said Elfath.
Pressure on the Pitch
The anxiety of World Cup selection is nothing compared to the pressure of being there, Meier says. You’re managing history, not just a game.
At France 1998, Meier took charge of USA v Iran, the first meeting between the teams since the 1979 Iranian revolution and the hostage crisis.
Protocol required the Iranian players to approach the US team to shake hands, but Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei forbade it – so the US team approached.
Before kick-off, the teams posed for a photograph together. “It was so emotional.
I had tears in my eyes,” said Meier. It’s the highlight of his career.
Nine days later, Argentina faced England in the last 16.
Referee Kim Milton Nielsen remembers the simmering tensions before the match, ignited by memories of the Falklands war and contentious moments including Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal.
This kind of historical baggage can make even obvious decisions harder to make. In that match, Nielsen sent off David Beckham for kicking Diego Simeone.
It was a clear red card offence, which he saw perfectly – but, being human, he hesitated.
“I knew I couldn’t close my eyes just because it was David Beckham in a World Cup,” said Nielsen.
Nearly 30 years later, people still approach him with the same question: “You’re the man who sent off Beckham?”
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Not every World Cup match carries such political weight, but the pressure rarely eases. “People who don’t watch football still watch the World Cup,” said Elfath.
