World's goal, Football supply chain Golmaal

Few spectacles bring home the state of globalisation as the football World Cup. Tomorrow's final between world ranking No. 1 Argentina and No. 2 Spain will be watched by about three-quarters of the world's population. But that cloaks the fragility of the global football supply chain. International football is now played with African talent, European management, Asian capital and - through Fifa's market expansion strategy - in North American stadiums. All the bits and pieces must come together for football to retain its claim as the preeminent global sport. Intrinsically, football is a universal game, which makes it so popular. But in keeping with the times, the supply chain is hardly resilient. Asia can't (yet) provide players. Africa doesn't have the consuming power to draw advertising. An ageing Europe will eventually lose its edge in running clubs. And North Americans must make up their minds about 'soccer'.

The big disappointment is a young Asia's inability to build football infrastructure that throws up international players in sufficient volume. Part of the reason involves the Indian subcontinent, where cricket is a national obsession to the exclusion of other major sports like football or tennis. With fertility rates collapsing in India, alongside the rest of Asia, the country will miss the demographic dividend in football. As Africa's population peaks, it will increasingly dominate the sport. Living standards in Africa must keep up to shift the centre of gravity of the game to the continent. North Americans can balance the demands of talent and advertising. But football will have to adapt to their viewing habits.

An argument can be made that Fifa has been behind the curve over the changing dynamics of football. Changes announced for this World Cup - more teams, and commercial breaks - are small steps that matter in the long run for football. Europe has shown the game can be globalised through a self-reinforcing loop that draws in players and audiences. This formula needs to be replicated in other parts of the world.