From what i've seen so far you can't compare the world cup to the Euros, would your rather watch Iran vs. Angola or France vs. Holland or the just concluded match; Turkey vs. Czech Rep. or Tunisia vs. Saudi Arabia. As for me, i think only Brazil and Argentina are worthy to be in the tournament.

The standard of football is waaaay much better, the players are tactically disciplined, and besides brazil and argentina all the teams that got to the quaterfinals of the world cup are in the Euros. In the Euros, your weaknesses get much magnified in such a competition of high quality opponents. Case in point, in the 2006 world cup where the football world was realigned and the Europeans dominated once again restoring the order of things the same teams are now struggling.  To further demonstrate some of the disparity between competitions, switzerland that got to the second round of the world cup can't even get past there group because they were playing against teams like Togo and South Koreans and the italians and the french who were on top of the world are now struggling for survival, especially the french who were so wonderfully sublime in there game against Togo  .

What do you guys think?

I don't mean to be rude but. . .

Are you on Crack?!

The world cup is better than euro cup,very better,size of this site better

mr. texazzpete
Obviously, you know nothing about football so keep your opinions to yourself? Anybody who has in-depth knowledge of world football and by that i don't mean fans who can't tell the difference between a 3-3-3-1 formation from a 4-3-2-1 formation, i mean those who know how to strategize and game plan for a match would tell you that the quality of football is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay much better and its not even close. If its not true, then why is it that 14 Europeans qualify for the World cup while the rest of the world can barely make it? Why is it that an African team can't get to the semis?

The Euro only miss Brazil and Argentina. I dont think watching China vs Costa Rica would hold any form of excitement.
I also feel 5 slots is too much for Africa 2 is just okay

The Euros can never be like the World Cup. Never will it be as good. The world cup is all about everyone from every corner of the world being able to square up against each other. Its not about elitism.

World Cups are about matches like the opening match of Italia 90 Cameroun shocking Argentina (No European Team) and the opening match of Japan/Korea 2002 with Senegal shocking France.

@ davidif,

What a biased comparison.

Iran V Angola and Holland V France.

The worst of the world cup and the best of the Euros.

The Euros obviously i mean which World Cup will fix Italy,France and Netherlands in one group.The quality of soccer is not comparable

Don't be daft. The question begged for a comparison between The World cup and the Euros. Not Euro 2008 and World cup 2006.

Seems like yesterday when most people were whining when Greece won the Euros.

davidif:

mr. texazzpete
Obviously, you know nothing about football so keep your opinions to yourself? Anybody who has in-depth knowledge of world football and by that i don't mean fans who can't tell the difference between a 3-3-3-1 formation from a 4-3-2-1 formation, i mean those who know how to strategize and game plan for a match would tell you that the quality of football is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay much better and its not even close. If its not true, then why is it that 14 Europeans qualify for the World cup while the rest of the world can barely make it? Why is it that an African team can't get to the semis?

Ask any professional player which trophy he'd rather win, the World Cup or the Euros. That's your answer. At least if you feel I know 'nothing about football', go ask pro players like Zidane et al. idiot.

The world cup by a country mile.
Who dare compares the Euros with the greatest sporting even on planet Earth?
Which European Championship in it's history compares Italia 90/Mexico 86?

The Euro only miss Brazil and Argentina. I don't think watching China vs Costa Rica would hold any form of excitement.
I also feel 5 slots is too much for Africa 2 is just okay

mr. dayokannu, thanks a gazillion for the comment, that's by far the best commentary i've read so far and i agree with everything. I hate watching unorganized football where defenders just keep booting the ball 80 miles into the air all the time instead of seeing a team string 23 passes before they score.

Also, how could a country like Italy win the World Cup 4 times and yet they've only managed to win the Euros once, and that was back in the 60's. Truth of the matter is that its much easier to win the World Cup than winning the Euro's. Tell me, which European team has won the European cup 3 times. I am sure if Brazil and Argentina were in Europe they wouldn't even come close to that tally.

Which European Championship in it's history compares Italia 90/Mexico 86?

Euro '96 was way better than those competitions especially Italia '90 which was extremely boring. At least you should have mentioned USA '94 which was much better rather than using Italia '90.

Euro 2000 was probably the most exciting tournament till date.

When half of the countries at the world cup are just to make up the number E.g In 2006 and 2002 Costa Rica, Togo, Angola, Tunisia, Iran, Trinidad, Saudi, China, Nigeria (2002 had no biz being at the mundial), South Africa, hardly got a point.

Germany has won the Euro 3 times and the world cup 3 times.

World Cup

davidif:

Euro '96 was way better than those competitions especially Italia '90 which was extremely boring. At least you should have mentioned USA '94 which was much better rather than using Italia '90.

