| Slimebeast said: ... What's your definition of a big football nation? It's not simply to win a big tournament because in that case you wouldn't have described Chile like that, only being "on their way". Also, you seemed to imply that Portugal was a big football nation even before the victory today. Is your definition based on a combination of current skill and historical wins or what? Oh and I forgot Belgium! He has not won anything big, so by that definition it's not a big nation but skillwise it is. |
Yes, it's not simply winning a big tournament. Otherwise I would have mentioned Russia, Denmark, Greece, Czech Republic/Czechoslovakia, Peru and Colombia, which have won either the Euro or the Copa (Peru even twice afaik). And African nations unfortunately don't still have a chance as they are lacking the allocated money and infrastructure of European and South/Middle American nations.
The following were already among the big football nations for me without an international title as they always produced great players, club teams and coaches, but at the same time their national teams were lacking a big international title (not for me to consider them one of the big nations but to prove it to the world):
- France (only without a big title title until 1984, the Platini team was excellent, as well as the Zidane team in 1998 of course, when France cemented their reputation they still have today)
- Holland (unlucky in 1974 and 1978 [too bad for Cruyff and Co.] but they finally won their big and well-deserved title with their stunning 1988 team)
- Spain (despite their Euro win in the 1960s[?] it took them until 2008 to finally being considered worldwide as the big football nation they already were for a long time before that, and from 2008 to 2012 their national team dominated world football like I've never had seen it before)
- Portugal (the Euro 2004 was the most tragic tournament I've ever seen, as a football fan it hurt seeing them lose at their own tournament not only once but twice against the same and lesser opponent [no offense to Greek fans]; as long as Portugal's national team didn't win a big title they were considered as the unlucky nation that produced great players [Eusebio, Luis Figo and Ronaldo are only the three best and most famous ones], club teams and coaches)
South-America: While Brazil and Uruguay were already considered big football nations by the rest of the world in the 70s, Argentina joined in 1978 with their world cup title and cemented their reputation during the Maradona era.
Portugal was already an important, big football nation for a very long time in my (and in many other people's) opinion, they were the last one of the "defining" worldwide football nations of the last century that needed a big title to prove to the world that they really deserve to be up there. That's why I'm really happy they finally made it today.
Other countries can follow Portugal of course, nations which only made it to competitive world class in the more recent years. Chile has proven this year wirh their 2nd Copa that they are on their way, and yes, I think they are the next contender for "big nations club" now that Portugal made it, but Belgium or any other country you mentioned hasn't proven much up to now.
