Hamid Tahri's Chronicle / World Cup of Unusual Facts (Part 2)

In a dramatic incident, former France national football team coach Michel Hidalgo and his wife were targeted by two armed assailants on a rural road near Bordeaux. The attackers intercepted the couple, with one forcing Hidalgo to follow him into a wooded area while the other took the wheel alongside his wife. Displaying remarkable composure, Hidalgo managed to disarm one of his aggressors. The situation was defused when a truck unexpectedly arrived, causing the assailants to flee and abandon their plan.

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The kidnappers' objective seemed to be to force the coach to call for a boycott of the World Cup in Argentina, then under the yoke of the military dictatorship of General Videla.

The attack, claimed anonymously the same evening, appeared to be an attempt to coerce Hidalgo into calling for a boycott of the World Cup held in Argentina, then under a military dictatorship led by General Videla. Hidalgo, who managed the French team from 1976 to 1984, led them to a fourth-place finish in the 1982 World Cup and secured their first major title at the 1984 European Championship. He passed away in Marseille on March 26, 2020, at the age of 87.

The article also delves into other football-related discussions, questioning the attainability of Lionel Messi's World Cup achievements. It notes Messi's record for most World Cup matches played (26) and his trophy win, while also highlighting debates surrounding a record five penalties awarded to Argentina during the Qatar World Cup. The author points to a specific incident in America where a Polish referee, Szymon Marciniak, allegedly overlooked a clear foul by Messi on defender Mandi, suggesting Messi should have received a red card instead of no booking.

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Lionel Messi became the player with the most matches (26) in the World Cup and lifted the coveted trophy, not without raising debates with a record 5 penalties whistled in favor of Argentina during the Qatari World Cup.

Further points include the "Saudi Miracle" at the Qatar World Cup, where Saudi Arabia defeated Argentina 2-1, ending their 36-match unbeaten streak. The article also mentions Saudi Arabia's strong performance in the current edition in America, drawing 1-1 with Uruguay. Finally, it touches upon the "waltz of added time" since the Qatar World Cup, where referees are instructed to account for exact lost time, leading to unprecedented match durations, often extended by deliberate time-wasting tactics like slow throw-ins.

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Saudi Arabia created one of the biggest surprises in World Cup history in Qatar in 2022 by beating Argentina 2-1, thus breaking a streak of 36 matches without defeat for the future champions.