2026 FIFA World Cup - General Chat

Drico said:
I consider the entire group phase in June the qualifiers. And no amount of FIFA sentimentality and head-patting will convince me otherwise. "Ah, isn't it great for Curacao, Cape Verde, Uzbekistan, Jordan, and Scotland."

Nah, not when Curacao face Germany in their first match and Cape Verde play Spain. Can you imagine the scores in those games? Honestly, I can see the Germans racking up about 14 goals. They'll love that. They'll still concede one, mind. And what Spain could do to Cape Verde doesn't bear thinking about.

I hope to see some almighty beatings to prove to FIFA and the world that letting all-comers through to this bloated mess does nothing for quality - or "growing the game." The only thing Infantino is growing is his bank balance and those of the kleptocrats in the "developing countries" whose votes keep him in power.

This tournament starts at the end of June with the knockouts. That's when the meaningful stuff starts. Everything else is mere foreplay. In a funny way, the format might actually work from that point. A 32-team knockout has loads of jeopardy and the element of surprise will always lurk in the shadows. I'll skip the first fortnight or so. That's what highlights are for.
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While i'm not the biggest fan of the extension, or rather how the new berths were distributed - i would like to nitpick a little:
half of the countries you listed would have qualified regardless of it.

Scotland have won their group in UEFA qualification,
Curacao finished above both Jamaica and Trinidad (both of those countries have qualified to previous World Cups)
Uzbekistan have been decent by asian standards for years at this point.

Not exactly fair to single those countries out as if they got their places fair and square.

And also, to me the diversity is the whole point of international football - it was always fun to see a nation that has never (or rarely) qualified go to the world cup and show something. Growing the game is not about quality, it's about kids in Iraq and Congo being able to see their own on the world stage. The quality of football is always better in club football since you get teams that train and play together consistently.

Also, who cares? No one's forcing anyone to watch DR Congo vs Uzbekistan
 
arch stanton said:
one of my mates from work goes to watch England home and away, he's got tickets and is going. He has an interesting past, included getting banged up for lobbing plastic furniture across various town centres around the world so I wouldnt be surprised if he ends up doing some time at His Donalds Pleasure
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He really should check before he goes
www.gov.uk

Entry requirements - USA travel advice

FCDO travel advice for USA. Includes safety and security, insurance, entry requirements and legal differences.
www.gov.uk www.gov.uk
You may not be able to apply for an ESTA visa waiver if you have:

  • been arrested (even if the arrest did not result in a criminal conviction)
  • a criminal record
  • been refused admission into, or have been deported from, the US
  • previously overstayed under an ESTA visa waiver
Information on whether you are eligible for an ESTA visa waiver can be found in the help section of the official ESTA Application Website.
 
LinekersLegs said:
He really should check before he goes
www.gov.uk

Entry requirements - USA travel advice

FCDO travel advice for USA. Includes safety and security, insurance, entry requirements and legal differences.
www.gov.uk www.gov.uk
You may not be able to apply for an ESTA visa waiver if you have:

  • been arrested (even if the arrest did not result in a criminal conviction)
  • a criminal record
  • been refused admission into, or have been deported from, the US
  • previously overstayed under an ESTA visa waiver
Information on whether you are eligible for an ESTA visa waiver can be found in the help section of the official ESTA Application Website.
Click to expand...
Can still get a visa.
 
ftk43 said:
While i'm not the biggest fan of the extension, or rather how the new berths were distributed - i would like to nitpick a little:
half of the countries you listed would have qualified regardless of it.

Scotland have won their group in UEFA qualification,
Curacao finished above both Jamaica and Trinidad (both of those countries have qualified to previous World Cups)
Uzbekistan have been decent by asian standards for years at this point.

Not exactly fair to single those countries out as if they got their places fair and square.

And also, to me the diversity is the whole point of international football - it was always fun to see a nation that has never (or rarely) qualified go to the world cup and show something. Growing the game is not about quality, it's about kids in Iraq and Congo being able to see their own on the world stage. The quality of football is always better in club football since you get teams that train and play together consistently.

Also, who cares? No one's forcing anyone to watch DR Congo vs Uzbekistan
Click to expand...

For me it is the obvious intentions behind it and the timing of it.

I don't think I would have had as much issue with the expansion, if it was done a few tournaments ago, or even if they were making it affordable and open for the fans to go and watch live. I just see it as a breaking point in where FIFA have shown their true colours, it was hard for them to hide the internal corruption that has been going on for decades, but this past year or so they have really outdone themselves on an internal and external level.

Yes, it is nice for kids of these countries to have heroes that they can aspire to, and watch them playing (from afar) at the highest levels. Unfortunately, there will still be no infrastructure improvements for them, as the money will not be flowing down to grass roots.

It is hard to get on board with any of it.
 
