  After a long qualifying process packed with surprises (Italy missing out as
the reigning European champions) and last minute drama (both Egypt and Peru
missed out on penalties), the FIFA World Cup 2022 kicked off on the 20th of
November in Qatar. With 32 countries and over 800 players representing nearly
300 clubs globally, it measured up to more than 12 billion EUR in the players'
current estimated market value total. In this short piece, we explore what the
small and interconnected world of football stars looks like and even make a few
efforts and compare success in soccer to social networks.
