Football FIFA 2026 World Cup

[Josef]

Vini Jr. jumps in the frey for top scorer.

Swiss is a weird team. They always make it to the knockout just to get knocked out.

 

[Hermit]

Swiss is a weird team. They always make it to the knockout just to get knocked out.

Mexico too. I think they have the record for most KO appearances and getting knocked out, lol.

On that note, SOUTH AFRICA Finishing second place in a group with both South Korea and Mexico is just awesome.

Morocco also qualified though that was a given. Senegal are out already, no?

 

[xi0]

Swiss are a bit different time though, since they kinda play attacking football. Swiss teams in the past were very organized, defensive teams.

 

[GrySun]

Turkey deciding to show up at the end when it doesn't matter.

 

[Hermit]

Ivory Coast also through
3 African teams so far. Very impressive.
Also, four confirmed round of 32 match ups so far I believe?
-Netherlands vs Morocco
-Brazil vs Japan
-Canada vs South Africa
-USA vs Bosnia

 

[xi0]

Turkey deciding to show up at the end when it doesn't matter.

Against a team that started a single starter (McKennie) and 10 backups.

Don't get me wrong, they probably looked the best in this third game, but even against our backup defenders they have a noticeable lack of clinical finishing in front of goal. And their defense just isn't good enough to make up for it in a tourney format, their setpiece defense is horrific. Montella is wasting the talent there IMO. Still, I guess it's admirable that they cared enough to push for a win at the end there.

--- Double Post Merged, Jun 26, 2026, Original Post Date: Jun 26, 2026 ---

For the US, hopefully this is the last time we ever see Miles Robinson playing for this team again. Completely inept, terrible on the ball, constantly being beat. I'm going to assume part of Mark McKenzie also being poor was having to play next to that bum. Austin Trusty was exceptional though, he might be MOTM for me. He definitely has to be looked at as a Tim Ream replacement sooner rather than later. Seb Berhalter had a great goal but I thought just like against Paraguay he was quite bad for us prior to that. He got a yellow and was looking like he was trying to get a second on purpose or some shit. I have no clue why Poch put Weah on the left and Aaronson on the right, when they typically play the reverse of those positions for the NT. Weah just had no touch and looked slower than normal, one of his worst outings for us that I can remember. Pepi needs to play with the A-team or he just isn't capable of much, he can't carry on his own at the 9. Thank god for Balogun.

 

[GrySun]

Oh you sure know your american football, erm soccer

--- Double Post Merged, Jun 26, 2026, Original Post Date: Jun 26, 2026 ---

But can you handle Bosnia

 

[Raven]

If Egypt and Iran tied. And Beligum and New zealand also tied. Both Iran and Egypt get qualified. I want this scenario to happen.

To be honest i hope both Egypt and Iran to withdraw, no hate for gays but just for sake of challenging the sick US, Imagine picking the biggest Islamic figure teams to celebrate pride, This need a response of the same energy if they got the balls just if which i highly doubt, I meab So what? try next 4 year maybe. Although if this happened, Egypt will get qualified instantly. its a lose/lose situation for both, They have very low chances to win anyways so even if they compromise it would be for nothing, so better lose with honor than try your luck with your head buried in the sand and appear hypocrites. lol

 

[Hardy]

Ivory Coast also through
3 African teams so far. Very impressive.
Also, four confirmed round of 32 match ups so far I believe?
-Netherlands vs Morocco
-Brazil vs Japan
-Canada vs South Africa
-USA vs Bosnia

This 48 teams world cup is such a stupid concept. The Dutch get to face Morocco meanwhile the US were pretty much guaranteed to play against the 3rd place of the weakest groups before the cup even started. The 64 teams world cup will be better just to avoid dumb shit like that (thought at that point why even bother having qualifiers lol...)

 

[Hermit]

This 48 teams world cup is such a stupid concept. The Dutch get to face Morocco meanwhile the US were pretty much guaranteed to play against the 3rd place of the weakest groups before the cup even started. The 64 teams world cup will be better just to avoid dumb shit like that (thought at that point why even bother having qualifiers lol...)

Well, it hasn't been all bad. We've had some nice stories (Cape Verde, South Africa,).

Though yeah, the bad teams have been REALLY bad, lmao. Qatar are Asian champions yet they have a GD of -8 (zero wins) .Curacao also have a GD of -8. Tunisia embarrassing but that's them every world cup. Haiti poor but thats a result of them being grouped with two other big teams (Brazil and Morocco).
They kind of did the newish teams dirty by pairing them in strong groups.

 

[GrySun]

Tunisia embarrassing but that's them every world cup.

@Asako @Kakoha

 

[Hardy]

Well, it hasn't been all bad. We've had some nice stories (Cape Verde, South Africa,).

Though yeah, the bad teams have been REALLY bad, lmao. Qatar are Asian champions yet they have a GD of -8 (zero wins) .Curacao also have a GD of -8. Tunisia embarrassing but that's them every world cup. Haiti poor but thats a result of them being grouped with two other big teams (Brazil and Morocco).
They kind of did the newish teams dirty by pairing them in strong groups.

