Given Brazil’s recent elimination and its 6 World Cup drought, I couldn’t help but think of another team that is in a similar situation:
For those who follow hockey and the NHL, you will be familiar with the Toronto Maple Leafs — my hometown team — and their infamous curse. As of next year, it will be 60 years since they last won the Stanley Cup (1967). Not only that, but what’s even more incredible is that they haven’t just failed to win it in almost six decades — they haven’t even reached the Final!
Absolutely atrocious for a club with such an illustrious history as the Leafs. In fact, with the exception of some of the newer expansion teams that joined the NHL in the last 25 years, the Leafs are the only NHL team that hasn’t even sniffed the Final in over 50 years.
Like the Leafs, Brazil has not only failed to win the World Cup since 2002, but they haven’t even reached the Final. During that same stretch:
It almost feels like Brazil’s inability to get past the quarter-finals has directly allowed these teams to achieve some of these accomplishments. Because if Brazil had simply reached the semi-finals or Final in some of those tournaments, it would have meant that some of the achievements above wouldn’t have been possible.
That is why I referred to Brazil as having recently become almost like a charity — allowing teams to get past them and continue their own journeys toward achieving their goals and dreams.
But as bad as Brazil’s drought has been, the Leafs’ curse is on another level. Despite playing every single year instead of once every four years, I would still be shocked if the Leafs’ drought ends before Brazil’s.
That said, I genuinely hope both curses end at the earliest opportunity possible!
For those who follow hockey and the NHL, you will be familiar with the Toronto Maple Leafs — my hometown team — and their infamous curse. As of next year, it will be 60 years since they last won the Stanley Cup (1967). Not only that, but what’s even more incredible is that they haven’t just failed to win it in almost six decades — they haven’t even reached the Final!
Absolutely atrocious for a club with such an illustrious history as the Leafs. In fact, with the exception of some of the newer expansion teams that joined the NHL in the last 25 years, the Leafs are the only NHL team that hasn’t even sniffed the Final in over 50 years.
Like the Leafs, Brazil has not only failed to win the World Cup since 2002, but they haven’t even reached the Final. During that same stretch:
- France won it once and reached another Final.
- Argentina reached the Final three times, won it once, and could potentially win another tomorrow.
- Spain won it once and is now reaching another Final, potentially winning it for a second time.
- Germany and Italy each won it once, but I won’t focus on them since, aside from those titles, they haven’t done much in terms of reaching Finals during this period.
It almost feels like Brazil’s inability to get past the quarter-finals has directly allowed these teams to achieve some of these accomplishments. Because if Brazil had simply reached the semi-finals or Final in some of those tournaments, it would have meant that some of the achievements above wouldn’t have been possible.
That is why I referred to Brazil as having recently become almost like a charity — allowing teams to get past them and continue their own journeys toward achieving their goals and dreams.
But as bad as Brazil’s drought has been, the Leafs’ curse is on another level. Despite playing every single year instead of once every four years, I would still be shocked if the Leafs’ drought ends before Brazil’s.
That said, I genuinely hope both curses end at the earliest opportunity possible!