As World Cups go, the 2018 edition is one of the most exciting we have seen in recent memory. It brought a number of classic matches, some surprise results, and the emergence of global superstars as France lifted their second World Cup title after their maiden triumph in 1998, beating Croatia 4-2 in a fittingly thrilling final.
Going into the tournament in Russia there were some concerns about how it would be staged, with fears of hooliganism and a hostile atmosphere for supporters, along with the issue of racism. These were all examined in detail by certain sections of the worldwide media in the years leading up to the World Cup and cast doubt on Russia’s ability to hold the event safely, but fortunately it passed by without serious incident thanks to the tight security deployed by officials, with almost all the headlines being made on the pitch. The 2018 World Cup would see the first use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) at a major international competition and the technology proved to be a useful tool throughout, although it had a big and somewhat controversial say in the outcome of
