In the last ten years, technology, evolving rules, ensuing tactical changes, global talent migration have changed the Beautiful Game, but one thing that remains constant, is human agency
Two FIFA World Cup finalists in its ranks – Mbappe (23) and Messi (35), both served up delectable assists for their teammates to ensure their progress to the finals. Image: Xavier Laine/Getty Images
The French club, Paris Saint Germain (PSG) boasts two 2022 World Cup finalists in its ranks – Mbappe (23) and Messi (35). In the semi-final, they both served up delectable assists for their teammates to ensure their progress to the finals. In the final, between them, they scored five out of the six goals that were scored before the game went to penalties. The manner in which they sliced up the defenses was reminiscent of Maradona, who in 1986, at the age of 25, led Argentina to its second World Cup triumph.
Over the quadrennials spanning these ten World Cups, technology advancements, ubiquitous rule changes, the accompanying tactical innovations and global talent migration have all had remarkable impacts on football. Yet, watching the semi-final assists and Mbappe’s refusal to yield in the finals, it became possible to speculate that what makes football the beautiful game—human agency—and that hasn’t changed much after all. Let us explain.
We have come a long way from the ‘Hand of God’ to VAR. Six video screens manned by video analysts and overseen by the video referee observe the game in minute detail and with the benefit of analytical overlays that allow off-side decisions to be given (or not) by the proverbial hair’s breadth. The on-field referee is in constant touch with the VAR referee and should the footballing decision merit a re-look of the video by the on-field referee, that could happen too. Screens are set up on the touchlines for easy access and adds to the television drama. Since the 2018 World Cup in Russia, VAR decision-reversals have sometimes required a few seconds, suggesting that an on-field error was corrected, and sometimes they have required many minutes suggesting that the margins were razor thin—some potentially beyond current technological prowess to adjudicate on. For example, it took a few repeats of the 500 frames a second to determine that France was indeed to be awarded its penalty against Croatia in the final. In the 2022 final, the shoe may have been on the other foot. Angel Di Maria was deemed to have been fouled inside the penalty box, and Messi dispatched the ensuring penalty kick with aplomb. But some fan murmurs about the penalty call go on. Football’s continuous nature perhaps blocks an equivalent of cricket’s ‘Umpire’s call’ from being employed.