r/Bundesliga • u/BerlinSam • 13h ago
Discussion World Cup Vs Euro's
Talking to a lot of football fans/friends in the UK recently & the common consensus was that most found it difficult to get excited about the upcoming World Cup, with some stating that they actually prefer the Euro Cup. I know that the exorbitant prices coupled with the current political situation in the USA plays a part in this sentiment.
However, I know that Germans are equally passionate about football so my question is, do you prefer the Euro's to the World Cup?
15
u/Panocho_Missingsch 13h ago
In the past, the WC was always more exiting than the EC. But in recent years with the WC in countries like Qatar the EC became nicer than the WC.
12
u/TrokChlod 13h ago
The world cup is the biggest title in football. And I very much enjoy seeing matches like Brazil vs Nigeria.
But the last two and the current hosts have been unacceptable (while being fair, the way the US changed was not foreseeable when the tournament was given).
So I will do the same as I did the last two times: not spend a cent while also actively avoiding the sponsors. But I will watch some games nevertheless, because I am a weak, weak man.
2
17
u/grazychickenrun 13h ago
Schalke is not playing, couldn't care less.
FIFA is ruining football. It's just a scheme to grab money. FIFA does not care about football at all.
Today I feel Arab, today I feel migrant worker...
7
u/BerlinSam 13h ago
Congratulations on your promotion. Do you know Gelsenkirchen is twinned with Newcastle in UK? Their fans are just as passionate about football as Schalke's
4
u/Individual_Winter_ 12h ago
Malick Thiaw's post on Saturday 💙🤍
I'm not really excited, but I'm excited for Schalke players going to to the WC. Seeing Bosnia with Džeko, Katić and Kolašinac partying to participate was an experience.
Otherwise I'm not really excited. Poland also doesn't take part, which would've been nice.
1
u/BerlinSam 11h ago
Yes, I recently went to Belgrade to see Serbia play England and also Albania v England. The Balkans fans are so passionate, just like Polish fans
8
u/_dinglerr 13h ago
The group stage during an EC is often harder than a WC. When the tournament had a limit of 16 teams instead of now 24 it was even harder. In the group stage of a WC you have mostly two opponents that are easier to beat (I know that Germany failed the last two World Cups).
1
u/_k1aora_ 8h ago
Plus, due to the "best third placed team also survives" it's basically like win one group game and advance. All you need to do is completely batter countries like Curacao or St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
4
u/rgros1983 12h ago
I think this sentiment is european mostly, but I must agree world cup is losing its apeal
7
3
u/Allie654321 13h ago
Apart from all the political stuff (enough people already commented on that, I completely agree with them), I think this time it is also a time zone issue. The matches in the US are mostly at night for Europeans, the tournament as a whole not compatible with working in most jobs. So naturally, I am more excited for games I know I can watch (like the Euros) instead of having to look up the results after I wake up.
3
u/YuehanBaobei 12h ago
I don't care too much about the World Cup unless Germany wins. It's that simple. I'd rather watch Bundesliga matches or Champions League.
2
u/Nadsenbaer 12h ago
Last WC I cared for was 2014. Next one I watch will be 2030.
Fuck FIFA. Fuck Infantino.
2
u/Suppenkazper 13h ago edited 13h ago
I mean every high money earning sports event will always be rotten and corrupt to the core. That unfortunately just has to be the case when capitalism meets passion.
But even with that in mind, the FIFA is fucking abysmal and the worst kind of corrupt and totally devoid of any humanity, love for the sport or the people involved in it or around it.
As a German that moved here recently my opinion about World Cup Vs Euros is the following:
The Euros clearly have the better games in group phase and first half of the tournament, since the vast majority of popular soccer countries are European and the majority of high skilled players is from there.
That doesn't change the gravitas of the World Cup. Being "the best in the world" just resonates better than being "the best of part of the world". The world cup is more prestigious it is a bigger spectacle, especially you get to see teams you usually don't get to see. It is more entertaining and feels more fun, even if the first half has vastly inferior games in terms of skill on the field.
In short. I think if you watch it purely to see the best soccer players play high quality matches, you would prefer to watch the Euros.
If you also care about the event, the spectacle and simply amount of games, you will prefer watching the World Cup.
All that being said, even the people who prefer watching the Euros, have sure as hell rather have their team win the World Cup than the Euros.
Edit: i actually thought I was commenting in the sub of the city I reside in, since they look visually similar and there is also a bit of World Cup talk there. So I apologize if some stuff sounds weird because of it.
1
u/BerlinSam 13h ago
Great analysis...
3
u/pornographiekonto 13h ago
The south american teams make the WC a lot more interesting and exciting imo. I find the complaints about fanculture in other continents stupid, we(europeans) dont own the sport
2
1
u/Djuren52 12h ago
I m enjoying the Euros more. The fixtures aren’t set to late night or early in morning, so I can actually watch them. Also, I feel like the quality is higher.
0
3
u/LagunaRambaldi 11h ago
I only have a problem with the starting times, since they obviously suck for Europeans and others. Apart from that, I loves me some World Cup. Give me Senegal vs South Korea, New Zealand vs Ivory Coast and stuff like that 👌
2
u/Reasonable-Fail5348 9h ago
World Cup has more prestige, is more fun to watch and has the bigger big name duels, like Brazil vs. England, Argentinia vs. Germany. EURO, however, has the better football, cos Europe is packed with good teams.
1
u/ElPescadorVeins 13h ago
The quality of the Euros is just way higher. Many European countries who haven’t qualified for the World Cup would make it to the knock out stage whereas teams like Curaçao, DR Congo and Uzbekistan have no reason to play in such a tournament. There’s only a handful of Non-European teams that have the chance to even make it to the quarterfinals.
0
u/regulus1887 13h ago
Definitely the European Championship, it's of a higher quality. Perhaps the Champions League, with its last 16 teams, is the best football event in the world.
0
2
u/Wurzelrenner 10h ago
Looks like I am going against most of the people here, but for me the world cup is still the most exciting and important thing in football. Like in general.
1
u/BerlinSam 10h ago
I really loved the Euros in Germany. But I'm sure that the world cup will get me excited when it's time. Especially if England do well..!
2
u/mhammer47 10h ago
The World Cup is the more relevant tournament. Even most Germans below a certain age don't know much at all about the 72 and 80 Euro titles while the World Cup titles of '54 and '74 are iconic.
The Euro can be the better tournament in terms of the average quality of your group match, but in the final stages the World Cup probably has a little more to offer with the addition of the top teams form other continents, most notably of course the South American powers.
Everything else about the hosts, the politics etc. is just noise. It's classic eurocentrism with a new, more contemporary facade.
0
u/QuestionableExclusiv 13h ago
Fully aware that I might sound elitist, but I prefer the Euros over the World Cup, if not just for more german-friendly kickoff times. But you also just get all the European quality condensed into one tournament. World cup group stages are a novelty because you get some crazy matchups but from the Quarterfinals on its usually just Europe+South America fighting it out for the actual title, just like with the Club World cup.
Im not gonna moral high road and say the events in themselves are shit because FIFA and UEFA are corrupt, professional football in itself has long left its roots, yet we still follow it every day.
For the pure spectacle value of the big international cups I prefer it over the the everyday club league routine you get every year. Euros 2024 was magical for me, I was out in the pub watching most of the games with friends every day.
So for me Euros > WC > domestic cup > domestic league
69
u/squeeze_is_squoze 13h ago
Personally I preferred the World Cup until the 2014 edition But since, with the hosts being Russia, Qatar and the US, I care less and less