World Cup 2026

Sheena said:
Where are the moaners about the expanded World Cup now?

WHAT A STORY!
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what's the story??

I think we should remember to always rag on FIFA even as the World Cup itself produces entertaining football and feel-good stories etc because they (FIFA) are corrupt as fuck and doing everything they can to degrade the game.

and yes I'd still sooner have 16 teams through and real jeopardy (ie. you must finish top 2 in the group) than a situation where a bang average third placed team creeps through just to be smashed out in the round of 32.
 
There are still 8 possible combinations of which third placed teams qualify for the next round. My lazy predictions say we'll be up against DR Congo in the next round.

But maybe we'll lose to Panama tonight and have to play Portugal instead
 
I hope DR Congo win because I’d rather them than Senegal :eyes:
 
Indie said:
On the fun side, if we let Panama win tonight then we knock Scotland out. :D
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I’m not sure that’s right. Won’t Croatia finish ahead of Panama on head-to-head even if they lose heavily to Ghana and end up with a worse goal difference than Panama (and Scotland)?
 
I think for Scotland to go through they’d need:

Ghana to beat Croatia by at least 3 goals :eyes:
Uzbekistan to beat DR Congo or for them to draw
Austria to beat Algeria by at least 2 goals

Definitely didn’t just nick that from Twitter.
 
Soldi said:
I think for Scotland to go through they’d need:

Ghana to beat Croatia by at least 3 goals :eyes:
Uzbekistan to beat DR Congo or for them to draw
Austria to beat Algeria by at least 2 goals

Definitely didn’t just nick that from Twitter.
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The BBC says:

Group L: Croatia to lose to Ghana by at least three goals.
Group K: DR Congo v Uzbekistan to be a draw, or Uzbekistan to win by no more than three goals.
Group J: Algeria to lose by two or more goals, or Austria to be beaten by at least four goals.
 
dmlaw said:
I’m not sure that’s right. Won’t Croatia finish ahead of Panama on head-to-head even if they lose heavily to Ghana and end up with a worse goal difference than Panama (and Scotland)?
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If we lose and Croatia win and goal difference works, we could finish 3rd and literally take Scotland's spot.

More relies on the Croatia game really, but FUNNY STILL
 
Copabet has started letting you predict the last 32 games.
 
Soldi said:
They’ve got bloody Argentina in the RO32 though :(
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And will likely get hammered but what a story for them! We got to play Messi! Much rather that than going out to, I don’t know, Belgium or Croatia.
 
Jark said:
what's the story??

I think we should remember to always rag on FIFA even as the World Cup itself produces entertaining football and feel-good stories etc because they (FIFA) are corrupt as fuck and doing everything they can to degrade the game.
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Are they actually though? I agree there are things that need to be said and need to be sorted about what they’re doing, but equally, it’s such a social media-fed line that “they are doing everything they can to degrade the game.” Is everything right? No. There’s some fucking nonsense going on, I agree, and there will be mistakes, but “FIFA are a big bad wolf” is such a boring trope to fall for. There is also a real effort to clean up the game and corruption. Again- there are issues still, granted, but it’s a world away from 20 years ago. I do think they should be held to account, though, absolutely.

and yes I'd still sooner have 16 teams through and real jeopardy (ie. you must finish top 2 in the group) than a situation where a bang average third placed team creeps through just to be smashed out in the round of 32.
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I agree that the format isn’t right and the lack of jeopardy in some games has been a problem, but opening the World Cup up beyond the same teams has been a real success- for the stories, for the countries themselves and in engaging a whole new audience. Once again, we sit in a point of privilege being in a country where a) we will likely qualify and b) we have way more chances to do so as we’re in Europe. We want the best teams here so we can’t suddenly cut our allocation but it is right we expand to developing countries and they have the opportunity for the exposure, therefore the financial rewards which will enable them to develop their game. And it’s pretty much been a success so far.
 
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It's not as if we're not going to get that last 16 jeopardy still.

