France vs Portugal in: The World Cup of Life
So we know that Cristiano Ronaldo is flashy, Thierry Henry may be the best striker in the world and Zinedine Zidane is brilliant if a step slow. But how do these countries stack up off the field, in the World Cup of Life?
In a head to head competition, Portugal just barely beats out France as Europe’s leading consumer of alcohol per capita, at 11.1 gallons of pure alcohol per person per year. France has just barely fallen behind, but it’s hard to tell by how much on the graph.
France has an edge when comparing major races with “Tour” and “France” in the title, but the “Volta a Portugal” is no weekend bike ride. It’s a multi stage race over two weeks that would attract some of the biggest names in cycling if it weren’t held immediately after the Tour de France and before the Vuelta a Espana.
It’s hard to get an accurate count on the number of Guinness World Records each country holds, but Portugal gets the award for the most recent record. In an inspiring display of patriotism and free-time, they brought together 18,788 people on a football field to create the Largest Human National Flag.
France however, reported the world’s longest traffic jam in February of 1980, which stretched 176 km (109 miles) from Lyon towards Paris.
France also boasts the world’s oldest portrait of a human face, a cave painting discovered by a potholer in the West of France. But based on the picture at the bottom of the article, it may also be the oldest portrait of a bird or the earliest swimming pool design.
Not to be outdone, Portugal boasts the Whistler tree, the world’s largest cork tree. Harvested every nine years, the tree produces enough cork to plug 100,000 bottles and during its next harvest, in 2009, the tree will produce its one millionth cork. Insert your own Cristiano Ronaldo ‘put a cork in it’ joke here.
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Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 30 comments.
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By diego | July 5th, 2006 at 4:25 pm 
Oh and Bob, about the little picture on your post… Are the soccer players supposed to run through the field while people shoot arrows at them??? and, do the players use this to perfect their more dramatic diving skills??? 
Posted from 
United States
By Dave Hamilton | July 5th, 2006 at 4:40 pm I have always preferred Italians in the World Cup of Life, Bob, although I express a preference for French cuisine (unparalleled). The Italian people strike me as friendlier in a general sense, more humorous, and easier to get to know. The French are still too INEXPLICABLY smug for me, particularly with respect to their language..admittedly a beautiful language, maybe the most beautiful…and their sadsack liberal politics which they call conservative. That said, Prodi is boorish and on the wrong side of the political spectrum as well. Both countries have a lot of natural beauty, neither has women that compare favorably to Russians or South Americans. The French Open tennis tournament is a joy. Lots more to say really both pro and con, but no time.:(
Dave hamildav@yahoo.com
Posted from United States
By Pedro P | July 5th, 2006 at 4:41 pm @Gian Luca: In spite of all the stereotypes, I’d sure as hell always buy a german car (unless it’s a Ferrari), no matter what they say… 
FORCA PORTUGAL!!!
Posted from 
Netherlands
By janus | July 5th, 2006 at 5:15 pm Pretty funny Gian Luca.:)
You also forgot the Best Beaches with Topless Honeys contest.
Posted from 
Belgium
By LUIS | July 5th, 2006 at 5:45 pm Gian Luca,
I thought the Americans were the biggest hot air people on the face of the planet, NUMBER One in everything!!!
Allez la FRANCE!!!! today
Posted from United States
By Gerard | July 5th, 2006 at 5:51 pm Back to the Whistler Tree – who owns it?
I’d like to bid for that one millionth cork – hope its bigger than the rest, and i’d like to give it to Cristiano Ronaldo – up his rear.
Then he would wink with two eyes.
Posted from 
India
By Kimberly | July 5th, 2006 at 5:51 pm Im Just Glad that Italy won yesterday in the final over time. I perfer Italy over anyone else but id like to see portugal win against france and then see Italy Vs. Portugal that should actually be a good game.
Posted from United States
By zidane | July 5th, 2006 at 5:53 pm It’s ZINEDINE, not Zenadine. Yeesh.
Posted from United States
By mariene | July 5th, 2006 at 6:01 pm Portugal is long overdue for a victory. It’ll be sooo sweet!
FORCA PORTUGAL!!!!
Posted from United States
By Gerard | July 5th, 2006 at 6:09 pm Game prelude – How they match up
Managers:
Scolari Vs Domenech
Winner – Scolari
Goalkeepers:
Ricardo Vs Barthez
Winner – Ricardo
Defenders:
Meira/Carvalho/Valente/Miguel Vs Thuram/Sagnol/Gallas/Abidal
Winner – France
Midfielders:
Figo/Ronaldo/Costinha/Deco Vs Zidane/Viera/Makelele/Malouda/Ribery
Winner – France
Forwards:
Pauleta/Simao Vs Henry
Winner – France
Final Analysis:
France 3 – 2 Portugal
Posted from India
By Nick | July 5th, 2006 at 6:12 pm Its plain and simple, France are gonna cream Portugal. Portugal’s only hope lies in their keeper Ricardo, to hold on for penalties, because France have Fabien ‘butter fingers’ Barthez and Ricardo is pretty good at penalty shootouts, as we saw against England.
By the way, who do you guy’s think should be the next England captain? (I say Terry)
Posted from 
United Kingdom
By Gerard | July 5th, 2006 at 6:17 pm @Nick
“By the way, who do you guy’s think should be the next England captain? (I say Terry)”
I think this is the wrong blog for this but to answer your question – Steven Gerrard (Not only cos we share the same name…!)
