A stacked weekend lies ahead with all four quarter-finals kicking off live and free on SBS On Demand at 1:30AM and 5:30AM AEDT on Saturday and Sunday.
Much was said of Qatar’s ability to host the beautiful game’s showpiece event, but Tyler feels the quality on the pitch has so far exceeded expectations amid off-field concerns.
Speaking to David Basheer ahead of Morocco’s last-16 meeting with Spain, the 77-year-old admitted the decision to move the 2022 edition to the middle of the season has helped make it one of the more memorable experiences he’s had across eight World Cups with SBS.
“I’ll probably reflect on it but, at the moment, I’m feeling that it’s the best World Cup I’ve been to,” Tyler said.
“I think that because of the competitiveness of the football – the top level is still very high, but the other countries are getting closer to it.
“And because, though it was so controversial playing it in November and December, it’s actually worked for the large majority of the players who play in this season from August to May.
“It comes at a good time; they are absolutely fit and ready. They say in English football you don’t get super fit for the first game, you work your way through the first two or three months and get your fitness through the sessions and the matches, and then, as Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United always used to do, crack on after Christmas.
“So, they’re in good shape and I think that’s given us the intensity of the competition and the quality of the play.”
Morocco are looking to continue their impressive run to the knockout stages with a surprise victory over Spain on Wednesday, with the winner set to face either Portugal or Switzerland in the quarter-finals.
It’s been a World Cup full of surprises thus far, and you feel there may be one or two more in store.
