2026 FIFA World Cup Thread

[Ted$8roadFan]

Congratulations to Spain.

[NWI_Irish96]

The discourse around Arsenal and Argentina has taught me soccer is the only sport where people will call the second best team absolute trash because of how they played in a championship match they lost in overtime.

I find the accusations of Argentine corruption much more interesting than the sport itself.

Aregentina's government is basically South American MAGA.

[JayhawkCO]

The discourse around Arsenal and Argentina has taught me soccer is the only sport where people will call the second best team absolute trash because of how they played in a championship match they lost in overtime.

Counterpoint:

Any time a team is contending for a title and just sits back and bunkers like a Conference team up against Man City in the FA Cup, they deserve to be ridiculed.

[NWI_Irish96]

If we're gonna stick with 48 teams, let's make this better:

1) Move USA, MEX and CAN to CONMEBOL

2) Merge CONCACAF with OFC

3) Eliminate the UEFA and inter-continental playoff tournaments

4) All qualification ends before the draw

5) Reallocated slots: UEFA - 17, CAF - 10, CONMEBOL - 9, AFC - 8, CONCACAF/OFC - 3. Host confederation gets one additional slot. [this goes to UEFA in 2030].

6) Spit Pot 1 between teams whose group winners play 3rd place teams in R32 (hosts + highest ranked) and teams whose group winners play 2nd place teams in R32 (lowest ranked).

Thoughts?

[JayhawkCO]

If we're gonna stick with 48 teams, let's make this better:

1) Move USA, MEX and CAN to CONMEBOL

2) Merge CONCACAF with OFC

3) Eliminate the UEFA and inter-continental playoff tournaments

4) All qualification ends before the draw

5) Reallocated slots: UEFA - 17, CAF - 10, CONMEBOL - 9, AFC - 8, CONCACAF/OFC - 3. Host confederation gets one additional slot. [this goes to UEFA in 2030].

6) Spit Pot 1 between teams whose group winners play 3rd place teams in R32 (hosts + highest ranked) and teams whose group winners play 2nd place teams in R32 (lowest ranked).

Thoughts?

No need for that much. Just combine CONCACAF and CONMEBOL.

[thspfc]

The discourse around Arsenal and Argentina has taught me soccer is the only sport where people will call the second best team absolute trash because of how they played in a championship match they lost in overtime.

Counterpoint:

Any time a team is contending for a title and just sits back and bunkers like a Conference team up against Man City in the FA Cup, they deserve to be ridiculed.

That doesn't contradict what I said.

[kphoger]

Just combine CONCACAF and CONMEBOL.

If there were ever a need for the =CONCATENATE() function, clearly this is it.

[JayhawkCO]

The discourse around Arsenal and Argentina has taught me soccer is the only sport where people will call the second best team absolute trash because of how they played in a championship match they lost in overtime.

Counterpoint:

Any time a team is contending for a title and just sits back and bunkers like a Conference team up against Man City in the FA Cup, they deserve to be ridiculed.

That doesn't contradict what I said.

Maybe I just read into the tone, but it sounded like you were arguing that fans shouldn't have derided Arsenal/Argentina for the way they played because they at least took it to overtime.

[thspfc]

The discourse around Arsenal and Argentina has taught me soccer is the only sport where people will call the second best team absolute trash because of how they played in a championship match they lost in overtime.

Counterpoint:

Any time a team is contending for a title and just sits back and bunkers like a Conference team up against Man City in the FA Cup, they deserve to be ridiculed.

That doesn't contradict what I said.

Maybe I just read into the tone, but it sounded like you were arguing that fans shouldn't have derided Arsenal/Argentina for the way they played because they at least took it to overtime.

There's a difference between being annoyed with the style they played and calling them "embarrassing", "shit", or "awful", all of which I saw.

[JayhawkCO]

The discourse around Arsenal and Argentina has taught me soccer is the only sport where people will call the second best team absolute trash because of how they played in a championship match they lost in overtime.

Counterpoint:

Any time a team is contending for a title and just sits back and bunkers like a Conference team up against Man City in the FA Cup, they deserve to be ridiculed.

That doesn't contradict what I said.

Maybe I just read into the tone, but it sounded like you were arguing that fans shouldn't have derided Arsenal/Argentina for the way they played because they at least took it to overtime.

There's a difference between being annoyed with the style they played and calling them "embarrassing", "shit", or "awful", all of which I saw.

I think Arsenal, in the Champions League final were embarrassing. They went up 1-0 on a good goal from Havertz and then didn't even try to control the ball for the rest of the game. They played some of the least attractive football of any team that's won an important league and/or made a Champions League final. When you play this cynical, negative version of football, you're going to take some insults.

I think Argentina, in the World Cup final were awful. They barely had the ball. They fouled every time Spain tried to do anything. I don't know that I ever saw them string more than five passes together. They created 0.22 of xG in the entire game, two shots, and none on goal. I don't how know that would be defined as anything but a bad performance.

[thspfc]

The discourse around Arsenal and Argentina has taught me soccer is the only sport where people will call the second best team absolute trash because of how they played in a championship match they lost in overtime.

Counterpoint:

Any time a team is contending for a title and just sits back and bunkers like a Conference team up against Man City in the FA Cup, they deserve to be ridiculed.

That doesn't contradict what I said.

