So this morning I opened my laptop thinking I’d finally write that World Cup history post, right? Grabbed a coffee, cracked my knuckles, and started typing “world cup 2012 winner” into the search bar. Immediately felt stupid. Coffee hadn’t kicked in yet. Because duh, there was no freaking World Cup in 2012. World Cups only happen every four years! Hit delete real fast.
My “Deep Research” Mission
Decided to double-check though, just to be safe. Went digging:
- First hit up FIFA’s official site – nothing for 2012. Major tournaments section skipped straight from 2010 to 2014.
- Scrolled football forums for any nutty theories about hidden tournaments. Nope.
- Even flipped through old newspaper archives online. Found headlines about Euro 2012 (Spain won that!), Confederations Cup… but zero about any 2012 World Cup.
My neighbor Bob wandered over while I was head-desking. The guy bleeds football knowledge. Said: “Mate, 2012? You know nothing! Spain crushed Italy that summer, but that was the Euros.” He rattled off scores like it happened yesterday. Guess I owed him a beer for that reality check.
Life Interrupts Football Research
Got distracted mid-search when my old manager’s name popped up on my phone. Felt that familiar stomach clench. Flashbacks to working in that toxic marketing job years ago. Place ran like a circus:
- Boss promised huge World Cup promo campaign during actual tournament years, then pulled budgets last minute.
- They’d change project goals DAILY. Zero planning.
- Paychecks? Late half the time. Once blamed “international wire delays”. Yeah, right.
I spent more time chasing payments than doing actual work. One Thursday, after payroll ghosted me again while demanding weekend work, I poured my beer over the office plants and walked out. Smelled like cheap vodka for weeks, I bet.
Escaping That Mess
That exit led me here. Freelance gigs, blogging about stuff I actually care about. No middle managers, no payroll “issues”. Just me and my laptop, talking football facts (even when I flub the years!). And guess what?
Two weeks ago, that old boss messaged me: “Huge World Cup project incoming! Need your expertise.” Pay offered was triple my old rate. I blocked his number without replying. That felt better than any trophy.
So yeah, world didn’t get a 2012 World Cup winner. But I won by ditching losers who tried to wreck my game. And frankly, that’s a cup worth raising.