2026 FIFA World Cup Thread

[ran4sh]

How the fuck did a soccer thread turn into a U.S./Canada national exceptionalism pissing match?

Since 1/20/25, sports is the only realm in which we are superior to Canada, so we have to brag when we can.

I don't particularly have a dog in the fight when it comes to national sports competitions.  Some of you aren't exactly great examples of why I (or anyone) should carry a further than casual investment. 

I agree, I prefer the Club World Cup rather than the nationalist world cup

That being said, the only reason Canada is even able to host 2026 World Cup matches is because the USA is hosting most of it.

[JayhawkCO]

How the fuck did a soccer thread turn into a U.S./Canada national exceptionalism pissing match?

Since 1/20/25, sports is the only realm in which we are superior to Canada, so we have to brag when we can.

I don't particularly have a dog in the fight when it comes to national sports competitions.  Some of you aren't exactly great examples of why I (or anyone) should carry a further than casual investment. 

I agree, I prefer the Club World Cup rather than the nationalist world cup

That being said, the only reason Canada is even able to host 2026 World Cup matches is because the USA is hosting most of it.

Club world cup isn't all that interesting for me alas. We can watch the top clubs play against other top clubs every year in the Champions League. We don't get to see the best of international teams until the Euro/World Cup.

And you speak no lies on your last point, but I'm not talking smack on Canada. Lovely country.

[1995hoo]

I was trying to figure out whether the US and Canada could jointly host a fully indoor World Cup as a riposte to complaints about hot weather. The tricky part would be whether a couple of stadiums can accommodate the wider soccer field. We know some stadiums were modified for this year by replacing parts of the stands with retractable seating, but what I don't know is whether the stadiums with retractable fields (Glendale and Las Vegas) can fit the wider grass surface on the big trays they use to trundle the grass outside between events.

I came up with the following potential venues. Any stadium that can accommodate a regulation CFL field can fit a soccer field, which means San Antonio and Montreal would have no issues. And of course this list assumes the cities would be interested in participating, which Montreal was not this year.

Vancouver (BC Place—CFL Lions)
Los Angeles (SoFi—NFL Rams and Chargers)
Las Vegas (Allegiant—NFL Raiders)
Glendale (State Farm—NFL Cardinals)
Arlington (AT&T—NFL Cowboys)
San Antonio (Alamodome—not sure if it has a tenant now)
Houston (NRG—NFL Texans)
St Louis (Dome at America's Center—USFL Battlehawks, formerly how of the NFL Rams)
Minneapolis (US Bank—NFL Raiders)
Detroit (Ford Field—NFL Lions)
Indianapolis (Lucas Oil—NFL Colts)
Nashville (new dome opening this summer for the NFL Titans)
New Orleans (Superdome—NFL Saints)
Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz—NFL Falcons)
Syracuse (Carrier Dome—ACC Orangemen)
Montreal (Stade Olympique, no regular tenant)

And then Cleveland and DC have domed NFL stadiums in progress; DC, in particular, is targeting a 2030 opening so it can host games in the 2031 Women's World Cup.

So that's 18 indoor stadiums. It could work, in theory. I didn't count Toronto because SkyDome was modified to be baseball-only and the cost of changing it back would be steep.

[JayhawkCO]

I was trying to figure out whether the US and Canada could jointly host a fully indoor World Cup as a riposte to complaints about hot weather. The tricky part would be whether a couple of stadiums can accommodate the wider soccer field. We know some stadiums were modified for this year by replacing parts of the stands with retractable seating, but what I don't know is whether the stadiums with retractable fields (Glendale and Las Vegas) can fit the wider grass surface on the big trays they use to trundle the grass outside between events.

I came up with the following potential venues. Any stadium that can accommodate a regulation CFL field can fit a soccer field, which means San Antonio and Montreal would have no issues. And of course this list assumes the cities would be interested in participating, which Montreal was not this year.

