The Beautiful Game

[Dizzy1]

all the fake diving turns people off this game.

But they like WWF? ;) lol

[jaz301]

Congrats to Germany. Was an exciting game. Glad it didn't go to penalty kicks.

I enjoyed watching the World Cup. Biggest tournament in the world. Nothing is like it. Seeing the pictures of all the fans gathering all over the world is amazing.

[Dizzy1]

Whew! What a game - and what a goal!

[GordonH]

Finals are set, so a stab in dark in final outcome:

1) Germany
2) Argentina
3) Netherlands
4) Brazil

Nailed it, just a lucky guess.

Congratulations to Germany on being 2014 World Cup Champions.

[daria]

Sooooooooooooooo glad this wasn't decided with penalties!!!

[the truth]

yup.great game winning goooooooooooooooooooooal

[GordonH]

With the next World Cup in Russia (2018), they have 4 years to become a top 4 team. That is if they wish/desire to win the Cup on home soil.

[oneh2obabe]

To the victors go the spoils and 1 percent of FIFA's 2014 World Cup revenue.

After Germany defeated Argentina in extra time of the final of the World Cup, not only did it get to hoist an 18-carat trophy, but it also hauled off a cool $35 million.

It’s fitting that the largest prize in World Cup history was distributed in the most expensive World Cup in history. Spain, winner of the 2010 World Cup, received $30 million.

That money is the only thing Germany gets to keep (except for bragging rights) since the expensive trophy stays with FIFA and teams are given a cheaper replica.

Argentina received $25 million as the runner-up, which is up from $24 million in 2010. The Netherlands earned $20 million for finishing third and Brazil earned $18 million for fourth place.

The United States earned $9 million for making it to the Round of 16. That money will go to each country’s soccer federation and it is at the discretion of each nation how to dole out the winnings.

That prize money is in addition to the $1.5 million each nation was given prior to the tournament for training, travel and other expenses. FIFA also has a pool $70 million to pay to the various clubs that employ the 736 club players in the tournament, which works out to $2,800 per player per day that the player was in the World Cup.

Here’s a look at the prize money distribution for the 2014 FIFA World Cup:

Group Stage (16 eliminated teams): $8 million each
Round of 16 (eight losers): $9 million each
Quarterfinals (four losers): $14 million each
Fourth place: $18 million
Third place:: $20 million
Runner-up: $24 million
Winner: $35 million

If it sounds like a lot of money is being dished out for the five-week tournament, it pales in comparison to what FIFA stands to make, which could be upwards of $4.5 billion thanks to broadcasting revenue, licensing, sponsorships and hospitality.

It’s also just a drop in the bucket for players such as Lionel Messi, who just inked a deal with Barcelona for more than $50 million per year.

It’s unclear how much Brazil, the host country, will take away in addition to its prize money, but it won’t be nearly as much as FIFA’s windfall and won’t come close to covering the estimated $14 billion in costs to build and renovate 12 stadiums, upgrade the country's infrastructure and pay for security.

And there’s probably not enough money in the world to make the country feel better about its last two games, which the Brazilians lost by a combined 10-1.

[oneh2obabe]

As German players posed with, kissed and hoisted one of the most coveted trophies in all of sports, it’s a fair assumption that many of the players had no idea their time with the historic 18-karat gem was running short.

After the celebration ends and the Germans board their plane, the trophy they worked so hard to achieve will be locked away and a gold-plated replica would be headed back to German soil.

It seems like one of the biggest teases in sports.

The feeling of lifting 13.61 pounds of 75 percent pure 18-karat gold and then watching that prized possession be taken and locked away for the next four years is heartbreaking, but Germany isn’t the first team to go through this loved-and-lost scenario. Since 1974, the winners of the World Cup have all walked away with replicas.

Why? Well, it’s because the trophy isn’t only coveted by the players, it’s also coveted by thieves.

In 2010, Cash4Gold, the world’s top public gold buyer, said the trophy was worth upwards of $10 million and its value continues to rise as the value of gold rises. Because of this, the trophy has been stolen twice and was once saved from thievery.

During World War II, Dr. Ottorino Barassi, the Italian vice-president of FIFA, hid the original trophy – the Jules Rimet Cup – in a shoebox under his bed to keep it out of the hands of the Nazis. However, all that work was for naught because in 1966, the trophy was stolen in England while on display at a public exhibition in London.

Seven days later, the stolen trophy was found by a dog named Pickles, who was relieving himself on a bush when his owner saw the trophy wrapped in newspaper.

In 1970, the Jules Rimet Cup went to Brazil – permanently – after it won its third World Cup. The trophy we know today replaced the Jules Rimet Cup and that prize was first handed out in 1974. However, thieves were still very much in love with the old version and in 1983, the trophy was stolen from the Brazilian Football Confederation headquarters in Rio de Janeiro and never recovered. Legend has it that it was melted down and sold.

So, understandably, FIFA has some trust issues when it comes to its fancy trophy and keeps it heavily guarded whenever it is on display, being celebrated with and even when it’s locked away for safe keeping.

But, each winner since 1974 has had its name engraved on the base of the real trophy. After Germany gets its engraving, there’s only room for three more names. It’s unknown what FIFA will do after it runs out of space in 2030 on what will be the 100th anniversary of the tournament.

So, Germany’s long-awaited rendezvous with the World Cup trophy lasted maybe a couple hours. Let’s hope the team savored it.

[Poindexter]

Another interesting fact is one thing FIFA shares with the NFl, NHL and the PGA is they are all nonprofit organizations that make a staggering amount of profit. 36 of FIFA's top brass will all make over a million dollars this year. Seems like a pretty sweet deal these organizations have worked out for themselves.

http://thespeaker.co/fifa-non-profit-or ... ounted-un/

[GordonH]

Update

http://www.castanet.net/news/Sports/126 ... up-warfare

The Beautiful game continues to be surrounded by corruption & secrets, it's a shame the sport itself is geat.

[GordonH]

*Bump*
This is a start, it will take hell of lot more investigations & very likely a long list arrests to clean up the crap within FIFA.

http://www.castanet.net/news/World/1408 ... s-arrested

Maybe one the day the Beautiful game will be just that a beautiful game.

[GordonH]

The whole FIFA organization needs to be completely dismantled, rebuilt from ground up with checks & balances threw out. Absolutely no ability to do under the table deals, total accountability is needed. Anything less is impo would be BS.

Without something like this the beautiful game would continue to be badly tarnished.

Added later: both FIFA & IOC should never be above the law in any country.

[Veovis]

The whole FIFA organization needs to be completely dismantled, rebuilt from ground up with checks & balances threw out. Absolutely no ability to do under the table deals, total accountability is needed. Anything less is impo would be BS.

Without something like this the beautiful game would continue to be badly tarnished.

Added later: both FIFA & IOC should never be above the law in any country.

Both have had far more say in policy for a county, never mind just the say in a sporting event than should ever be tolerated. It would be nice to think this may create change, but, I sadly thing it will just become a new face for the same crap.

[GordonH]

^^^ With yesterdays election outcome, nothing will change within FIFA. Which is a shame