The expansion is one of the few things FIFA got right. What's going to feel more memorable and help promote the sport to a wider audience - a Cape Verde success story and a Bosnia or Iran sneaking a surprise appearance in the knockouts, or skipping straight to the business-as-usual?
 
Sheena said:
Are they actually though? I agree there are things that need to be said and need to be sorted about what they’re doing, but equally, it’s such a social media-fed line that “they are doing everything they can to degrade the game.” Is everything right? No. There’s some fucking nonsense going on, I agree, and there will be mistakes, but “FIFA are a big bad wolf” is such a boring trope to fall for. There is also a real effort to clean up the game and corruption. Again- there are issues still, granted, but it’s a world away from 20 years ago. I do think they should be held to account, though, absolutely.
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yes they are actually! I think it's more than a "trope to fall for." if FIFA is making a real effort to clean up corruption... why did they award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia, uncontested? two WCs in gulf states heavily invested in sportswashing in a twelve year span? Gianni is for sale to the highest bidder.

mind you this is the same organisation that awarded Trump the "FIFA peace prize". utter moral bankruptcy. FIFA does not care in the slightest about football, it's a purely commercial enterprise in bed with some of the world's biggest human rights violators.
 
I agree that FIFA are likely very corrupt, but honestly I couldn't give a shit. I don't have enough time in my life to spend time thinking about everything wrong with the world.
 
Jark said:
yes they are actually! I think it's more than a "trope to fall for." if FIFA is making a real effort to clean up corruption... why did they award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia, uncontested? two WCs in gulf states heavily invested in sportswashing in a twelve year span? Gianni is for sale to the highest bidder.

mind you this is the same organisation that awarded Trump the "FIFA peace prize". utter moral bankruptcy. FIFA does not care in the slightest about football, it's a purely commercial enterprise in bed with some of the world's biggest human rights violators.
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Not denying any of what you’re saying is “right” or correct. But…

Where is your evidence for any of that being down to Gianni being for sale other than what you’ve read on Twitter?

The Trump thing was obviously something he held over them in negotiation for it going smoothly and without him being a cunt, which you know he would. It’s fucking awful, but it isn’t just as simple as you think.
 
And still none of that answers “doing everything to degrade the game”, which is just nonsense.
 
Shoat said:
It's not as if we're not going to get that last 16 jeopardy still.

The expansion is one of the few things FIFA got right. What's going to feel more memorable and help promote the sport to a wider audience - a Cape Verde success story and a Bosnia or Iran sneaking a surprise appearance in the knockouts, or skipping straight to the business-as-usual?
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I'm fine with expansion and it's a good thing. But seeing some half-arsed efforts getting through to the next round seems a bit crap. One win and two losses in three games should be going home territory (in 98% of cases, I get there are dynamics which can naturally let it happen)

Just change the format. Have 16 groups of 3 teams. Have 8 groups of 6 teams.

Or indeed, just invite 64 teams in the first place. It's clearly going that way anyway.
 
In other news, my TV and Internet are down and have been for two hours.

Can I pop by someone's house for the match?
 
Indie said:
In other news, my TV and Internet are down and have been for two hours.

Can I pop by someone's house for the match?
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Can you get to Sheffield in an hour? I live by a train track so you can just jump out.
 
five changes tonight, Saka and Rogers in, plus Rashford, Quansah and O'Reilly. excited by this lineup

Pickford
Quansah, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly
Bellingham, Anderson
Saka, Rogers, Rashford
Kane
 
young Tuchel :horny:

imago0025639357h-scaled.jpg

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and I still would you know...

(the string fastening on that shirt?!)
 
It's mostly a question of whether we come first, and go out to Mexico in the round of 16, or come second and go out to Spain in the round of 32.

I prefer the second option. The Mexico match is at 1am.
 
I’m in the English pub with mostly Americans and a rubbish gay gay-splaining football to them and getting most of it wrong.
 
Would letting two goals in and coming third be preferable? It’s hard to tell, but you could end up against Colombia, Switzerland and then Argentina.
 
Roy Keane sounding helium-esque as he gets increasingly riled up is hilarious
 
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