.jpg)
1 hour ago
3
The expanded 48-team World Cup means lots of new moving parts as the group stage reaches its conclusion.
Gone is the simplicity of 32 team, eight groups of four and the top two from each going through to the last 16.
The 24 teams that secure a top two finish across the 12 groups will be supplemented by the eight best third-place finishers.
It throws up a few intriguing scenarios, such as some games where fans are wondering whether teams might be better off… not trying to win.
Perish the thought, that would never happen on such a grand stage as the World Cup, would it? Well…
2026 WORLD CUP HQ: Latest World Cup news | Full World Cup schedule | Buy World Cup tickets
What was 'The Disgrace of Gijon'?
A talent-stacked West Germany squad swaggered into the 1982 World Cup in Spain as European champions and one of the favourites for glory. Then they gave themselves a problem: Algeria caught Jupp Derwall's complacent team cold as they claimed a stunning 2-1 win in the opening group game.
A Karl-Heinz Rummenigge hat-trick got Germany off and running with a 4-1 win over Chile in their next match, while Algeria lost to Austria. In their final group game, Algeria raced into a 3-0 lead over Chile. That scoreline would have virtually assured qualification, but the eliminated Chileans pulled their game back to 3-2 — a turn of events that left the Desert Warriors fatally vulnerable. It meant a 1-0 win for Germany over Austria would see the two European neighbours progress thanks to superior goal difference.
Playing a day after Algeria and Chile, Germany took a 10th-minute lead in Gijon through Horst Hrubesch. Then, in scenes of infamous high farce, more or less nothing happened. Neither team attempted to play with any attacking purpose and certainly did not try to score. Fans barracked the players, with Algerian supporters inside El Molinon waving banknotes. Local newspaper El Comercio published the match report in its crime section.
What happened after the Disgrace of Gijon
Both Austria and Germany denied any collusion during the match and FIFA declined to take any action against them after deciding no rules were broken.
The practical upshot from Gijon, along with a 1-0 defeat for hosts Spain to Northern Ireland that seemed similarly manufactured at the same stage of the tournament, was that FIFA decided to schedule all final group matches to kick off simultaneously at future events.
That still holds and, at the three World Cups from 1986 to 1994, there was the element of best third-place teams advancing, so a 24-team bracket could produce a Round of 16.
MORE: SN 140: The 21 most infamous moments in FIFA World Cup history
Will Algeria vs. Austria be 'Disgrace of Kansas City'
A quirk of this year's tournament is that two of the three actors from the Gijon drama meet in Saturday's final round of fixtures in Group J.
Argentina are through as group winners and Jordan are already eliminated. Austria and Algeria have three points each and the European side has superior goal difference heading into the match in Kansas City.
Both teams would advance with a draw because Algeria would be one of the best third-place team on four points. If either team loses, they risk elimination.
There is also an argument that the incentive for Algeria to win is lessened by the reality of the runners-up in Group J being paired with the winners of Group H in the next round – probably European champions Spain.
The label 'Disgrace of Kansas City' has mischievously started doing the rounds on social media. But Austria boss Ralf Rangnick and his Algeria counterpart Vladimir Petkovic insist both teams will be playing to win.
“If we get a draw tomorrow, we’ll go on. We cannot play for a draw,” Rangnick said. “We are not sending the team into the game playing for a draw."
“I think we need to concentrate on ourselves,” Vladimir Petkovic concurred. “We should play not to lose and play to win.”
As an Austrian national, Rangnick was in a position to address Gijon directly – a match he feels has no relevance to the players turning out for Austria and Algeria 44 years later.
“When the match took place, no [players from] the two teams were alive,” he added. “I was 24 years old back then and I just started as a player. It has nothing to do with tomorrow’s match. I don’t think it will influence the match tomorrow inside the stadium.”
English (US)