India, July 24 -- Every football World Cup tells a story.

Beyond the winners and almost-winners, the happy surprises and bitter heartbreaks, it tells us a little more about the world we inhabit, and reveals new facets of the one sport that enrages and enthuses us more than any other.

The first three World Cups (1930, '34 and '38), held amid the Great Depression and with Europe hurtling towards World War 2, established the domination of Italy's 2-3-2-3 method, opening the door to tactical formations.

The 1950s and '60s marked the rise of the Samba beat, as Brazil's free-flowing style provided joy and optimism in an era of post-war buoyancy.

The '70s,'80s and '90s, in a world divided by the Cold War, split football into two overarching ...