England's worst show in World Cup

Johannesburg: Now is the time for the verdicts to be handed down, for England's campaign to be recorded by Fifa as the worst ever by the "motherland of football" in the World Cup, for Thomas Mueller to be lauded as the player of the tournament and for Spain to be saluted as among the finest World Cup winners.

Now is the time for South Africa 2010 to be hailed as a football spectacle only during the memorable quarter-finals and semi-finals, for Howard Webb to be defended for his dealing with lawless players in a scarred final.

Off the field, the warmth of the people, the splendour of the scenery and stadiums and the nation-changing substance of its legacy make it one of the greatest World Cups in this epic competition's 80-year history.

Bad news first. England experienced their poorest World Cup and that is official. Fifa ranked Fabio Capello's men as 13th, their lowest yet, as the records confirm: 1950 (8th), 1954 (6th), 1958 (11th), 1962 (8th), 1966 (1st), 1970 (8th), 1982 (6th), 1986 (8th), 1990 (4th), 1998 (9th), 2002 (6th) and 2006 (6th). The criteria used by Fifa is progression, opponents who beat the team and group-stage performance.

The fairest comparison is from 1998 onwards, when the tournament expanded to 32 teams, and the showing of Capello's side still contrasts markedly with those of Glenn Hoddle and Sven-Goran Eriksson's. Any more of this and Eriksson will be awarded a public apology and a retrospective knighthood.

"England is considered the motherland of football, like Brazil is considered as the deepest level of football," said Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president.

Main difference

"But ever since Fifa has existed everybody has developed. There are no more small national teams. Perhaps there are small countries but their national teams are strong."

Blatter followed Capello in pointing to the foreigner-filled Premier League. "The internationalism of football is good for some and not for others. One example of that is England. But it is good for Spain. All 11 starting players play for the top clubs in La Liga, all 11. That's the difference.

"I am trying to draw the difference between the Premier League and La Liga. We are still working at Fifa on the protection of national teams and the identity of clubs, what we have said about ‘six plus five [plan to limit overseas players]'."

England are losing a numbers game — and the attitude game. After the humiliating rout by Germany, Mueller questioned the "alpha-male" imbalance of England's team, of the obsession with fielding chiefs "and not enough Indians".

Only 20, Mueller still deserves listening to. He was a fluid, hard-working, prolific cog in the German team and lit up South Africa. Others have been promoted as the main men out here, and Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Diego Forlan deserve their accolades, but for this observer the sheer dynamism, goal threat, creative input and defensive awareness of Mueller make him the star of the show.

Mueller won the Golden Boot, scoring five times and being credited with three assists, and it was during his harsh one-game ban that Germany faltered, losing to Spain. With a few seconds left on the clock of Germany's demise in Durban, Mueller made his way from the naughty step in the stands to console his teammates only to be stopped by a Fifa official, who insisted he wait. Pathetic.

Small consolation

Mueller deserved better. Laughably omitted by Fifa's Technical Studies Group from contention for the Golden Ball, when exhausted individuals such as Lionel Messi were included, he had the small consolation of the young player vote. And the Golden Boot. If Mueller, Mesut Ozil and Bastian Schweinsteiger demonstrated the German quality that will lurk at Euro 2012, Spain will be installed as early favourites. Where do Spain rank in the pantheon of world champions?

If Brazil '70 are the benchmark, none since has matched that team of Pele, Rivelino and Carlos Alberto. The Argentina of Ossie Ardiles and Mario Kempes in '78, the powerful France of Marcel Desailly, Didier Deschamps and Zinedine Zidane in 1998 and Brazil of the three Rs in 2002. Spain certainly bear comparison with those. For all the understandable celebrating of Spain's technical luminaries, they hardly free-scored their way to the trophy, netting only eight times in seven games, comfortably the lowest in history; only Brazil (1994) and England (1966) come close with 11 goals each.

But Spain's defence was so good that one was often enough. Iker Casillas is a goalkeeping legend. Sergio Ramos has matured into a right-back as adept at attacking as defending. Gerard Pique has developed into a fine ball-playing centre-half while Carles Puyol is a great, if slowing leader. Sergio Busquets is a nimble anchorman while Xabi Alonso sweeps 50-yarders around. As holding players go, Busquets and Alonso are highly creative. The real gems lie further forward in the clever feet of Xavi, Iniesta, David Villa and Pedro. Restore Fernando Torres to full fitness, field Villa on the left, withdraw Pedro and Spain's potency is even greater. There is more to come. "When Spain played us in the [under] 17s final, Vicente del Bosque brought all the senior players to watch," said Sir Trevor Brooking, the Football Association's director of football development.