When the world cup was announced to be hosted by Russia, a lot of people most especially Africans were not so such about the tournament due to incidents of racial drama, but it was surprising when the tournament kicked up on 14th of June 2018 and African were found to have graced the tournament in millions.
Many people went to Russia for different reasons but the main reason was to watch the world cup. The world cup offered
Social and tourism were one of the main reasons a lot of people left their home, country and comfort zone to make it in this year world cup and they were not left disappointed as the host country made the whole world and tourists realize that Russia is more than fire power.
The football competition
This was the paramount reason for almost every visitors in Russia as everyone wanted to see the colorful and competitiveness of the tournament. The competition didn’t leave all its spectators unsatisfied as it provided lots of twist unlike any other world cup before.
The biggest drama of all was the failure of qualification of the defending champion, under performance of a lot of teams like former champion Spain, Former champion Argentina, three time African champion Nigeria, former African champion Egypt.
A lot of teams like Japan, Croatia, Denmark, host Russia, Mexico and Sweden stood up and took the challenge make themselves among the teams to watch out for in the next world cup in Qatar in 2022.
Team awards
The most impressive team – Croatia
Flop of the tournament -- Germany
Highest scoring team – Belgium
Best Jersey – Nigeria
Fair play – Spain
Player award
Best player/ golden ball – Luka Modric won this award as the first Croatian. He alone created not less than 218 in the competition. Eden Hazard came runner up after his outstanding display in the world cup leading his country Belgium to a third place while Antoine Greizmann came third leading his country to winning the tournament and earning himself the penalty specialists for the tournament after converting all his spot kicks even though he played more penalty than any other player in the tournament.
Top scorer/ golden boot – Harry Kane won the tournament top scorer with 6 goals making him the second English man to win the award alongside Gary Lineker (1986) who also won the award then with also 6 goals. For a debutante like most of his English team mate, Kane is one of the world stars that were in form bo5h in club and country with the likes of Christiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Kylian Mbappe
Young player award – At the end of the tournament, Kylian Mbappe wowed the whole world with his dribbles, skills, speed and goals. Only 19 years of age, he scored at the final in the 4-2 victory over Croatia making him one of the youngest player to score in a world cup final alongside Brazilian legend Pele.
Golden glove – Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtious won this category beating Subotic of Croatia, Pickford of England and 2014 world cup wonder goal keeper Ochoa. The blues goalkeeper became the third Belgium keeper to win the award after Jean-marie pfaff who won it in 1986 and Michel Preud'homme who won it in 1994.
Goal of the tournament – This years world cup saw a lot of amazing and almost impossible goals being scored by a lot of players like, Cheryshev, Mbappe, coutinho, Paverd and Ronaldo, Messi, Di Maria and so many other player but at the end of the tournament it was France right back Paverd who won the award. The French debutant hit the ball with his right foot with a lightening shot which went pass the Argentina goalkeeper in the 4-1 victory over Argentina.
