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Associated Press

The World Cup is staying in Europe, and it’s not even a close race.
All four semi-finalists at this year’s tournament in Russia will be European. The most powerful continent in world soccer is also assured of having its fourth straight title winner from a fourth different country.
Europe’s overwhelming dominance in club soccer – fuelled by wealth to hire the best global talents – is also playing out on the World Cup stage.
South America’s last hopes at the tournament were eliminated Friday in the first two quarter-final games. Brazil, the last non-European title winner in 2002, were beaten by Belgium 2-1, and Uruguay lost to France 2-0.




The all-European final foursome will be completed on Saturday: England play Sweden and Russia face Croatia in the other two quarter-final matches.
Asked on Friday about Europe’s strength, Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said “reality from a financial point of view, from a historical point of view” could not be ignored.
“Don’t ask me something that is self-evident,” said the veteran coach, who led Uruguay to the semi-finals in 2010.
Back then, Uruguay were eliminated by the Netherlands, who lost to Spain in the final.
Europe’s winning run began with Italy in 2006, Spain followed four years later, and Germany took over in 2014.




A title for France or England in Moscow on July 15 would keep the glory within a closed circle of countries whose national teams, domestic leagues and television markets are known as Europe’s “Big Five”: Spain, Italy and Germany are the others.
They are home to the richest and most storied clubs, attract the most valuable broadcast deals worldwide, and place most teams in the Champions League. The five will have 19 of the 32 places next season.
It is a virtuous circle helping earn more prize money and build lucrative global brands.
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It also attracts the best players from other continents, and Neymar was almost a late arrival coming from Brazil to Barcelona when he was 21. If the wave of talent flowing to Europe denies playing time to domestic players, it also raises the overall level of play.
In those five countries, national federations and clubs have the money and an obligation to invest in youth coaching programmes and keep producing talent. National centres such as Clairefontaine in France and more recently St George’s Park in England have their own strong identity.
Brazil laments quarter-final loss to Belgium as supporters return to the reality of turmoil 
Now even Croatia and Sweden are close to their first World Cup semi-final berths since the 1990s, revealing European depth that South America craves.
Since the 1982 World Cup, when a semi-final round was reinstated, 40 teams will have been involved and Europe has provided 31 of them. South America has eight, and 2002 co-hosts South Korea were the other.
Africa has never had a semi-finalist and failed to advance any of its five teams from the group stage in Russia. Japan was the only one of five Asian confederation teams to reach the round of 16, losing to Belgium.
Victorious Courtois says he never mocked England keeper Pickford’s height 
It adds up to another European semi-final sweep, following 2006 and 1982.
Europe got 14 places in the 32-team World Cup line-up in Russia (44 per cent), even though it currently has 20 of the top 32 teams in the Fifa rankings. European dominance increases deeper into the bracket: 10 of the round of 16 teams (62 per cent); six of the quarter-finalists (75 per cent); all of the semi-finalists (100 per cent).
European club dominance is even greater when looking at World Cup rosters. A total of 74 per cent of players selected across the tournament – 544 of 736 – are employed by teams in Europe.
This hegemony could be tough to maintain when the World Cup increases to 48 teams in 2026. Only three extra places were given to Europe, raising its guaranteed number to 16 – one-third of the total.
Regardless, the final World Cup week in Russia is all Europe, all the time.






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Fifa World Cup 2018

Fifa World Cup: Europe assured of extending winning streak to four fuelled by wealth of domestic leagues

Europe has once again dominated the final line-up at the World Cup. Photo: Reuters

epa06869932 Brazilian fans react after the defeat of their team during a public showing of the FIFA 2018 World Cup quarter final match between France and Uruguay in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 06 July 2018. EPA-EFE/Antonio Lacerda

epa06869801 Players of Belgium celebrate winning the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Brazil and Belgium in Kazan, Russia, 06 July 2018. (RESTRICTIONS APPLY: Editorial Use Only, not used in association with any commercial entity - Images must not be used in any form of alert service or push service of any kind including via mobile alert services, downloads to mobile devices or MMS messaging - Images must appear as still images and must not emulate match action video footage - No alteration is made to, and no text or image is superimposed over, any published image which: (a) intentionally obscures or removes a sponsor identification image; or (b) adds or overlays the commercial identification of any third party which is not officially associated with the FIFA World Cup) EPA-EFE/TATYANA ZENKOVICH EDITORIAL USE ONLY

epa06868894 France players react after the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Uruguay and France in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 06 July 2018. (RESTRICTIONS APPLY: Editorial Use Only, not used in association with any commercial entity - Images must not be used in any form of alert service or push service of any kind including via mobile alert services, downloads to mobile devices or MMS messaging - Images must appear as still images and must not emulate match action video footage - No alteration is made to, and no text or image is superimposed over, any published image which: (a) intentionally obscures or removes a sponsor identification image; or (b) adds or overlays the commercial identification of any third party which is not officially associated with the FIFA World Cup) EPA-EFE/ETIENNE LAURENT EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Sport

Football

Continent continues to dominate the final foursome at the World Cup
