On the eve of Wales biggest World Cup international football match, potentially in the countries history, there are many hopeful souls thinking that this could well be the night that Wales put to bed the ghosts of World Cup past. To take the final step, there’s always one more with Wales, to qualify for this years competition.

I say the ‘biggest’ because with all due respects to all those other nights, and they are nights when we talk about qualification, nothing in say 1993 or even 1977 compares to the world game as it is now in 2022. The world wide awareness that travels along with the fame and fortune, not only for the players but the country itself is reflected by a countries involvement in the World Cup. The global audience alone is billions. If Wales do go and beat Austria tomorrow night there is the next ‘biggest game ever’ ready to be played. Sadly not on Tuesday night as projected before the war in Ukraine, but some resolution must be agreed.

The last World Cup Final between France and Croatia was watched by 517,000,000 people estimates tell us. Well over half a billion people. And 3.5 billion watched the tournament over time. Other figures tell us over a billion people are believed to have watched the final at some point during the game. How these figures are arrived at I don’t know, but they are there for all to see. Only the Tour de France comes close. To give the World Cup even more prestige it outstrips the Super Bowl by ten to one easily. Although the World Cup globally throughout the whole tournament is the biggest global event, the champions league final last year had a cumulative live match audience recorded at a billion. The final was watched by 328 million fans, on par with the record set in 2016.

It’s the world game indeed, which brings tomorrow’s game even more in to focus.

More people used to go and watch football in days gone by than they do these days, however ‘these days’ it’s a far bigger game both financially and in numbers who watch from afar. Obviously technology helps, branding and sponsorship. The World Cup can also afford to be choosy, to say they push global companies in to a corner to get the biggest purse is an understatement. You would think the bods at FIFA had enough in their coffers after awarding the last World Cup to Russia and now they are on their way to Qatar ...

The World Cup in 2022 will be bigger, far bigger than the Olympics. Okay, I can hear you now, scrambling about on wiki looking for alternative proof. I mean, what does a billion people mean between mates eh ? I think the point is clear though, the World Cup is a global event, the suits from the FAW will love it, despite the negative connotations connected to the holders Qatar. Wales are just ninety minutes away from a deciding play off final. The chances of it being Scotland are very decent. Especially now with all that is happening. I hope FIFA do go with the free passage way to the next World Cup in 2026 for Ukraine and give the tie to Scotland. Only for one reason though.

We owe them big time, and how big ? There isn’t even enough words known to the human race for me to choose from. And big handed Joe Jordan will at last be put to bed.

Come on Cymru !

Photograph Open Source

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