As millions watched Spain lift the World Cup for only the second time in their history, a star-studded Argentina collapsed like a house of cards. This Argentina side displayed a pure lack of grace and moral standing, with blatant fouling and unnecessary aggression left fans disillusioned; even after the match was lost, Leonardo Paredes acted like a mad canine, and it was this ugliness, not the debate over Fifa favouring them, that truly defined their fall from grace. Even the greatest footballer of all time, Leo Messi, this time, was indeed very messy. Nonetheless, they say that smart people take a lesson from everything they observe. As millions celebrated Spain’s triumph, three lessons in particular merit our attention.

First, “THE SYSTEM BEATS TALENT ELEVEN TIMES OUT OF TEN”: Spain, in its essence, is a team in perfect working order. They did not win because Lamine scored every goal or........

© Greater Kashmir