France is an established soccer power, playing in its third title game in 20 years. With a population of 67 million, it has sent 204 players to the World Cup since 2002, the most of any country. And its national team players’ transfer fees are worth more than $1.2 billion, collectively.
Croatia wasn’t even an established country, much less a soccer power, a generation ago. With a population of just more than 4 million, it is the second-smallest nation to make a World Cup final, and the players on its team are worth $339 million.
"War, all these things, and even now the situation is not the best," he said.