THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP has not been, as we approach the quarter-finals, a vintage tournament. We have seen just about the worst German squad this century and a pretty poor Brazilian outfit already knocked out. The organisation has been patchy, the refereeing questionable and, the interference we all feared – The Donald sticking his neb in where it wasn't wanted to help the USA – has, naturally occurred.
Sure, there have been some good bits, not least the way the Tartan Army got the party started, before, in time-honoured fashion, the Scots went home early. If this tournament is indeed the last rage against the dying of the light from the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, well, since they're in the U S of A, they are taking their cue from Kenny Rogers and going out in a blaze of glory.
However, much as it hurts a Scot to write this, but, thus far, THE game of the tournament was surely Mexico v England. The build-up was something else, all the talk of altered kick-off times, then, the weather produced a last-minute one hour delay. Was it worth staying-up for a 2am kick-off? You bet it was.
This is not a great England team. While they did have the additional goal advantage which the old Wembley gave them at the time, and they did get one goal in the final which would never survive today's goal-line technology and VAR, the winning team of 1966 did contain a number of world-class talents – a handful of players who were arguably the best on the planet in their positions.
The 2026 team does have a couple of players who would be in any “World-Class?” question, and a goalkeeper who is definitely England-class, but, I still believe, the first time they meet a team with attacking flair, their defence will crumble.
For all Mexico's late pressure, their attacks were meat and drink to English defenders, against more-subtle opposition, their back line's deficiencies will be exposed.
But, it was still a tremendous game, and to silence the Azteca was still a magnificent feat. Even we Scots can salute them, before adding – now Erling Haaland & Co – do your thing.
MOST-POPULAR result in the World Cup was surely Belgium 4 – USA 1; an outcome which had the whole world saying: “Get it right up ye' ya Orange Balloon”, after The Donald's intervention to get the USA's Forlarin Balogun reinstated for the game, following a red card.
Hopefully, Trump will not totally spit the dummy, declare war on Belgium then boycott the final. Unlikely, however, he has no sense of self and will probably still think the world loves him. The terrible Infantino will also lord it over the final, utterly convinced, the game at the top level politically is now so-corrupt, his rickly-deserved sacking will not happen.
TIME WAS, there was a joke in there: “What do you call a Scotsman at the World Cup?” - “The Referee”. Our team might have struggled to qualify, but, our referees were highly-rated by FIFA.
In the 1950 tournament, in that seminal final game, in which the world record attendance of 173,8500 crammed into The Maracana, oor ain George Mitchell was one of the linesmen – the first Scot to be scheduled to officiate at a World Cup.
Fifty-two years later, in his second World Cup, Hugh Dallas was Fourth Official for the 2002 World Cup Final, since when, no Scottish official has been honoured with a call-up to officiate at Football's biggerst tournament.
Between Mitchell and Dallas, Scottish referees were regularly asked to strut their stuff at World Cups, the full list is:
1950 World Cup – George Mitchell
1954 World Cup – Charlie Faultless
1958 World Cup – Jack Mowat
1962 World Cup – RH (Bobby) Davidson
1966 World Cup – Hugh Phillips
1970 World Cup – Bobby Davidson
1974 World Cup – Bobby Davidson
1978 World Cup – JPR (John) Gordon
1982 World Cup – Bob Valentine
1986 World Cup – No Scottish referee
1990 World Cup – George Smith
1994 World Cup – Les Mottram
1998 World Cup – Hugh Dallas
2002 World Cup – Hugh Dallas
Since then, over the last six World Cup Finals, no Scottish referee has been called up. Yet, when you consider some of the controversial – and in some cases completely bewildering – decisions which have been made in the current tournament in North America, you have to wonder what Scotland's referees did to miss out so regularly.
My own theory on our officials' absence is this – Hugh Dallas was sacked by the SFA, on the back of a complaint from the wider Celtic Family, in 2009. Almost immediately, he was appointed to a job with UEFA, and suddenly Scottish referees stopped getting called up to the big tournament.
Or, perhaps it is this. In this 21st century, the norm has been for teams of officials to be appointed from each country. Now, can somebody name four competent Scottish referees from the past 20 years?
Maybe we should import a couple of retired officials from elsewhere to oversee the SFA's refereeing department and drag standards upwards. Carrying-on as we have been of late clearly isn't working.
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