# FIFA World Cup 2026 - discussion etc **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-soccer-fifa\ **Created:** [October 14, 2025, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962 "2025-10-14T15:43:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 101
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2026, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2001 "2026-06-26T20:14:45Z")
Urgh, what an ugly penalty. ---
**Author:** ![Pheoinix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7993a0/32.png) [@Pheoinix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pheoinix)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2026, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2002 "2026-06-26T20:22:37Z")
Only one player in the whole tournament was born in Ireland (north or south) and he’s representing Cape Verde. I guess I’ve now got a team to support 😁 ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2026, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2003 "2026-06-26T20:59:24Z")
now it is 4-1. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2026, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2004 "2026-06-26T21:12:00Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > I’ll forever be annoyed he didn’t care at Barca and for missing a complete sitter in the first leg of the 2019 UCL round against Liverpool, but he’s a hell of a player. Seconded. Perhaps I would have written “he’s _become_ a hell of a player” instead of “he’s a hell of a player”, because he was so childish, irresponsible, undisciplined, foolish, and prone to miss easy goals back then, but someone made him change his attitude. Shame nobody at Barça managed that, and they paid through the nose to get him and sold him for a pittance. Now I watch him play for PSG and for France and wonder how that change came about. Someone did a great job. I am so angry at him that I would not even take him back if there was a chance for that. Easy for me to say: there is not. And if there was, I would not have a say. And now the second Spain match in a row that can only be seen in Germany on pay TV (they will show Saudi Arabia vs Cap Verde for free). Good excuse for not staying up until 04:00 in the morning, nice as the nights are compared to the current 40°C (~104+ Fahrenheit) days we are having. I imagine the WC games played here under those conditions and it feels like hell. ---
**Author:** ![FurloeRoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@FurloeRoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FurloeRoth)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2026, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2005 "2026-06-26T21:21:19Z")
> Only one player in the whole tournament was born in Ireland (north or south) and he’s representing Cape Verde. I guess I’ve now got a team to support 😁 If Cape Verde go out, there’s another player in this World Cup who has played for Ireland three times: Declan Rice ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2026, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2006 "2026-06-26T21:33:25Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > And now the second Spain match in a row that can only be seen in Germany on pay TV (they will show Saudi Arabia vs Cap Verde for free). Thank you for the reminder, I was right now thinking about staying up for the Spain-Uruguay game. No fucking way I will do so for Cape Verde-Saudi-Arabia! ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2026, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2007 "2026-06-26T21:35:12Z")
He’s a great played, but, perhaps until now, he didn’t inspire _fear_ like Mbappe and Haaland. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2026, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2008 "2026-06-27T00:36:49Z")
They should face less deep blocks as the tournament goes on, but Spain have not created enough chances IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2026, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2009 "2026-06-27T00:40:16Z")
Unai Simon is looking very shaky. He looked like a weakness from the start. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2026, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2010 "2026-06-27T00:43:25Z")
What a blunder by the Uruguay keeper! ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2026, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2011 "2026-06-27T00:43:36Z")
Until Muslera one-up’s him. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2026, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2012 "2026-06-27T00:48:21Z")
Cape Verde are going through as it stands! ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2026, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2013 "2026-06-27T01:51:48Z")
Ferran Torres should be the favorite for the golden boot if only he could finish. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2026, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2014 "2026-06-27T01:56:21Z")
Both these teams are soft whiny diving losers. Spain was one of my “wouldn’t mind them winning teams”, but this game is gross. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2026, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2015 "2026-06-27T01:56:34Z")
Reminded me of Kane’s miss in front of the net. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2026, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2016 "2026-06-27T01:58:50Z")
Canobbio just ripped the ref’s hand away from his body, I was sure he’d get sent off and nothing happened. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2026, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2017 "2026-06-27T02:06:53Z")
I wanted Uruguay to win or at least qualify, but I’d lie if I say I am not relieved about not having to face them. I just hope that Scaloni doesn’t underestimate Cape Verde, but I don’t think he will, he knows anything can happen in a World Cup. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2026, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2018 "2026-06-27T05:10:42Z")
After Friday’s games: **Group G:** Belgium wins the group by virtue of GD, and Egypt finishes second. Iran finishes third with 3 points and a 0 GD and is on the bubble. **Group H:** Spain wins the group. Cape Verde, with 3 draws and 3 points, finishes second. Third-place Uruguay, with 2 points and a -1 GD, is out. **Group I:** France wins the group and Norway places second. Third-place Senegal has 3 points and a +2 GD, which should be good enough to advance. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2026, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2019 "2026-06-27T05:28:34Z")
Man, absolute heartbreaker for Iran. Their game winner in stoppage waved off cuz the scorer was about an inch offside. I was rooting for Iran probably a little more than I normally would’ve due to current events. Who has to lose/win for them to advance tomorrow? ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2026, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2020 "2026-06-27T05:32:43Z")
If I’m reading the table correctly for the 3rd place teams, it looks like Scotland and Uruguay are definitely out, South Korea is most likely out, and Iran is most likely in, pending the results of tomorrows games. It seems like Algeria vs. Austria will possibly be the match that determines who the last 3rd place team will be. Hopefully it won’t be a disgrace as some seem to be predicting. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962.md?page=100) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962.md?page=102)