The stories are cute but feel inconsequential if so many teams are going through. The upsets in the last years were massive (ala Costa Rica in 2014 and Japan in the last) in huge part BECAUSE giants were left behind. Pretty much only the worst of the worst are being eliminated at this point, with Turkey and perhaps Uruguay as exceptions.

South Africa was absolutely ass in the first 2 games they didn't deserve it at all.

The gap in quality is so bad and the group phase is so whatever that this WC already broke the record of most goals scored.

 

[SirSamuel016]

But can you handle Bosnia

 

[Hermit]

@Asako @Kakoha

It's true though They've never made it past the group stages even in some of the easiest groups ever. South Africa made knock outs before them and this is their second ever world cup appearance.

Pretty much only the worst of the worst are being eliminated at this point, with Turkey and perhaps Uruguay as exceptions.
The gap in quality is so bad and the group phase is so whatever that this WC already broke the record of most goals scored.

I'm curious to see how many goals the golden boot winner ends the tournament on. From 2010-2018 you needed only 5 goals to win it. Messi already has 5, the runner up 4. Only two games in.

Thankfully no work tomorrow so can catch Spain-Uruguay tonight 🫡

 

[Juviii]

Haiti, tunisia, curaçao etc were better off not playing the groups at all. The knock outs will be a waste of some teams and they made it on purpose to have a Portugal vs Argentina later on, yet, too bad for them, if Portugal ends up second that might never happen.

 

[Hardy]

ALEX MORAN MY GOAT

 

[Hermit]

Haiti, tunisia, curaçao etc were better off not playing the groups at all. The knock outs will be a waste of some teams and they made it on purpose to have a Portugal vs Argentina later on, yet, too bad for them, if Portugal ends up second that might never happen.

If Portugal end up second worst case scenario they will just meet Argentina in the final.
Also, about Curacao and Haiti, it was nice having them appear in the world cup for the first time (Which is the fairy tale thing I meant before). Most of these countries usually don't get a chance to compete in the world cup, so expanding it to a bigger format helped in that regard.
See Africa for instance. 10 teams. Normally it's 6. And out of those six, only one made it to knock outs usually (Morocco 22, Algeria 14). This time we have three already. With a chance for more later.

 

[Newkerzy]

What is Norway’s coach doing? They’re robbing us of a Mbappe-Haaland clash!

 

[xi0]

Oh you sure know your american football, erm soccer

--- Double Post Merged, Jun 26, 2026, Original Post Date: Jun 26, 2026 ---

But can you handle Bosnia

It's fine if you call it football, I won't die

Bosnia is a team that is playing with no pressure, them going through was a bit of a stroke of luck since Qatar is just fraudulent and somehow the Swiss drew with them. They're physical and counter strong but they still lack finishing. If I can't see them as being better than Paraguay or Australia, nor do I think they're as talented as the Turks, I can't really claim that I'm too worried about them. But hey, it's certainly possible we embarrass ourselves, we're probably due.

To be honest i hope both Egypt and Iran to withdraw, no hate for gays but just for sake of challenging the sick US, Imagine picking the biggest Islamic figure teams to celebrate pride, This need a response of the same energy if they got the balls just if which i highly doubt, I meab So what? try next 4 year maybe. Although if this happened, Egypt will get qualified instantly. its a lose/lose situation for both, They have very low chances to win anyways so even if they compromise it would be for nothing, so better lose with honor than try your luck with your head buried in the sand and appear hypocrites. lol

I'd prefer if we keep the topic to the sport but what is it about the "sick US"? No one picked these two countries for the pride match, it was already decided which fixture it would be well before any of the teams were seeded. One could say why did they keep it this way if they thought there would be issues?...well that is also offensive, is it not? Why would organizers want to assume that about teams from Muslim countries? Either way it's lose-lose for them IMO.

If the PLAYERS and not the federations decided to boycott then that is there right and they can leave. I'd just find it untoward for the federations to decide such things if the players don't care enough to put their dreams aside to be hateful.

This 48 teams world cup is such a stupid concept. The Dutch get to face Morocco meanwhile the US were pretty much guaranteed to play against the 3rd place of the weakest groups before the cup even started. The 64 teams world cup will be better just to avoid dumb shit like that (thought at that point why even bother having qualifiers lol...)

Unfortunately, I think the main alternative was some stupid shit like 3-team groups or something. I believe there's been WC or at least Euros in the past with third place qualification but I guess with this amount of teams it feels slightly different. Though I have to say overall I think it's been great, but I guess a weird knockout phase could still spoil it.

--- Double Post Merged, Jun 26, 2026 ---

What is Norway’s coach doing? They’re robbing us of a Mbappe-Haaland clash!

From what I've seen the results determine whether they face Germany or Brazil and I guess they prefer the latter? Not sure, but it's definitely odd.

--- Double Post Merged, Jun 26, 2026 ---

From what I've seen the results determine whether they face Germany or Brazil and I guess they prefer the latter? Not sure, but it's definitely odd.

Okay, this info is incorrect, seems like Norway is confirmed against Ivory Coast. Well, still preferable to Germany or Brazil lol

 

[Hermit]

>Be Senegal
>Lose against the two countries with the top 5 players in the world
>Beat Iraq 5-0 to qualify for the round of 32 on goal difference

Ez