The good, the dangerous and the very ugly moments from a World Cup in contrast to another

The Daily Star has brought you stories of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly from the land of the cowboys since the start of the Wild West World Cup.

There have been highs, there have been lows, and there have been many cases of players nearly coming to blows. It’s been a rollercoaster of a ride, one in which Spain finally emerged triumphant.

So, with the final Argentinian dirty trick now played in last Sunday’s attack-versus-defence thrill-an-hour kickabout – aka ‘The Final’ – we decided to dish out our own World Cup awards…before Donald Trump showed up and did it for us.

The good

Best match – England v Mexico, Monday July 6, last 16

More of a seminal experience than a football match. Who can forget the Three Lions’ heroic 3-2 victory in front of 80,000 screaming Mexicans at altitude in the Estadio Azteca – home of Maradona’s 1986 ‘Hand of God’ heartache – with just 10 men.

Jude Bellingham’s double, Harry ‘Captain Cool’ Kane’s penalty, Jordan Pickford’s ‘leaping salmon’ goalkeeping and THAT Dan Burn header. Plus Mexico manager Javier Aguirre’s hilarious ‘hey Gordon, f*** you’ gag that had wonder winger Anthony in stitches at the height of the tension.

And all at 2am in the UK after a one-hour storm delay. Cue all-night pub carnage, next-day hangovers from hell, record sickies and a nationwide business meltdown. To quote Russell Crowe in Gladiator: “Are you not entertained?”

Best England player – ‘Hey’ Jude Bellingham

The first Englishman in World Cup history to bang in seven goals in the same tournament – from midfield. Single-handedly dragged the Three Lions past Norway into the semi-finals. England’s most recognised player among Americans, according to our survey, and he took on Tuchel with his ‘yeah, well, whatever’ response to the manager’s ‘sloppy’ criticism of the Norway game.

Best non-English player – Lionel Messi

The Argentina legend managed eight goals in eight World Cup matches – at 39 – and almost inspired back-to-back trophy lifts until he ran into the ‘Spanish wall’ in the final.

Played his first ever match against England in the semi-final, moved to the right wing and put in the best cross since Beckham for the goal that broke Three Lions’ hearts. Signed off from the final in floods of tears on the pitch at the both sets of fans’ emotional send-off.

Best fans – Scotland

All-night bagpipe-playing antics went down so well in Boston it wants to become Glasgow’s twin city. Fun-loving Scots drank the city dry and popped traffic cones on every monument in a week of mayhem between group games.

Such a hit with local ladies they set up speed dating sessions to ‘bag a Bruce’. The normally sedate Massachusetts city is now braced for a ‘wee Jock’ baby boom in nine months.

Best minnows – Cape Verde

The only team Spain could not conquer. Emerged undefeated and runner-up from a group containing the world champs-to-be, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia largely thanks to the heroic exploits of their 40-year-old no-club goalkeeper Vozinha who returned to the archipelago off Africa’s west coast a hero and saw his Instagram followers rocket from 500,000 to 29 million.

Best curse – Nana Kwaku Bonsam

The Ghanaian witchdoctor put a curse on Harry Kane to stop him scoring when the two nations met during the group stages – and the England captain duly fired blanks in a no-score bore.

He later declared himself the ‘most powerful spiritualist in the whole world’ and said he had lifted his hex on Kane – who he loved like a brother and would name his son after – allowing the striker to start scoring again in the final group game against Panama. Jinx-free Kane duly obliged – netting the second goal in the Three Lions’ 2-0 victory to secure their spot in the knockouts.

Best celebration – Victoria Beckham and Norway

Posh Spice sat wondrously unmoved after Jude Bellingham’s vital first-half injury time equaliser against Norway as her England legend hubby Sir David exploded in fist-pumping joy next to her.

He later said: “She was celebrating inside I promise. Her reactions were slightly slower than mine.” Her reaction was in marked contrast to Norway’s Viking rowing celebration – a craze which swept the world.

Best TV pundit – Wayne Rooney

Saved the best until last. Gabby Logan, on the much-vaunted half-time show at the final: “You didn’t enjoy it at all?” Rooney: “No. I like a lot of them artists but I thought it was c***.”

Best stadium – Estadio Azteca, Mexico City

Astonishing stadium in a bad part of town which I left minus one stolen iPhone. But I will be back. Steeped in football history throwing up one of the greatest match day experiences ever and a fitting venue for the final – which it bafflingly wasn’t.

Best team – Spain

They won.

The bad

Worst performance – Jordan Henderson

Got a yellow card and tournament-ending injury against Mexico – without actually playing. He was booked for arguing with the ref as he warmed up on the sidelines during the last-16 nerve-shredder.

Then he broke his left arm when he tripped trying to vault an advertising hoarding after going to celebrate with fans at the end. Did not play again.

Worst manager: Tunisia’s Sabri Lamouchi

Sacked on Instagram after just one match – a 5-1 drubbing by Sweden.

Worst fanzone: Cancun, Mexico

We found it unsurprisingly deserted – as it was situated in the middle of a swamp stuffed with thousands of 15ft-long crocodiles three of which had previously attacked humans.

Worst referee: Ilgiz Tantashev

Uzbek official who failed to give Paraguay a single yellow card during a 90-minute orgy of violence against France.

Worst treatment of a team: Iran

Booted out of the US on terrorism grounds, confined to Mexican Sin City of Tijuana – teeming with un-Islamic bars, sex clubs and casinos – and only allowed into America for 24 hours around every match.

The ugly

Most shameless moment: The Falorin Balogun affair

The decision to ‘suspend’ US striker Balogun’s one-match ban after a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina following a personal plea from Donald Trump to FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

The move allowed Balogun to play against Belgium in the last-16. Fortunately it ended in a 4-1 thumping for the US by the Belgians who celebrated by performing a ‘Trump shuffle’ dance on the pitch.

Most shocking moment: Argentina

The sight of the reigning champions thumping, pushing and kicking Spain’s players after the whistle at what should have been a showpiece final.

Most over-hyped moment: The final half-time show

Perfectly summed by England football legend and BBC pundit Wayne Rooney as ‘c***’. At least Roy Keane on ITV liked Shakira.

Special Del Boy Award: FIFA

Ticket prices, telly commercial-selling hydration breaks, flogging off copies of the winning team’s World Cup rings and then selling chunks of the pitch where the final was played.