Bangladesh, June 30 -- The case of Ariel Ortega, the Argentinian No. 10 in the 1998 WC was somewhat different. Even before he kicked a ball in France, he knew it was a loss-loss case for him - writes Rafiqul Ameer

World Cup Football creates many heroes and super heroes. At times players emerge from obscurity to steal the limelight. At the other end, there are many cases of 'Heroes to Zeroes'. Barbosa, the unlucky GK in Brazil's ill fated 1950 campaign, lived in open custody for 50 years before his death. The Great Dutch team of 1974, for all their brilliance, flopped in the final. Tall striker Serginho was a misfit in the brilliant Brazil team of 1982, and was made the villain although there was no way he was responsible for his team's ...