Vancouver (BC Place—CFL Lions)
Los Angeles (SoFi—NFL Rams and Chargers)
Las Vegas (Allegiant—NFL Raiders)
Glendale (State Farm—NFL Cardinals)
Arlington (AT&T—NFL Cowboys)
San Antonio (Alamodome—not sure if it has a tenant now)
Houston (NRG—NFL Texans)
St Louis (Dome at America's Center—USFL Battlehawks, formerly how of the NFL Rams)
Minneapolis (US Bank—NFL Raiders)
Detroit (Ford Field—NFL Lions)
Indianapolis (Lucas Oil—NFL Colts)
Nashville (new dome opening this summer for the NFL Titans)
New Orleans (Superdome—NFL Saints)
Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz—NFL Falcons)
Syracuse (Carrier Dome—ACC Orangemen)
Montreal (Stade Olympique, no regular tenant)

And then Cleveland and DC have domed NFL stadiums in progress; DC, in particular, is targeting a 2030 opening so it can host games in the 2031 Women's World Cup.

So that's 18 indoor stadiums. It could work, in theory. I didn't count Toronto because SkyDome was modified to be baseball-only and the cost of changing it back would be steep.

I'm sure I could find it by Googling, but how many of those have grass fields? They are not going to play on turf.

[1995hoo]

You do the same thing they're doing in the indoor stadiums for the current World Cup—install a temporary grass field. Actually, they had to do that in several of the outdoor venues too, but it's obviously easier there. 

[JayhawkCO]

You do the same thing they're doing in the indoor stadiums for the current World Cup—install a temporary grass field. Actually, they had to do that in several of the outdoor venues too, but it's obviously easier there. 

I just wasn't sure if it was actually doable at some of those. I remember they played on turf in 1994 at the Silverdome.

[Big John]

You do the same thing they're doing in the indoor stadiums for the current World Cup—install a temporary grass field. Actually, they had to do that in several of the outdoor venues too, but it's obviously easier there. 

I just wasn't sure if it was actually doable at some of those. I remember they played on turf in 1994 at the Silverdome.

They actually pieced together grass sections to place on the field there.

[kphoger]

Aren't this year's World Cup matches all being played on a combination grass/turf pitch?

[CoreySamson]

Aren't this year's World Cup matches all being played on a combination grass/turf pitch?

It's all on grass, is it not? They had to temporarily take out the turf at NRG Stadium (ok fine... Houston Stadium) and replace it with grass.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Pretty sure all the World Cup matches are played on grass.

[1995hoo]

They're all on grass with some small amount of synthetic stuff woven in, apparently to improve durability. By all accounts, the process is significantly improved over the way they did it in the Silverdome in 1994.

[GaryV]

You do the same thing they're doing in the indoor stadiums for the current World Cup—install a temporary grass field. Actually, they had to do that in several of the outdoor venues too, but it's obviously easier there. 

I just wasn't sure if it was actually doable at some of those. I remember they played on turf in 1994 at the Silverdome.

They actually pieced together grass sections to place on the field there.

And if I remember correctly, the grass sections were on platforms several feet higher than the normal stadium floor. That way they could widen the field by building it over the lowest rows of seats. And maybe the grass sections could be moved outside between games to grow in the sun?

[NWI_Irish96]

Pretty sure all the World Cup matches are played on grass.

Yes, the only matches you'll ever see on turf are friendlies. I went to see Dortmund-Liverpool at ND Stadium and it was a very obvious difference from playing on grass. In (American) football, a live ball doesn't hit the ground enough to make a noticeable difference in the game.

[NWI_Irish96]

I'm trying not to be a homer, but wasn't Balogun's red card complete and utter BS?

Didn't need him for the rest of that game but losing him for Belgium really sucks.

[JayhawkCO]

I'm trying not to be a homer, but wasn't Balogun's red card complete and utter BS?

Didn't need him for the rest of that game but losing him for Belgium really sucks.

Yeah. It should never have been a red. Intent isn't the main thing but it's part of it. He didn't mistime a tackle. He just accidentally stepped on his ankle. Add to the fact that VAR isn't supposed to watch things in slow motion yet they did, we actually have some grounds for a normally impossible appeal. Perhaps the Peace Prize winner will get Infantino to do something about it.

[1995hoo]

Pretty sure all the World Cup matches are played on grass.

Yes, the only matches you'll ever see on turf are friendlies. I went to see Dortmund-Liverpool at ND Stadium and it was a very obvious difference from playing on grass. In (American) football, a live ball doesn't hit the ground enough to make a noticeable difference in the game.

The 2015 Women's World Cup, hosted by Canada, was played entirely on artificial turf. Some of the US team brought a legal proceeding in Ontario against FIFA over that; I believe the gist of their complaint was sex discrimination because the rules require natural grass for the men's World Cup. But they dropped the case several months before the tournament took place. I recall one of my law school professors was acting as coordinating counsel for the women.

