“South America is no longer alone: ​​today it shares a position with Asia and Africa”

When months ago Kylian Mbappé downplayed the level of the South American qualifiers, a wave of outrage swept the continent. It was not long before the young French striker was saddled with the nickname ‘silly boy’, a description used by a former prime minister who praised Hitler and spent his hours defending the indefensible.

In light of the results that the World Cup is leaving, it is worth asking if, jingoism aside, the young French striker was right. Argentina’s pass to the semifinals allows South America to maintain its leadership in the Qatari partybut the failure of Brazil it’s been uproarious. Ecuadorbeyond his flashes of good play, he was unable to overcome SenegalY Uruguay He returned home with an image more linked to bullying than to good play.

Are the South American qualifiers as tough as we think? Diego Rebagliati He believes that, except for Brazil and Argentina, the rest of the teams in this part of the world are “couples” and “have a hard time” beating the best from other confederations. “They will probably continue to be the toughest because the locals are very strong and the teams are very even, but it seems to me that they have evened out. said the panelist of “Al Ángulo”.

Focusing on our selection, Talía Azcárate takes as an example the case of Moroccothe main surprise of this World Cup. “Your progress is not free, there is structured work behind it. He has players in top leagues like Hakimi at PSG, Ziyech at Chelsea or Nesyri at Sevilla. indicated the Latina commentator.

After qualifying for the quarterfinals in Morocco, the journalist Victor Zaferson He wrote on his twitter account that 13 of the 26 players that make up that team were born in Europe. Here, when the incorporation of Lapadula was proposed for the first time, there was little left for those who supported the idea to be declared traitors to the country.

South America continues to be one of the main providers of players for the best clubs in the world, but it is no longer alone. Today it shares that position with Asia and Africa. Technology also allows information on training methods, game systems, nutrition and injury treatment to be available to anyone who wants it. The journalist Simon Kuper, in his book “The complexity of Barza”, says that

One of the great lessons of Qatar 2022 It is that the football differences continue to shorten. Talent is not enough to make a difference. And in South America, especially in Peru, we are falling behind.

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