Kroos sees great responsibility in football's power to unite the world | OneFootball

Ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, we sat down to speak with World Cup winner, Toni Kroos to talk about football’s ability to unite the world, the greatness of Miroslav Klose and his favourite moment from 2014.

OneFootball: What does the FIFA World Cup mean to you?

Toni Kroos: It is the biggest tournament possible in sport. There is nothing bigger than it.

OF: You are a world champion. How did this feel, and would you say that your life changed as a result of that?

TK: I would say my sporting life has definitely changed.

OF: Which World Cup moment will you always remember and is there a funniest/best World Cup 2014 anecdote you have never revealed?

TK: The moment I will always remember is, of course, the final whistle of the 2014 final; as well as the goal against Sweden in 2018. One of my favourite moments was in 2014 after beating Portugal in the first game. Afterwards, Miroslav Klose came to me to tell me that I was the best player on the pitch and that he was so happy for me.

It surprised me and it was special because he was already a legend and also because he had spent the game on the bench.

OF: In 2018 you scored that phenomenal free- kick against Sweden that made the whole country believe in a successful World Cup. Describe the moments after the ball went into the net?

TK: It was pure emotion. There was a lot of pressure on us to win the game after we had lost the first one and even more so on me because I had made a big mistake in the same game that allowed Sweden to score. And to realise I gave the whole country a huge moment of happiness is special.

OF: You have played football on pitches all over the globe, against teams from all continents, how would you describe football’s power to unite the world? And the power of football in general.

TK: As the world’s number one sport, football automatically unites the world. There are so many people playing or watching football that it is crazy. So there is definitely a huge responsibility for the sport and also for all players to be great examples in terms of important values – especially for the young fans.

OF: What did you learn about yourself as a player and a person through football?

TK: Give everything, every day for your dream.

And that applies for football as well as life

OF: How important is it for a player’s career to participate in a World Cup?

TK: As I said, it’s the most important competition in this sport. Every player wants to compete on the biggest stage and with the best players in the world.

OF: We are now close to the kick off of the FIFA World Cup 2022 – what do you expect from the tournament?

TK: It’s going to be a different World Cup, when compared to the others. As it’s winter for the first time, the teams won’t have as much time to prepare themselves as they usually do, so the actual form of the players they bring from their club teams will have a bigger impact. But these are the same circumstances for all teams.

OF: From a player’s point of view, what should be the focus with only a few days before the World Cup kicks off?

TK: To be in optimal condition for the first game – and ideally for seven games. To take care of your body because every possible small injury could cost important games. And, of course, work with the team on tactical details day by day.

OF: Are you looking forward to the matches, and which teams are you following?

TK: Germany, of course, and the teams which my team-mates from Real Madrid are playing for – so Spain, France, Croatia, Belgium, Uruguay and Brazil.

OF: What are Germany’s chances and who are your favourite for the title?

TK: My favourite is Brazil. I see them a step above the other teams. Behind them I see teams like France, Spain, Argentina, England and Germany. For Germany I hope they will have a good start to the tournament that always helps to get a good feeling – they definitely have the quality to go deep into the tournament.