Watching these world cup football matches reminds me of a quote by philosopher CRL James. James claimed that cricket was the only intellectual sport. He also claimed that the number of variables, permutations and outcomes during each ball bowled of cricket, dwarfs any other sport. He also claimed that batsmen in cricket have available to them more angles, options and shots than other sports involving bats and rackets. Indeed, James (probably unfairly) said cricket was most comparable to ballet, in that it utilized every muscle and body part, and didn't tend to prioritize them.