted the ball upfield as the Brazilians were lining up for a free-kick. Everyone had a good laugh until it emerged sinister Zairean dictator President Mobutu had threatened the families of the players if they lost the game by more than four goals. Suddenly the joke doesn't seem so funny…
N is for… North Korea
North Korea weren't welcome in England for the 1966 finals, dumped in the North East and ignored at official functions. However the Sunderland locals took them to their hearts and were rewarded with one of the all-time shock results when Pak Doo-Ik's strike knocked two-time winners Italy out at the group stage. While Roker Park is no more, there is still a plaque placed on the spot the North Korean shocked the world.
O is for… Orsi
Italy striker Raimundo Orsi scored a spectacular winning goal in the 1934 final against Czechoslovakia but when the press claimed the outside of the boot shot was a fluke, he invited them to a training pitch the next day to prove them wrong. He missed all 20 attempts to score a carbon copy goal…
Pele is synonymous with the World Cup. Source: AP
P is for… Pele
Three-time World Cup winner. Politician. Ambassador. Part-time viagra salesman. Terrible pundit. Pele is known for many things but none more than being the greatest footballer of all-time. A force of nature from the moment he took the World Cup stage as a 17 year-old to his crowning glory as leader of the 1970 winners, 'O Rei' was Messi, Ronaldo and Aguero rolled into one. YouTube him, kids…
Q is for… Queen of England
HRH was said to have been given the finger by Argentinian Antonio Rattin after he was sent off in the 1966 quarter-final at Wembley. The albiceleste captain was reported to have been so incensed at being shown a red card, he planted himself on the red carpet in protest and raised a one-finger salute to the Queen.
R is for… Ronaldo
He may have been derided for his ever-expanding waistline and dodgy haircuts, but after Germany's Gerd Muller there isn't a better World Cup striker than Brazil's Ronaldo. The tournament's all-time leading goalscorer and two-time champion, his finest moment came in a Man of the Match performance in the 2002 final, where he scored twice in the victory over Germany.
Ronaldo of Brazil celebrates scoring the first goal past goalkeeper Oliver Kahn in 2002. Source: AP
S is for… shoot-out
The penalty shoot-out is the most exhilarating/depressing (delete where appropriate) way to win/lose a World Cup game. While penalties can be a lottery, there are two exceptions: face the Germans and you might as well go home (they have a 100% record in four shoot-outs), but get the English and you'll be laughing all the way to the next round (three shoot-outs, three losses).
T is for… Turn, The Cruyff
The Dutch legend Johan Cruyff may have only played in one tournament but he will always be remembered for what happened during a relatively non-descript 0-0 draw with Sweden in the 1974 group stages. It was here the 'Cruyff turn' was executed in a game for the first time, the Dutch master faking one way and then dragging the ball behind him with his instep to completely bamboozle defender Jan Olsson. (Don't worry, Jan – you might have been the first but you weren't the last to be beaten by that brilliant move.)
U is for… Upsets
The World Cup finals has had it fair share of upsets over the years: the USA beating the mighty England 1-0 in 1950, West Germany triumphing over the Magical Magyars in the 1954 final, North Korea seeing off Italy 1-0 in 1966… The opening match has a history of turning the form book on its head (Cameroon beating Argentina in 1990 and Senegal seeing off France in 2002) so don't bet against Croatia pulling a fast one on hosts Brazil this time around.
Rudi Voeller left heads the ball over Belgian defender Rudi Smits. Source: AP
V is for… Voeller, Rudi
The German striker's archetypal '90s mullet was the unfortunate recipient of not one, but two, balls of coughed-up gob from Dutch midfielder Frank Rijkaard during a tense second round match in 1990. The Dutchman took umbrage to the German's tumbling antics and twice launched a mouthful of flob at the astounded German, the second of which was caught beautifully by the TV cameras. Luckily there was no HD back then…
W is for… Wave, The Mexican
The annoying stadium phenomena was first spotted by observers during the match between hosts Mexico and Belgium at the Azteca Stadium in 1986. However, there has been some debate as to who invented the wave, with American hockey and college football also laying claim. While ownership can never be proven, if you look at how waves are usually started – by bored people with limited attention spans and no real interest in the subtleties of the game in front of them – it does seem more than likely to be an American invention.
A book for World Cup fans. Source: Supplied
X is for… X-Ray
Frenchman Patrick Battiston was in need of one of those see-through machines after a heinous assault by German keeper Harald Schumacher during the 1982 semi-final. Through on goal with just the keeper to beat, Battiston was met head-high by Schumacher's knee, leaving him with a cracked vertebrae and two fewer teeth than he started the game with. To add insult to injury, the goalkeeper didn't even receive a yellow card and went on to save two spot-kicks in the penalty shoot-out to send Germany to the final.
Y is for… Yellow and Red Cards
Cards, and sending offs, can play a big part in a team having a successful tournament; just ask the Socceroos how hard it was playing with ten men for more than a third of their 2010 tournament. Squad depth is vitally important in the modern-day World Cup, not just in dealing with going a man down but how the pack is shuffled with subsequent suspensions.
Z is for… Zinedine Zidane
One of the greatest players of modern times will always be remembered for what he did with his head at the World Cup. In 1998, he scored two almost identical headed goals from corners to steer Les Bleus to victory over Brazil in the final; in the 2006 final he was rather more unorthodox with his bonce, launching it into Italy's Marco Materazzi's chest and earning himself the most famous red card in to
Paul Hansford is the author of The World Cup. Heroes, hoodlums, high-kicks and head-butts published by Hardie Grant Books and onsale in Australia now for RRP $24.95.
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Available in all good bookstores and online from Booktopia.
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