USA 94 is better than Italia 90? Now i know you are a DSTV kid.
I can mention 3 matches in Italia 90 that is better than all the matches ever played in the Euros.
Brazil Vs Argentina(Careca Vs Maradona), England Vs Cameroon, Germany Vs England. . . . Name me any match u have seen in the Euros that can match these games.

@ Dayokanu,

Euro2000 is one of the most boring tournaments i have seen.
Compare it to Mexico 86, Spain 82 and come back to me.

Of course, The world cup plays more countries(24) compared to Euro's 16 so u should always expect more crappy teams but once it gets to the knock-out stages then the theatre starts.

Are u saying Switzerland, Bulgaria, Latvia, Austria, Belgium, Slovenia and Denmark are your idea of quality teams?
Bozo, u need the sun to clear out your beclouded senses.

Yea! me thinks Euro is more xciting and of a better quality than World Cup, the only advantage world cup has is that it's world wide.

we ain't living in the past and so i don't don't know why people take more interest in using past as arguments
when we compare recent to recent 'cos we are living in the present, Euros is far far far better world cup

here is the game; Euro2004+Euro2008 vs Fifa2002+Fifa2006 it's definitely euros
it's the same european teams that make the world cup exciting and that's why they have the highest no of team representation

as earlier said only brazil and argentina could make the euros more exciting, remember [size=4pt]Switzerland who were able to top their world cup group in germany just 2years ago could not be better than worst team in their euros group even in their own country[/size]

@folahann
Good to see you're back , remember when i told you earlier when the  draws first came out, that Holland would qualify from the group of death and you were doubting me ha ha.
By the way, don't mind this people jare. They don't know what they are talking about, i agree with everything you said, why are we talking about history.
Can you remember the World Cup match between Tunisia and Saudi Arabia? that was the worst football i had ever seen. That says a lot about horrible the World Cup is, and anybody who has a very deep knowledge of football would know that. Even Arsene Wenger and most knowledgeable coaches say that the Euros are a better standard than the World Cup.
P.S: The African teams too are waaaay overrated, we've still not justified FIFA's inclusion of 5 teams from our continent, we seem to make the quarter finals once every 16 years (the ivory coast wey everybody dey shout, no be them lose to holland and Argentina?). What a shame.

@jackal
we are on a sensible blog here, we are not here to insult anybody!!! we are just here to give proper and indepth comparisons about what tournament is better and not NAME CALLING other people. By the way, the Austria and switzerland you are talking about, isn't that the same team that Nigeria managed to tie with. Switzerland only qualified for the second round simply because they were playing South Korea and Togo.

Also, you said that you watched Mexico '86 and Espana '82, who are you  decieving? what next are you going to say, that you watched Argentina '78 or Sweden '58? I just love how people love to bring up old games or history in general to try and show off that they know more about everything than everybody else, what insecurity, it reminds me of those old "babas" who like using phrases like "in 1966, when i was in London (London ko, Great wall of China ni.    ) .You and i both know that in our heart of hearts that you didn't watch it (reading about the games or watching documentaries and old highlights don't even qualify), heck, NTA were not even licensed to broadcast those matches in those days, so stop kidding us.

@ Davidif,

I don't know if i should say you are an illiterate or a person of a sub-normal intelligence.
Are u saying if your kids grow up now to watch tapes/DVDs of Euro 2004 and Euro 2008 then they won't see the beauty of it?
Lookie, i have got the tapes of PELE in 1958, 62, 66 and 1970 . . . . .If u don't believe it, u can take a deadly hike.
What kind of people are these for Christ's sake? Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

In terms of quality and competitiveness the World Cup is way behind the Euros my favorite Euros where 96 and 2000 and my best world cups where USA 94 and France 98.The World Cup might be more exciting as it is a combination of every continent and all that the Euros is by far the toughest with competiton at its stiffest

I still don't understand this. How can we ever compare the world cup with the Euros. Are "we" alright at all? The Euros and the World cup? It's like comparing sleep with death.

In terms of excitement and world acclaim, compare the world cup with the olympics. Not with the Euros.

Compare the Euros with the Ashes! (Australia V England cricket)

And what is wrong with talking aboout old matches? So in 30 years time, no one should talk about Ronaldo, Kaka, Messi and so on. Come to think of it. Most of the matches we watch today are also on tube. I've not seen any of the matches at Euro 2008 live. I've been watching the tapes.

How is that different from watching old tapes and reading old journals?

@ Akinalabi,

His theory had me in stitches.
According to davidif, u have to be physically present in the stadium to enjoy world cup matches!!!!!!
I have read many thoughtless stuffs on NL but that has gotta be the most idiotic one ever.

comparing the two is like a high school game to an NBA. of the World Cup is way better than the Euros.