LinekersLegs said:
He really should check before he goes
www.gov.uk

Entry requirements - USA travel advice

FCDO travel advice for USA. Includes safety and security, insurance, entry requirements and legal differences.
www.gov.uk www.gov.uk
You may not be able to apply for an ESTA visa waiver if you have:

  • been arrested (even if the arrest did not result in a criminal conviction)
  • a criminal record
  • been refused admission into, or have been deported from, the US
  • previously overstayed under an ESTA visa waiver
Information on whether you are eligible for an ESTA visa waiver can be found in the help section of the official ESTA Application Website.
Click to expand...
he's aware of the limitations but is adamant he'll be fine. Rather him than me.
 
ftk43 said:
While i'm not the biggest fan of the extension, or rather how the new berths were distributed - i would like to nitpick a little:
half of the countries you listed would have qualified regardless of it.

Scotland have won their group in UEFA qualification,
Curacao finished above both Jamaica and Trinidad (both of those countries have qualified to previous World Cups)
Uzbekistan have been decent by asian standards for years at this point.

Not exactly fair to single those countries out as if they got their places fair and square.

And also, to me the diversity is the whole point of international football - it was always fun to see a nation that has never (or rarely) qualified go to the world cup and show something. Growing the game is not about quality, it's about kids in Iraq and Congo being able to see their own on the world stage. The quality of football is always better in club football since you get teams that train and play together consistently.

Also, who cares? No one's forcing anyone to watch DR Congo vs Uzbekistan
Click to expand...
Ah, you're being very selective. Take Curacao. The major opposition in CONCACAF was cleared out of their way through automatic qualification. If the USA, Canada, and Mexico had to qualify, there is a very strong possibility - likelihood, in reality - that Curacao wouldn't have. Good luck to them for taking their chance, but the system has helped them enormously. And this is the point: the system is bloated and flawed.

And it's a facetious, if seductive, argument to say teams would have qualified "regardless" under a different system. We can't say that for sure. How do we know that the knowledge of having a guaranteed play-off berth didn't impact Sweden's approach and the results in their group? We don't.

You don't need 48 teams for "diversity". We had diversity with 16 - and certainly with 32 - and we didn't have to hugely compromise the quality and engage in gigantism to get it. As for the kids getting to see their sides on the big stage, absolutely. But you need to be worth your place on that stage. If Germany break scoring records against Curacao, I'm not sure that's doing those kids much good.

The logical conclusion of your argument is to do away with qualifying and give a ticket to everyone in the name of diversity. Infantino's eyes would light up at the prospect.

But, you're right: who cares. Nobody is forced to watch. I'll start at the knockout stage.
 
Imagine paying top whack for a ticket to watch argentina vs Tuvalu then messi doesn't even play and it finishes 15-0. I can already hear the complaints...
"I paid less to watch the superbowl live, I enjoyed it more and the HT show was great"
"This is supposed to be competitive sport, we've come to see the greatest players and we've been served up that!"
"if this is soccer, you can keep it, I didn't even get chance to enjoy the ad breaks!"
 
Billy Dean said:
I got Spain to beat Portugal in the final

Click to expand...

I went blindly with my gut and didn't do too much that was controversial - and got some incredible last 32 match-ups. Simply by placing Germany second in their group behind Ecuador, France second behind Senegal, and Japan ahead of Holland, I ended up with Germany v France, Argentina v Uruguay, Switzerland v Austria, England v Norway, and Brazil v Holland. Wow.

Match-ups like that have huge potential to change what would seem the obvious narrative at the World Cup. I wouldn't really call any of those matches - but would be fairly sure at least two of the on-paper "favourites" would be beaten. In this case, I am going for Germany to beat France, if only because this is the kind of game this poorish German team would relish - and because they have a good record against France in recent friendlies. I have Haaland doing a Suarez and eliminating England. I think Argentina, Brazil, and Switzerland have enough in their ties. Obviously, all five of these games could go either way - what a round!

Amazingly, and again blindly, this is giving me a last 16 that includes South Korea v Japan and Brazil v Germany. Wow. End of the line for the Germans. Nageslmann sacked and joins Newcastle in July.

My quarter-finals are Senegal v Japan, Spain v Turkey, Brazil v Mexico, and Argentina v Portugal, or Messi v Ronaldo in FIFA Americana marketing-speak. I fancy the Samurai Blue - speaking of marketing waffle - Brazil to knock the Mexicans out at the last 8 stage, which is where they tend to exit when hosting, Spain, and Messi to complete his hegemony over Ronaldo as the more talented Portuguese succumb to Roberto Martinez's sunny disposition in lieu of actual tactics.

That gives us two epic semi-finals: Japan v Spain and Brazil v Argentina.

In the end, Spain win their second World Cup beating Carlo's Brazil in the final.
 
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