World Cup Week 3 Recap: We Can’t Get Enough
Three weeks into the biggest World Cup in history, some countries have already gone home, yet there are still stories worth reading. Check these out!
The team that impressed the world
It is hard to keep up with every single piece of news or story from this tournament — I say this because I am a fan of COPA90’s storytelling, yet I missed a few videos from their "World's Cup" series this year. However, I couldn't fail to mention Cape Verde; counted among the "small countries" underestimated for the tournament, they challenged European and South American giants and reached the knockout stage.
Having survived daring colonial systems, Cape Verde emerged as a unique blend of African and European (Portuguese) cultures. As the first African island nation and the third-smallest country to qualify for a World Cup, the "Blue Sharks" are made up mostly of players who do not even live on the island. Yet, many people claim to be family or close friends of the team, adding a new dimension to the sense of belonging.
An unimaginable victory becomes a national holiday
Speaking of giants being challenged, Paraguay took their Round of 32 match against Germany to a penalty shootout, with their goalkeeper emerging as the hero. Orlando Gill was already making a name for himself, but just four years ago, his reality was vastly different: his son was born with health issues, and to cope with the family's financial crisis, he had to sell his belongings — including his club gear and even his U-20 national team jersey. He was a hero to the son fighting for his life, and today, he is a hero to an entire nation. Indeed, the victory over Germany prompted the Paraguayan president to officially declare a national holiday for the following day. It was a deeply moving moment that resonated with many South Americans, as the Paraguay coach stated shortly after:
“We come from the red soil. Our jersey bears the colors of that soil where many began playing barefoot. We come from the sacrifice of parents who do everything possible so their children can train, who often go without things and struggle to make ends meet so they can give them the chance to fulfill a dream. (...) I will never deny my origins, because they are what define us as people and as a national team. That is where the essence of everything lies. If I had to explain this victory, I would do it that way.”
Venezuela is not alone
To the chant of “¡No están solos!” (You are not alone!), more than 80,000 fans gathered at the Azteca Stadium for the match between Mexico and Ecuador showed solidarity and strength to the Venezuelan people dealing with the consequences of two consecutive earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 on June 24th. Watch it here.
Nearly 2,000 dead, 10,000 injured, 50,000 missing, and more than 50,000 buildings damaged or destroyed. The UN migration agency estimates that up to 6.8 million people may be affected by the disaster. Read more about it here.
In other matches there were also emotional moments of silence for the victims, showing how football has a unique power to unite people across borders and create a global community.
French squad shows support for their coach
During the round of 32 match against Sweden, the French squad showed deep unity for head coach Didier Deschamps when he returned to the team after his mother’s funeral. Instead of his usual celebrations, after scoring the first goal, captain Kylian Mbappé ran directly to the touchline to hug Deschamps, an act that the rest of the squad quickly joined.
While Deschamps was away and grieving, Assistant coach Guy Stéphan led the squad trying to keep things as normal as possible, and the players used the emotional weight as motivation to win their final group match 4-1 against Norway. Midfielder Tchouaméni stated the team’s primary goal was to make their coach as proud as possible.
After another brilliant win against Sweden, most players were asked about these emotional moments on the field: “I believe the whole team was there for him, I think that’s important. There are things far more important than a World Cup, than football. It’s in the DNA of this group to be together, like soldiers. We’re all with him, no matter what happens. And we wanted him to know he wasn't alone,” Mbappé told reporters.