World Cup 2026

[Duplode]

(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.

[HerrNove]

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

[alanrotoi]

Where i can see the full world cup prediction?

[HerrNove]

Where 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 in this thread.

[alanrotoi]

I almost died watching the game versus... Cape Verde??

Next rival is Egypt! How it will be?

[Alain il professore]

All other teams: "We gonna retire Messi!" to "We gonna retire, Messi!" real quick.

But Norway will make him walk out.

[CTG]

My favorite stat from World Cup 2026 

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!

Next rival is Egypt! How it will be?

Tight duel, but Salah will cry instead of Messi.

[alanrotoi]

Nobody will talk about Messi's Vulcan pointed ears? Is Messi Vulcan?

[CTG]

@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.

[alanrotoi]

The debate will continue the rest of the life of some generations 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.

[Alain il professore]

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.

[CTG]

ENG-ARG, quite a high prestige match for Argentina - I guess it's not just a semi-final for the South Americans.

[CTG]

* CTG missed today's match ---> 10 goals... 

[alanrotoi]

Not a great match, just too many goals but mediocre.

[Alain il professore]

Statistics! Mbappé 22 goals, world record. And he could even earn more goals in 2030.