The old Astroturf fields in the NASL's glory years actually made for some interesting stuff when games went to shootouts. Recall the NASL shootout was not like FIFA's current "penalty shootout." It was more like the shootouts we now see in regular-season NHL games except there were five shooters per team rather than three. The kicker got the ball 35 yards from the goal and had five seconds to shoot, but in the meantime he could make as many moves as he wanted and the goaltender could challenge him without restriction. The Astroturf in some of the league's stadiums led to some of the players (Giorgio Chinaglia, in particular) getting creative in terms of putting bounce on the ball. Of course, Astroturf was so bad in a lot of other ways that I doubt anybody is sorry to see its demise!

[NWI_Irish96]

I'm trying not to be a homer, but wasn't Balogun's red card complete and utter BS?

Didn't need him for the rest of that game but losing him for Belgium really sucks.

Yeah. It should never have been a red. Intent isn't the main thing but it's part of it. He didn't mistime a tackle. He just accidentally stepped on his ankle. Add to the fact that VAR isn't supposed to watch things in slow motion yet they did, we actually have some grounds for a normally impossible appeal. Perhaps the Peace Prize winner will get Infantino to do something about it.

If the first ever overturning of a red card suspension benefits a host country, that's going to look suspicious. I'll be shocked if it happens.

[kphoger]

Aren't this year's World Cup matches all being played on a combination grass/turf pitch?

They're all on grass with some small amount of synthetic stuff woven in, apparently to improve durability.

Correct.  The pitches are 95% real grass and 5% synthetic turf.  In cool weather venues, the real grass is a mixture of bluegrass and ryegrass.  In warm weather venues, the real grass is all bluegrass.  But in none of them is the pitch 100% real grass.

[JayhawkCO]

I'm trying not to be a homer, but wasn't Balogun's red card complete and utter BS?

Didn't need him for the rest of that game but losing him for Belgium really sucks.

Yeah. It should never have been a red. Intent isn't the main thing but it's part of it. He didn't mistime a tackle. He just accidentally stepped on his ankle. Add to the fact that VAR isn't supposed to watch things in slow motion yet they did, we actually have some grounds for a normally impossible appeal. Perhaps the Peace Prize winner will get Infantino to do something about it.

If the first ever overturning of a red card suspension benefits a host country, that's going to look suspicious. I'll be shocked if it happens.

Things never shock me when it comes to corruption and such things with regards to FIFA.

[1995hoo]

Aren't this year's World Cup matches all being played on a combination grass/turf pitch?

They're all on grass with some small amount of synthetic stuff woven in, apparently to improve durability.

Correct.  The pitches are 95% real grass and 5% synthetic turf.  In cool weather venues, the real grass is a mixture of bluegrass and ryegrass.  In warm weather venues, the real grass is all bluegrass.  But in none of them is the pitch 100% real grass.

Right. But the point of the discussion earlier was that FIFA wouldn't agree to allow the games to be played on fully-artificial fields like you typically see in indoor stadiums (Las Vegas being the main exception, as Glendale has a retractable roof). I had theorized about the possibility of the US and Canada hosting a World Cup entirely at indoor venues and there was a question raised about how you could do that when those stadiums predominantly have artificial turf fields.

[NWI_Irish96]

If Igor Matanovic had shaved his head before the match, Croatia would have gone to extra time with Portugal.

[Bruce]

I agree, I prefer the Club World Cup rather than the nationalist world cup

That being said, the only reason Canada is even able to host 2026 World Cup matches is because the USA is hosting most of it.

Club world cup isn't all that interesting for me alas. We can watch the top clubs play against other top clubs every year in the Champions League. We don't get to see the best of international teams until the Euro/World Cup.

And you speak no lies on your last point, but I'm not talking smack on Canada. Lovely country.

The Club World Cup was really exciting. Lots of upsets of European teams, lots of fan interactions you'd never get to see (even in a World Cup proper), and some pretty unique matchups. I got to watch my home team play some of the world's best, at our own stadium, for reasonable prices.

[thspfc]

All things considered that's a top 10 goal in the history of soccer.

[NWI_Irish96]

All things considered that's a top 10 goal in the history of soccer.

A top ten game as well.