He’s been a real motivating factor at Liverpool, with the quality of players at his disposal compared to what Terry has at Chelsea.
Posted from India
By Pedro P | July 5th, 2006 at 6:27 pm @Nick: I am disgusted with what the press, especially the english, is doing to destroy POR’s image. Furthermoe, 90% of the people who see the WC don’t have a clue about football. So they just buy what is sold…
But I know it’s nothing to do with you.
ENG’s captain…? Go back to ENG vs POR match… Who showed leadership? Initiative? Who did the others look up to? Who did they follow? I mean, your best – best, because he NEVER breaks down, which is what the rest of the team does – player (Rooney) is too young and is no leader whatsoever. Not yet. Your other best player doesn’t fit the system ENG likes (Hargreaves). For the rest, you don’t lack quality anywhere… You actually have quite an excellent team. I mean it, and I’m a POR fan to the bone…
Not that Sven is bad, your team needs to “reset”. Find a guy from the old guard, an english like Alex Ferg or Bobby Robson for the next 4 year cycle, to get you back on track again and at peace with your identity as a team. The choice for captain will be different in 3 months from now (it doesn’t really matter now, does it?), after the dust has settled…
All the best for the ENG team in the future. All the worse for the ENG tabloids…
Posted from Netherlands
By sandy | July 5th, 2006 at 6:28 pm PORTUGAL, PORTUGAL, PORTUGAL!!!!!!!!
Posted from 
Canada
By ANDY | July 5th, 2006 at 6:28 pm guys check out http://www.vegassnitch.com during the france-portugal game….coolest free site ever…they predict almost IDENTICAL what will happen
Posted from United States
By MARIA | July 5th, 2006 at 6:48 pm OH WELL
EVERYONE IS PUTTING THERE MONEY ON FRANCE, I LIKE THE COMMENT ABOVE THAT FRANCE IS GOING TO CREAM PORTUGAL, THE IS TOOOOOO BAAAAD .I KNOW THAT IS GOING TO BE THE OTHER WAY AROUND,SORRY ITALIAN FANS,NOT ONLY WE ARE GOING TO BEAT FRANCE WE ALSO GOING TO BEAT ITALY. WE ARE TAKING THE CUP HOME, PORTUGAL A SMALL COUNTRY WITH BIG HEARTAND WE DESERVE IT. PORTUGAL IS GOING TO PROVE ONCE AND FOR ALL THAT BIG COUNTRIES DONT MEAN NOTHING WHEN IT COMES TO SOCCER. WE ARE THE BEST . GOOOOOOOO PORTUGAL ALL THE WAY
Posted from United States
By zidaneisking | July 5th, 2006 at 6:49 pm “WHEN IT COMES TO SOCCER. WE ARE THE BEST”
Yeah, that’s why you haven’t managed to get past the second round in 40 years. The only reason you guys are doing so well is that you’ve hired the world’s top coach, a Brazilian, that’s it. Before hiring the right coach, you guys were always at the bottom of European football.
Posted from United States
By Enrique(Henry) | July 5th, 2006 at 6:52 pm Viva Portugal!!!rah rah rah
Posted from United States
By mohan | July 5th, 2006 at 7:09 pm What about the French Wine and the Portuguese Port?
http://www.portugal-info.net/wines/port.htm
Posted from India
By mohan | July 5th, 2006 at 7:17 pm And both France and Portugal have an Indian connection. Portugal ruled Goa on the west coast for nearly 400 years and France ruled Pondicherry on the east coast for more than 200 years.
Posted from India
By redheart | July 5th, 2006 at 7:32 pm Viva PORTUGAL! But if unfortunally, we won’t win the match i hope France win Italy. But if Italy win i’ll be happy,
too.
Posted from 
Portugal
By Eva | July 5th, 2006 at 7:43 pm It’s hard it’s hard…
Would be fun to see Portugal win!…
Posted from United States
By MARIA | July 5th, 2006 at 8:16 pm HEY HENRY
I ALSO LIKE YOURE COMMENT . YES IF WE WERE NO GOOD, THE BEST COACH WOULD NOT AGREE TO BE THERE FOR US. FURTHER MORE BRASIL AND PORTUGAL ARE ONE IN THE SAME IF YOU REMEMBER HISTORY. THANK YOU. GO GO GO PORTUGAL. PORTUGAL FOR EVER
Posted from United States
By lg | July 5th, 2006 at 9:56 pm portugal is playing well even down 1-o
does anybody think that c. rinaldo and figo are hurting their team with all the bunny hopping they are doing. the ref will not call a foul for that nonsense
Posted from Canada
By Pedro P | July 6th, 2006 at 1:36 pm @Zidaneisking: Portugal was so down in european football until Scolari, that they managed to scare the shit out of France in 1984 and 2000. Who actually didn’t do much till then…
You won luckylly both times. Be happy for yesterday, cos after Zidane’s gone, you’ll have some 20 yeras licking the floor (in european football), frenchies… Portugal won’t…
Bonne chance a vous pour les prochainnes 20 annees, mes petits… La France ne serais pas jamais comme le Portugal… C’etait comme ca pendant les temps de Napoleon, c’est comme ca maintenant, et il sera toujours comme ca… Vous pouvez gagnez avec les penalties (2006, 2002), ou avec de la chance (1984), mais le Portugal sera toujours le meilleur! Au revoir…
Posted from Netherlands
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