Is World Cup Soccer the best Sporting Event ?

[GIMH]

Yeah, the World Cup. For one John Barnes related reason and another I find myself less in love with football than is usual this season, but come the summer I'll be watching every single match. Nothing compares to it. When the European Championships are on I struggle to care about any match not involving England but when the WC is on, there is nothing I won't watch.

As for the 'stopping a whole nation' argument RE the Superbowl - step into the street in England during any England WC match and see how many people are out there.

[G.I.Joe]

IPL

[ripper868]

Football WC for mine, then Olympics, then daylight then anything but the RWC (soz Ripper)..

...you can keep your League play for whatever country your 3 times removed best mates uncle visited while on a cruise once world cup.

Embargo

[Faisal1985]

To me FIFA WC is always the biggest sporting event nothing comes close to it. Even Euro Cup is up their in the top events.

[Jungle Jumbo]

Easily the best. Nothing comes near it at all.

[Ausage]

The Olympics.

For someone so utterly obsessed with so many different sports, it's remarkable how crap I consider the whole thing to be.

This.

As to the original question, I find it pretty subjective. It's the most exciting event for me personally so that's all I can really say for sure. (whilst I don't care one iota for the Superbowl)

[Uppercut]

The more I think about it the more I think the answer to the opening question is an unqualified "Yes".

[pasag]

The Olympics.

For someone so utterly obsessed with so many different sports, it's remarkable how crap I consider the whole thing to be.

Love the Olympics, get sucked in every time.

Re: thread, Fifa WC has too much soccer in it to be the world's best sporting event.

[GingerFurball]

European Championships > World Cup.

UEFA should just invite Argentina and Brazil and kill off FIFA's needless "spectacle" of football.

[The Sean]

Yep, there's nothing to compare with it IMO. Already counting the days til it starts - being in Germany for it last time around remains one of my great life experiences.

[Quaggas]

The Superbowl is pretty gun imo. But yeah, nothing compares to the Football World Cup, probably my favourite event of any sort, sporting or otherwise.

Problem with the Superbowl is that it's generally a bit one-sided, making for a dull game. The hoopla and ads can be fun, though.

[wpdavid]

In theory yes.
In practice, there's been too many duff tournaments in the last 20 years for me to be sure anymore. Arguably the European Championships have been better.

Certainly beats the Olympics though.

[FaaipDeOiad]

Nothing comes close. As has been said, already counting the days.

[grecian]

Meh to the Euro championships, yeah arguably the quality of football is higher, but without Brazil (yay) and the Argies (boo in a Pantomime way), they just ain't the same. Also the minnows often add massivelys to the spectacle, and make the sublime moments.

World Cup has the meaning too, and so far no joke winners. Greece, Denmark in recent times, and back in the history I don't think the best teams in Europe have always won. Not that they do in the World Cup, but at least the winners have pedigree.

[BoyBrumby]

Meh to the Euro championships, yeah arguably the quality of football is higher, but without Brazil (yay) and the Argies (boo in a Pantomime way), they just ain't the same. Also the minnows often add massivelys to the spectacle, and make the sublime moments.

World Cup has the meaning too, and so far no joke winners. Greece, Denmark in recent times, and back in the history I don't think the best teams in Europe have always won. Not that they do in the World Cup, but at least the winners have pedigree.

Fair points. Even the Italians last time (the worst winners I can remember) are still Italy &, fittingly, their success was based on their defence. & the German team who made the final in 2002 were but a pale imitation of the ruthless, efficient, etc German teams of yore, but they still made the final.

Love the minnows too; one of my favourite ever sporting moments was Cameroon beating the then champions, the bastard Argentines, 1-0 in the 1990 opener. Grown men wept tears of joy openly in the street.

****s still made the final tho, but.