Regrettably, you snipped the part where I said that I have a lot of respect for the Croatian team and you gave some reasons why. Everything you said is true and it is definitely worth a discussion, but it is different from the assessment as to which is the better team playing under a certain national flag. Croatia is a great soccer team and I follow their games at the big tournaments with a lot of excitement. Generally, I have a lot of respect for smaller nations competing well at international tournaments. Or countries that are not at all favorites like Morocco eliminating Spain and Portugal at the World Cup in Qatar. I am all for surprises like that.
But when it comes to a comparison, I can only consider the facts that are relevant to the game itself. Whether those facts are based on shortcomings or injustices isn't relevant for that question alone. Take as an example Qatar at the handball World Cup in 2015 when they naturalized players from abroad in order for those players to become part of the Qatar handball team. That is ridiculous. But when someone asked me whether I think that "Qatar" is going to beat team X, I have to accept the fact that some names on the Qatar squad are there, even if they shouldn't be under normal or fair circumstances.
If I had to choose the team that is better in my opinion, I would choose France over Croatia and I am not saying that France is like vastly superior and the odds are 90:10 in favor of France in any game. But I would say that France is stronger and in a long term battle would probably win more games than they tie or lose against Croatia.
I think it is important to remember that a teams success doesn't mean that it will continue to do that neither. Look at Brazil, could anyone tell me that Brazil is a bad team? Obviously not, they are one of the best rosters in the whole world but they are failing, they are getting results worse than Croatia, does that make them worse than Croatia? To me it doesn't, they are still a better team. Just put the rosters side by side and check the results, you will see that it is not going to be the same thing at all.
However, the results mean that the managers and the team doesn't play the way they should and that's the reason why they are getting worse results. So, it is not about which team is better, it is about which team is more of a team.
Then we fully agree I guess. But there are a few exceptions I think. Usually it is true that a real team that acts like a unit can outcompete a group of players playing under the same national flag but does not act like a team. That is possible and I believe in team play a lot. But when you see how the last World Cup went and you would take out Mbappe for example in the final against Argentina, France would have been a much different, weaker team. I doubt that another striker would have scored three goals in that game alone plus a penalty in the shootout. There are games where the individual strength of a single player can be the foundation for the team's success, but usually it is the other way around. The team's strength is the foundation for the individual success. Haaland would be a good example with Norway. If the team as a whole can't significantly improve, it doesn't matter how many goals Haaland will score.
The example you gave about Croatia and Brazil is a good one. Brazil can't get back to the level as a team that they have been known for for so long, whereas Croatia frequently delivers as a strong unit on the pitch. That makes a huge difference. But France has a lot of players with strong individual abilities that allow them to play some razor-sharp soccer without even spending much time with each other in a club. Whereas Croatia is putting more of their hearts into the game for each other while also having some great players like Modric who is no worse than any French midfielder. Croatia has a great combination of players. I think France could be lacking a bit of the team spirit and the willpower to fight when technique doesn't solve all their problems on the pitch.
Your deep dive into team analysis has my soccer brain doing the wave! It really does shine a spotlight on that age-old wisdom, "the collective juggles the ball better than the lone striker." Or something to that effect. However, I've got a penalty to shoot your way. Are we getting a bit too caught up in the highlight reels and top ten plays? Like when you dribble down memory lane with France's superstars. Undeniably gifted, but do their individual shiny medals automatically make a winning team? What about those sleeping giants Belgium and Portugal, their golden boys still yearning for their trophy-laden dreams?
You've pointed out Brazil’s recent string of misses. But, could it be they're just taking a breather, a tactical pause or perhaps just reassembling their squad? History tells us, even the most robust defensive lines need patching up sometimes. When we flip the soccer coin to Qatar, we open up another can of worms – or should I say, a new set of goalposts? Sure, they've drafted in some high-ranking players. But does that magically blend into a unified team pulsating with a shared sense of purpose for the nation they represent? It's not just about rating teams based on their current form or individual flair. It's about the whole stadium - the chants, the scarves, the locker room camaraderie, the strength to rise from the ashes of defeat.