Troubadour
Registered User
- Feb 23, 2018
- 1,157
- 842
It's more prestigious (because quite logically it's worldwide), but there's really no argument that the former EC format, with WC/EC champs in the same groups was much more tougher to win than the WC.
It's more prestigious because the level of competition is higher.
You could make a case that making it out of the group stage is (was) easier at the WC (a very, very myopic case btw, as many of those supposedly bad WC teams prove to be a hard nut to crack in the end -- look at Iran this year), but from there on, the WC is just harder.
Way harder.
Best teams from Africa and Asia are definitely better than the runt of the litter at the EC.
I mean... Ireland, Albania, Hungary? Japan would dance around these piles of bricks.
Let alone teams from South America like Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.
Also... Argentina with Maradona did not have a chance to compete at the EC, but France did compete at the WC. And win they did not monsieur.
For comparison, I attach the knockout stages for Maradona's WC:
...and Platini's EC
I hope it helps to explain why I think there is no debate.
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