As i've earlier said, i deal with present stuff 'cos i don't live in the past
which matches do u consider worst in both Euro 2004 & 2008 and compare them to

Saudi Arabia Vs Tunisia
Angola Vs Iran
Ivory Coast Vs Serbia&M
Slovenia Vs South Africa
China Vs CostaRica
Tunisia Vs Japan
Saudi Arabia Vs Cameroun

@ Folahann,

Its simple logic.

There are 32 teams in the world cup which means more medicore teams than necessary to accomodate all and sundry.
However, lets compare the last 16 teams in the world cup to the 16 teams in Euros and come back to me.
What Brazil and Argentina have done at the world cup can never be matched by any European team.
It's not by fluke the 2 greatest football players of the last 100 years are from Brazil(Pele) and Argentina(Maradona).

@Jackal
really feeling sleepy now so i can't do the comparison right now but i think that's a good point of the last 16 teams. But teams like South Korea, Ecuardo,Senegal still manage to get to this stage

let's agree, the europeans teams are those keeping the world Cup alive. . . . . . Argentina and Brazil are the only team that could beat them.

@ Folahann,

The world cup has 18 editions till date and South American countries have won it 9 times to European countries 9 times.
It looks 50-50 but lemme break down the nitty gritty for u.
Brazil have won it 5 times, Uruguay(Twice) and Argentina(Twice). . . . .
In Europe, Germany(3 times) Italy(4 times) France(once) England(once),

Meanwhile. . . . . .There is this theory of the winner of any world cup will always come in the same continent that is hosting it.
However, Brazil broke that jinx in Sweden(1958) and Korea/Japan(2002).
No European country has ever won the world cup outside the European continent.
Are u sure European countries can match the Latino boys of South America in the world cup? I don't think so.

@jackal
we are saying the same thing, i said only Argentina and Brazil could undo the europeans
where are the rest of the latinos

@jackal
My goodness are we not saying the same thing? I said in my earlier post that Brazil and Argentina are the only teams that can compete in the Euros and you just agreed with me. By the way, are you an adult at all, geez with all the name calling you really really sound like a kid, i really do hope you are not in your 30's because it would be a shame for an adult to be talking like this, seems to me that you can't even respond with a logical arguement except name calling. Oh boy grow up will you.

@oyinye
Please mrs. oyinye, can you please tell me the difference between a 4-3-1-2 formation and a 3-4-3 formation. When you can tell me the difference, analyze it for me indepthly and convince me properly only then would i believe you. I hope you are not one of thos arm chair football watchers who only watch football during the world cup or when there brothers or husbands are watching.

By the way, i need people who can analyze a soccer game PROPERLY to comment on this board and not just casual fans who resort to name calling when they can't even give a simple insightful analysis about how Spain defends there corner kick with a combination of a 5 man zone defense and 2 man, man to man scheme. Until any of you can do that or even explain to me how Luis Aragones's 4-3-3 scheme work, then come talk to me.

Did you watch France vs Portugal Euro 2000, Holland vs Czech Euro 2004, Italy vs France Euro 2000 compare it to any match in the last 2 world cups

@ folahann,

Only a live match going on is present stuff. Euro 2004 is past so is Mexico 1970. The match between Spain and Greece (last night) is past. It's not different from a match from Nigeria 1980. 

Then, are you saying that you will be okay with the world cup if it has only the European teams with Brazil and Argentina?

Abi o!
There's no room for elitist thinking here. We should welcome the Angolas, the Irans etc. They could dominate one day.

@davidiff
Kindly modify your original post with a disclaimer so people like with an over-inflated sense of importance can contribute. It's not your call to pick on onyinye.

akinalabi:

@ folahann,

There is no present stuff. Only a live match going on is present
stuff.

Euro 2004 is past so is Mexico 1970. The match between Spain
and Greece (last night) is past. It's not different from a match
from Nigeria 1980.

Then, are you saying that you will be okay with the world cup if it
has only the European teams with Brazil and Argentina?

You can go ahead and term it as what you like but what if a say recent stuffs, and that exactly what i mean
World Cup 2006 is the most recent and Euro2008 likewise

i don't want to talk about what i heard or 20 - 50years ago replays i watched, i talk about what happens in my era

Yes! 14 European teams + argentina and Brazil will make a perfect world cup for me, instead of bringing in Crappies to make it 32

texazzpete:

Abi o!
There's no room for elitist thinking here. We should welcome the Angolas, the Irans etc. They could dominate one day.

And why has no other continent won the world cup apart from Europe and south america, this is the 18th edition and this is 21st century

folahann:

And why has no other continent won the world cup apart from Europe and south america, this is the 18th edition and this is 21st century

It hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it will NEVER happen.
Uruguay once was a football powerhouse. they're anonymous today.
Once African countries can successfully separate politics from football, we'll improve.

hopefully