Maybe I just read into the tone, but it sounded like you were arguing that fans shouldn't have derided Arsenal/Argentina for the way they played because they at least took it to overtime.

There's a difference between being annoyed with the style they played and calling them "embarrassing", "shit", or "awful", all of which I saw.

I think Arsenal, in the Champions League final were embarrassing. They went up 1-0 on a good goal from Havertz and then didn't even try to control the ball for the rest of the game. They played some of the least attractive football of any team that's won an important league and/or made a Champions League final. When you play this cynical, negative version of football, you're going to take some insults.

I think Argentina, in the World Cup final were awful. They barely had the ball. They fouled every time Spain tried to do anything. I don't know that I ever saw them string more than five passes together. They created 0.22 of xG in the entire game, two shots, and none on goal. I don't how know that would be defined as anything but a bad performance.

"Argentina are shit" =/ "Argentina played badly in this game"

"Arsenal are embarrassing" =/ "Arsenal played embarrassing in this game"

In any case I don't have the hatred many soccer fans do for any team that doesn't go out there and attempt to cosplay 2010 Barcelona.

[JayhawkCO]

In any case I don't have the hatred many soccer fans do for any team that doesn't go out there and attempt to cosplay 2010 Barcelona.

I don't have hatred for Argentina. I do for Arsenal, but just because I'm a Spurs fan. I don't think anyone is expecting one touch passes all over the pitch. I do think people were expecting trying to complete a forward pass and get a shot on target. Bunker and counter football is horribly boring.

[thspfc]

In any case I don't have the hatred many soccer fans do for any team that doesn't go out there and attempt to cosplay 2010 Barcelona.

I don't have hatred for Argentina. I do for Arsenal, but just because I'm a Spurs fan. I don't think anyone is expecting one touch passes all over the pitch. I do think people were expecting trying to complete a forward pass and get a shot on target. Bunker and counter football is horribly boring.

Boring =/ embarrassing. I didn't find Spain to be particularly interesting visually throughout the tournament. I can still recognize how good they are as a team.

[JayhawkCO]

In any case I don't have the hatred many soccer fans do for any team that doesn't go out there and attempt to cosplay 2010 Barcelona.

I don't have hatred for Argentina. I do for Arsenal, but just because I'm a Spurs fan. I don't think anyone is expecting one touch passes all over the pitch. I do think people were expecting trying to complete a forward pass and get a shot on target. Bunker and counter football is horribly boring.

Boring =/ embarrassing. I didn't find Spain to be particularly interesting visually throughout the tournament. I can still recognize how good they are as a team.

A lot of it has to do with the fans. Arsenal fans are the most universally despised fanbase in the PL. Their lack of self-awareness when they complain about getting fouled once during a game whereas they commit damn near chokeholds on opposing keepers is, in fact, embarrassing. Saying you're the best club in the world and then not even trying to go toe to toe with PSG in the final was also embarrassing. You might call it something else, but I don't think fans from around the world calling them embarrassing is hyperbole.

[Road Hog]

In any case I don't have the hatred many soccer fans do for any team that doesn't go out there and attempt to cosplay 2010 Barcelona.

I don't have hatred for Argentina. I do for Arsenal, but just because I'm a Spurs fan. I don't think anyone is expecting one touch passes all over the pitch. I do think people were expecting trying to complete a forward pass and get a shot on target. Bunker and counter football is horribly boring.

Boring =/ embarrassing. I didn't find Spain to be particularly interesting visually throughout the tournament. I can still recognize how good they are as a team.

A lot of it has to do with the fans. Arsenal fans are the most universally despised fanbase in the PL. Their lack of self-awareness when they complain about getting fouled once during a game whereas they commit damn near chokeholds on opposing keepers is, in fact, embarrassing. Saying you're the best club in the world and then not even trying to go toe to toe with PSG in the final was also embarrassing. You might call it something else, but I don't think fans from around the world calling them embarrassing is hyperbole.

You just wait till Millwall gets promoted.

[JayhawkCO]

In any case I don't have the hatred many soccer fans do for any team that doesn't go out there and attempt to cosplay 2010 Barcelona.

I don't have hatred for Argentina. I do for Arsenal, but just because I'm a Spurs fan. I don't think anyone is expecting one touch passes all over the pitch. I do think people were expecting trying to complete a forward pass and get a shot on target. Bunker and counter football is horribly boring.

Boring =/ embarrassing. I didn't find Spain to be particularly interesting visually throughout the tournament. I can still recognize how good they are as a team.

A lot of it has to do with the fans. Arsenal fans are the most universally despised fanbase in the PL. Their lack of self-awareness when they complain about getting fouled once during a game whereas they commit damn near chokeholds on opposing keepers is, in fact, embarrassing. Saying you're the best club in the world and then not even trying to go toe to toe with PSG in the final was also embarrassing. You might call it something else, but I don't think fans from around the world calling them embarrassing is hyperbole.

You just wait till Millwall gets promoted.

They've been close for a couple of years now. West Ham making the drop while Milwall is in the Championship will lead to scenes like it always does. Not sure if there are enough bobbies in all of London to keep the peace.

[kphoger]

Talk about a click-bait news headline this morning!

Headline:  Why Spain could forfeit $15 million from World Cup prize money winnings

Read the article...  Oh...  It's actually every team, not just Spain.  And it's just U.S. taxes.

Whoever came up with that headline needs to be slapped, several times, by multiple people, with a piece of rebar.