The world cup draw will be in an hour!
Here are the draw pots for the FIFA World Cup 2026:
Pot 1
Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
Pot 2
Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia
Pot 3
Panama, Norway, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Côte d'Ivoire, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
Pot 4
Jordan, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand, UEFA Play-off A, UEFA Play-off B, UEFA Play-off C, UEFA Play-off D, FIFA Play-off 1, FIFA Play-off 2
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How will they avoid a massacre between titans in the groups phase? I mean the pot 1 is: Canada, Mexico, 'murica, Portugal and the biggest lie ever who was leader of the FIFA world ranking for some years Belgium.
Colombia deserves a lot more than Courtois +10 team. Will we have a new world cup winner? Netherlands, is it time? Belgium? (lol).
Japan is getting stronger but still they need a lot.
Will Argentina have a world cup without a match against Mexico? Is this the world cup of Morocco?
I don't think any of the Central or South American teams stand a chance. Your star players will get kidnapped by ICE in the middle of the night and thrown in Guantanamo Bay.
Well, two week to the World Cup! Here there isn't a joy mood. What are your candidates? I think the strongest teams are Spain, France and England this time.
About Brazil, I think it's the weakest team in the last 50 years but still a threat. Like Argentina, both if they reach at least final quarters it will be a deception.
Will Mexico reach the quarters some day? What about Morocco, Portugal, Colombia, Germany, Netherlands?
> Well, two week to the World Cup! Here there isn't a joy mood.
As Italian, I'm afraid I cannot improve the situation :D
But I think I can support my host country, Switzerland, just fine. Which is interesting, because I lived ten years in Germany and I have never held any feelings towards the German Mannschaft.
Which are the candidates to win the cup?
Quote from: alanrotoi on May 26, 2026, 08:38:46 PMWhich are the candidates to win the cup?
I am not so up-to-date on football teams like some years ago. I also do not see a clear favourite, nor stars as big as Messi and Ronaldo. Let's say:
* France: they seem to have good talent and no clear weakness.
* Argentina: might want to douple up on their trophy.
* Spain: they are the bookmaker's favourite so it is wise to keep them in my predictions.
A plausible 2026 World Cup storyline sees France winning Group I and defeating Japan, Portugal and England, while Norway finishes second behind France before upsetting Brazil, Germany and Spain, setting up a dream France vs Norway final: Mbappé against Haaland. 2-1 France for sure.
Almighty Spain 0-0 Cape Verde :o :o
Messi is still... Messi. :o
The hungarian loved the goal scored by Kevin PINA of Cape Verde.
Cape Pina? ::)
Quote from: Duplode on June 23, 2025, 02:26:52 PMthe extra slots give a fairer deal to at least some of the continents (Africa in particular).
Various other issues aside, this seems to have been vindicated with 9 out of 10 CAF teams reaching the novel Round of 32. (Though the contrast with AFC -- 2 out of 9 -- striking.)
Germany out? netherlands out? This world cup is getting impredictible!
Today France vs Sweden... I'll bet again to the stronger but...
On the other side Brazil saved itself with a goal in the very last minute against Japan.
Will France, Argentina and England fall too (in this far away stage ;D )?
(Before looking at the current score of France-Sweden: Oh, it hasn't started yet!) France, unlike Germany, is a proper strong team, so they should be okay for now. Morocco was always going to be a difficult opponent, though there remains a sense that this Netherlands team was playing below it's potential.
France's performance yesterday was impressive. I had not seen something like that from a national team since 2014's Germany or some Brazilian teams of my youth. They are now the clear favourite to win, in my opinion.
Interestingly, Opta's predictions now align with the ones I made before the tournament start: https://theanalyst.com/competition/fifa-world-cup/predictions
Where i can see the full world cup prediction?
Quote from: alanrotoi on July 01, 2026, 01:51:49 PMWhere i can see the full world cup prediction?
Opta's prediction is at the link of my message above. My own prediction is only for the first three favorites, France-Argentina-Spain, message #5 (https://forum.stunts.hu/index.php?msg=101089) in this thread.
I almost died watching the game versus... Cape Verde??
Next rival is Egypt! How it will be?
All other teams: "We gonna retire Messi!" to "We gonna retire, Messi!" real quick.
But Norway will make him walk out.
My favorite stat from World Cup 2026 ;D ;D ;D
https://www.marca.com/en/world-cup/2026/07/04/the-most-random-stat-of-the-world-cup-vozinha-has-completed-more-dribbles-than-cristiano.html
Btw hats off to Cape Verde!
Quote from: alanrotoi on July 04, 2026, 10:27:15 AMNext rival is Egypt! How it will be?
Tight duel, but Salah will cry instead of Messi.
Nobody will talk about Messi's Vulcan pointed ears? Is Messi Vulcan?
@alanrotoi and/or any other ARG pipsqueaks:
Is it still a debate whether Maradona or Messi is the GOAT in your football history? Before 2022, I remember people said "Messi won everything, but not a World Cup, he cannot be compared to Diego, as he could not lead the national team to this title". How is it now, with the last World Cup in the pocket?
As a non-Argentinean, I would say Messi is better by a large margin (although I saw only the late stage of Maradona's career). Better in stats, better in gameplay - but yes, probably not as charismatic captain as Maradona was.
The debate will continue the rest of the life of some generations :D In short terms, in my opinion it depends on what do you need the players. I mean if you need one of them in their prime for a single match I would choose Maradona. If you need one them for a career term I would choose Messi. Anyway they belong to different eras of football. They were the best of their times.
Garra Guarana (football's nihilism) was made irrelevant by France's versatile football. Next round my two countries of heart will play again together. France 4 - Morocco 0.
ENG-ARG, quite a high prestige match for Argentina - I guess it's not just a semi-final for the South Americans.
/me missed today's match ---> 10 goals... :o :o :o
Not a great match, just too many goals but mediocre.
Statistics! Mbappé 22 goals, world record. And he could even earn more goals in 2030.
Quote from: CTG on July 19, 2026, 01:22:30 AM/me missed today's match ---> 10 goals... :o :o :o
We call it a "Casados x Solteiros" (Married vs. Singles) game.
Quote from: Shoegazing Leo on July 19, 2026, 06:28:49 PMQuote from: CTG on July 19, 2026, 01:22:30 AM/me missed today's match ---> 10 goals... :o :o :o
We call it a "Casados x Solteiros" (Married vs. Singles) game.
Or "sörmeccs" (beer match)...
Spain played the finest football I ever witnessed on a world cup tournament. Tikitaka machine the kind invented by my favorite football club, Cruyff's Barcelona. Impossible to play against. Wonderful!
Their last two games were supernatural. They got rid of both our selections in a way that nobody can argue they played better. All previous games they had been playing were not that out of the ordinary. I wonder what lit the spark. Anyway, deserved champions.