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Breaking Down The Barriers: How Small Countries Get To The FIFA World Cup While India Doesn't.

In the grand theater of world football, the FIFA World Cup stands as the pinnacle of sporting dreams. Every four years, a select group of nations—big and small—takes the global stage. Yet, as island nations like Iceland and Cape Verde capture hearts by achieving the impossible, one question continues to hang heavy in the minds of over a billion Indians: why not India? How can countries with populations smaller than some Indian suburbs find their way to the world’s biggest football tournament, while a country ranked among the world’s most populous continues to miss the bus? This is an exploration into the structural, cultural, and sporting chasms that separate India from the World Cup dream, and how smaller nations have built pathways of ambition, infrastructure, and identity that India is still struggling to find. The Phenomenon of Small-Nation Success For much of football history, the World Cup has been dominated by traditional powerhouses—Brazil, Germany, Argentina, and Italy. But in...
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πŸ”¬ Austria emerges victorious, as England falls short.

Another round of EURO 2024 groupings was completed on Tuesday.

Here's a recap of the action from day 12.

What happened? πŸ“.


Tuesday began with a bang as Austria won Group D 3-2 over the Netherlands, while France had to settle for second place after a 1-1 draw with Poland.

However, things slowed in Group C, where England's 0-0 draw with Slovenia was enough to send both teams through, while Denmark also advanced after generating an identical score line with Serbia.

Player of the day! πŸ”₯


Austria has officially reached the last 16 phases of the European Championship, and Marcel Sabitzer has played a vital role in their unlikely Group D success.

It wasn't just the Borussia Dortmund midfielder's near-post finish that helped Ralf Rangnick's team defeat the Netherlands in Berlin.

Sabitzer was omnipresent on the Olympiastadion pitch and earned his crowning moment in the 80th minute, propelling Das Team ahead of favourites France.

Moment of the day! 😍 


Slovenia's draw with England will probably not be remembered as a classic, but it did provide a heartwarming moment.

Josip IličiΔ‡ made a substitute appearance for his country, marking the end of a rigorous recuperation process.

The Maribor forward suffered two episodes of mental health troubles that prompted him to retire from the sport he loved as recently as 2022.

IličiΔ‡, now 36, made a late cameo in KΓΆln for his first participation at this summer's event, bringing his career full circle.

Photo of the day: πŸ“Έ 


There is only one way to stop Kylian MbappΓ©, and Nicola Zalewski has obviously been studying Gerard PiquΓ©'s style from a few years back.

Stat of the day πŸ“Š 

67% - Two-thirds (18/27) of all own goals scored in UEFA European Championship history have occurred in the last two editions, with 11 in EURO 2020 and seven so far in #EURO2024. Blunder.


What this means: πŸ€” 


Austria will meet the current Group F runner-up, TΓΌrkiye, in the last 16, while France's second-place performance will put them up against Belgium, the current Group E runner-up.

England, however, will have to wait until Wednesday to find out who they will face in the tournament's final 16, which will also include Group C rivals Denmark and Slovenia.

What they said: πŸ—£️ 


Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk stated, "We lacked energy. We talked about it during halftime. This is unintelligible during a finals tournament. I do not have an answer for this at the present. We all need to do much more since this is horrible. If we want to win something at the European Championship,
something has to change immediately."

Marcel Sabitzer said on Austria's surprising victory: "If you beat the Netherlands and win the group, you can't be that horrible. The most important thing for us was to move forward, which we accomplished. Now we need to calm down, clear our brains, and then continue assaulting. Football is a fast-paced sport with plenty of ups and downs. I believe that is normal. The question is, how do you cope with it?"

France coach Didier Deschamps: "We have to accept that, even though we did what we could by creating opportunities. At least we're qualified, and we know when we'll play. A new competition will begin. We won't live with regrets. We could have been more efficient, but we were unable to double our lead."

What happens next? ⏭️.


Another double-header of group finals awaits on Wednesday, with Group E's four teams separated only by goal difference.

Ukraine and Belgium will face off in Stuttgart, while Slovakia and Romania will compete in Frankfurt.

Things are a little more certain in Group F, where an already qualified Portugal faces Georgia, while the Czech Republic and Turkey face off.
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