Football FIFA 2026 World Cup

[Hardy]

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.

Pretty sure that was actually the original idea but it was scrapped to avoid collusion among other things. Should had been way worse yeah.

The extra knockout phase means teams will have to endure an extra round of pressure and we might see some big names missing the semis because of carry over yellow cards. Since the 2006 wc the cards get cleared after the group phase and during semis (because Ballack missed the 2002 final and it was dross). So players would have to get carded in both rounds (top 16 and top 8) to miss a knockout match because of carry over cards, but now there's an extra round that can make it happen.

 

[Raven]

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.

You said it, They should brand it to another match

 

[SirSamuel016]

Wowee Cabo Verde

 

[Hermit]

Making round of 32 with three draws...that's bloody brilliant

--- Double Post Merged, Jun 27, 2026, Original Post Date: Jun 27, 2026 ---

They haven't scored a single goal as well lmao. Never seen anything like that before.

 

[Raven]

Egypt qualified without playing, Now they play against Iran for what? Hormuz strait

--- Double Post Merged, Jun 27, 2026, Original Post Date: Jun 27, 2026 ---

Well I support Iran to win now, I want Iran to qualify as well

 

[Teubier]

Making round of 32 with three draws...that's bloody brilliant

--- Double Post Merged, Jun 27, 2026, Original Post Date: Jun 27, 2026 ---

They haven't scored a single goal as well lmao. Never seen anything like that before.

Nah they drew 2-2 against Uruguay.
The disappointment for Uruguay, out with two draws and a defeat.
If Cape Verde manage another tie against Argentina and win the shootout, legit, I eat a rat.

 

[Hermit]

Nah they drew 2-2 against Uruguay.
The disappointment for Uruguay, out with two draws and a defeat.
If Cape Verde manage another tie against Argentina and win the shootout, legit, I eat a rat.

Oh I saw their goal difference was zero and thought they hadn't scored at all.
Also, regarding your eating a rat, LET'S GO EL MEJOR

 

[xi0]

You said it, They should brand it to another match

I don't think saying those teams are incapable of being tolerant is a viable alternative

 

[Raven]

I don't think saying those teams are incapable of being tolerant is a viable alternative

I don’t see any pride celebration inside the stadium tho, looks like it only happening outside which is fine I guess and both captains don’t wear the rainbow so idk
*

Iran goal against Egypt was fire

Also the double kicks from defenders are so impressive.

I’m outside and people look at me as traitor or something being happy because Iran scored. I’m not an enemy trust me lol

--- Double Post Merged, Jun 27, 2026, Original Post Date: Jun 27, 2026 ---

Fuck, Iran can still be qualified

 

[xi0]

I don’t see any pride celebration inside the stadium tho, looks like it only happening outside which is fine I guess and both captains don’t wear the rainbow so idk

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/06/26/world-cup-2026/iran-egypt-pride-match-00979082

It was always going to be this IMO. Who played in the match didn't change much. FIFA had nothing to do with it anyway, so if they insisted upon doing anything about it they would technically be breaking the law. For once they handled it correctly probably as it was inconsequential.

 

[Kakoha]

@Asako @Kakoha

I'm not much into football, but tbh, there are probably worst teams out there so whatever (according to AI, South Korea and Mexico are the worst performance wise XD).
this is probably our worst world cup performance wise, we used to always have some points in the group stage (aka we won or made a draw in at least one game) and we don't lose with a big difference score wise. but anyways, we earned our place in the world cup and that's what's important. anyone saying they would have been better off if we didn't get to qualify to the world cup, just remember, we had to beat whoever was gonna qualify in our place to get qualified Xp
anyways, I hope we get better in the upcoming world cups, this year there's a lot of corruption appearently with whoever is responsible with the national team, so I hope it gets exposed and we get stronger.
anyways, I don't follow much football anyways, this is just from what I hear ppl say and some internet searches lol
..
btw, why is this time, there's a lot of bad matches ? like a lot of 5-1s 5-0s and even 6-0 ?

 

[Raven]

Mexico has 9 points, not sure how they performed bad

 

[Juviii]

btw, why is this time, there's a lot of bad matches ? like a lot of 5-1s 5-0s and even 6-0 ?

That's the thing. Too many teams in the groups this year makes the gap between some teams wider than usual. They did earn their place, the problem is how the phase was built to begin with. On the positive side, it gave us some surprises like Cape Verde but in general it was too chaotic and uneven. Having said that, let's see if if brings more surprises later on. Teubier has a rat to eat after all. xD

 

[Hermit]

Happy that Ghana are through, would be cruel having them eliminated due to that late late goal.
England are so uninspiring this tournament. Like, the squad is just.....dreadful. The Croatia game was fun but it was more on Croatia being out of it than England being good.

 

[Kakoha]

Mexico has 9 points, not sure how they performed bad

talking generally, not only this year. in the world cup history

 

[xi0]

I don't have the memory for making this kind of statement but Mexico definitely has to be one of the worst 9pt teams in WC history

--- Double Post Merged, Jun 28, 2026, Original Post Date: Jun 28, 2026 ---

They better hold on tight to Aguirre because the gap between their talent level and the kind of results they're getting is quite large IMO. I'll be shocked if they don't struggle to score against Ecuador.

--- Double Post Merged, Jun 28, 2026 ---

Also, as an aside, I'm not a fan of some of the pundits and former players and their attitudes towards this Bosnia match. Save the disrespect for the teams better than us, there's no reason to shit-talk a country or team like Bosnia.

I'm hopeful Pochettino isn't looking past them because some of the idiots who'd have his job instead under different circumstances certainly are.

 

[Raven]

Algeria and Austria is very weird match. Algeria teams literally change gears, Austria scored first and they leveled up their play until they got the draw and retuned back to sloth then Austria scored again then Algeria scored 6 min later and play slow again.

Iran chances are extremely low now, If they tied, both get qualified, If Austria won, Iran get qualified and Algeria get eliminated

--- Double Post Merged, Jun 28, 2026, Original Post Date: Jun 28, 2026 ---

Algeria wasted 17 min passing the ball to eachother then they scored the 3rd in like the 90min or something, Austria then managed to tie at the last second.

Scumbag teams. Ggwp

--- Double Post Merged, Jun 28, 2026 ---

Also Jordan Goal keeper is the biggest fraud in this sport. He is scared of the ball and literally hide behind defenders when Argentina was playing the foul and he created empty space for them to score. I saw that and was like yeah how millions he get for not doing his job. Life is indeed unfair

 

[Teubier]

I believe the two most interesting games to look forward to in these last 32 matches will be Brazil-Japan & Ivory Coast-Norway. At least that’s where I see the most uncertainty and the most footballing quality on the fields.
A few years back France-Sweden would have been good too, but this Sweden team seems rather limited this time around.

Let the real World Cup begin.

 

[xi0]

Also Jordan Goal keeper is the biggest fraud in this sport. He is scared of the ball and literally hide behind defenders when Argentina was playing the foul and he created empty space for them to score. I saw that and was like yeah how millions he get for not doing his job. Life is indeed unfair

I've seen people react more to the wall the defenders put up, completely useless. Of course I'm sure many of them are Penaldo fans complaining that it was a free goal to Messi but even then it was surprising.

 

[Newkerzy]

I've seen people react more to the wall the defenders put up, completely useless. Of course I'm sure many of them are Penaldo fans complaining that it was a free goal to Messi but even then it was surprising.

Right. You NEVER give the GOAT an inch when you want to stop him