For rectors, this will always be the second most important thing in life. Something between a vital interest and a need for self-expression. Football has never been just a ball chased by 22 players on grass. The stadium is in many ways reminiscent of a theatrical production, where before, during and after the end of the performance, the audience changed. Something in particular had changed in his emotional realm because of what had happened. He never returns home the same and unchanged. If a typical football match has the potential to teach about morality and responsibility, as ball-lover Albert Camus observed, then by and large the World Cup match represents the ultimate event, almost historic. The World Cup is the crown, the epitome, the full meaning of how football is the birth, product, and creator of political, social, and cultural events. First of all, matches between national teams in the world’s premier football competition provide food for as many narratives and myths as possible. They are the best material for various inventions and analyzes that elude the purely sporting environment. The national football team took part in only three world championships, but the interest of the Greek public in this event remains high. But just as high is the literary interest in the stories that this event “spawns”.

Moments”

One of the country’s leading sports editors, Christos Sotirakopoulos, wrote the book Moments Mundial (Topos Publishing House) in 2014, in which, as he eloquently notes in K, “It was interesting for me to focus on people, not results. One of the most characteristic images that remained with me in childhood is the Rensenbrink ray. The World Cup (s.s.: 1974) was decided by whether the ball would go a little to the right or a little to the left. Many years later I met him and interviewed him. This was the impetus for me to look for those special moments at the World Championships. In my book, no one needs to have a full understanding of what happened. It should be read as if it were small separate stories.

The event itself prompted Mr. Sotirakopoulos to look for something more than games. As he tells me: “The World Cup is the epitome of what sports can do to bring such a large number of people in front of the TV. They don’t even compare to the Olympics, where people are only interested in the 100 meters in track and field. On the contrary, the World Cup is also watched by people whose team did not reach the final stage. This is a powerful social phenomenon in itself. In the 90th premier match between Argentina and Cameroon, or in 2002 France vs Senegal, there were matches that brought together a lot of people from all over the planet.

As for the smaller stories related to the World Cup, Mr. Sotirakopoulos notes: “I remember in 2006, when I watched the match between Portugal and Angola, I immediately understood that it was a local derby because of the historical and political relations that the two countries have had for centuries. The same thing happens with Brazil-Argentina and Germany-England matches. These games create stories because they have a whole political and cultural background behind them.”

Does the World Cup still produce legends these days? Christos Sotirakopoulos admits that he is not: “Once the whole process was mystical. 40 matches a year were shown on TV. Now shows 40 matches a day. My generation has seen stars born at the World Championships. Today we already know the stars. It will be hard for someone you don’t know to jump out of these matches. Let’s just think that Haaland, who is currently the best player in the world, will not play in the World Cup. His national team failed to qualify. The Olympics usually feature the star of each sport. The World Cup is a special event. Italy, a major football powerhouse, will not take part in the finals for the second time in a row.”

According to Christos Sotirakopoulos, Zidane’s infamous kick in the 2006 final is a moment that could even be made into a novel or movie. “Especially the image of Zidane walking past the cup and disappearing into the background towards the dressing room.”

Theologian Alexandratos

“Once the whole process was mystical. 40 matches a year were shown on TV. Now he shows 40 a day.”

Story”

In 2010, journalist Theologos Alexandratos wrote the book The History of the World Cup (published by Introbooks) with the aim of documenting what happened in the world during the World Cup.

Today, he explains his reasoning to K: “I wanted to tell a story about another dimension of gaming. That is, what happened on the planet during the games. The truth is that a lot has happened. Disasters, wars or even important cultural events. Who remembers that Mickey Mouse appeared for the first time during the first World Cup? There is a direct connection between politics, society and the World Cup. Let’s just remember that in 1978, if Argentina hadn’t won the trophy, the players would have been looking for a place to hide due to the political situation in the country. Another example is the turning point World Cup 90, when the former Soviet Union turns into the Commonwealth of Independent States. So we see how political and social events directly influence and are influenced by the matches of the World Cup.”

The question remains the same. Are the necessary myths being created today, worthy of being written down in a book? Mr Alexandratos replies: “The beauty of football will always be the heroes of Sunday. Although today they play not only on Sundays. Previous World Cups may have created such myths. Now we know everything. Personally, I consider Pele a legendary player. And yet, I never saw him play. However, the stories and narratives that follow have shaped the notion of myth in me. I still consider him the best player to ever take the field.”

Novel”

For journalist Argyris Pagartani, the World Cup is an outstanding “space” where stories are created that go beyond the narrow confines of football. In 2014, he collected 218 real stories in his book The History of the World Cup (Sports Press).

“The World Cup is always a holiday. In fact, I singled out some points and connected them with what was happening at that time in society. An excellent example is the game between El Salvador and Honduras, held in 1969, for the qualifying round of the World Cup. This match started the war. This story shocked me. In essence, he showed me how national team matches make History.”

In an age where imagery overshadows events and memory, recorded World Cup histories are still moving. Mr. Pagartanis adds: “They will always worry, it’s just hard to tell the truth from the exaggeration, especially in something that happened many decades ago. Personally, I wanted to capture the events that actually happened. I realized that for too many countries, participation in the World Cup is more than just football. “Even in times of globalization, the concept of a ‘national team’ is still fascinating.”

The image may have catalytic power, but football is still “read” through narratives. Argyris Pagartanis says: “Definitely for those who love to read. When I finished studying the book, I realized that I enjoyed writing it so much that I didn’t even care if it was published. There is still a fairly large audience interested in reading World Cup stories. Sports documentaries made in recent years are good, but the feel of the book is second to none. Especially when the events of past years are fixed. Let’s say we still remember the second goal of Uruguay, which entered the Maracana in 1950 and caused so much pain throughout the country. Yet at the time, Brazil wanted to show that it was trying to do something as a country. The then regime used the national team to strengthen its position. This is how the World Cup intervenes directly in politics.”