# 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:** 112
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2221 "2026-06-29T19:03:45Z")
Six more minutes of stoppage time per game than in previous years. That’s the match. Japan with a good showing, but Brazil finds a way. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2222 "2026-06-29T19:04:00Z")
Lost. What a heartbreak. Of course they were the underdogs but it would have been nice ---
**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 29, 2026, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2223 "2026-06-29T19:05:20Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Another game winner in stoppage time. All the games in this round thus far. (Small sample size, obviously). ---
**Author:** ![icon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c6cbf5/32.png) [@icon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icon)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2224 "2026-06-29T19:12:58Z")
bah! Good game though. I feel sorry for Tanaka since it was his error that allowed that second goal. Still, they were leading Brazil for a good portion of the match, and that’s not nothing. `//i\\` ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2225 "2026-06-29T19:14:25Z")
Feel for the Japanese crowd and players. It’s painful to lose, much worse when you had it within grasp. And then losing with almost no time before overtime. ---
**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 29, 2026, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2226 "2026-06-29T19:16:28Z")
Is this your son first football heartbreak? give him a hug for me, I know how it feels. ---
**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 29, 2026, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2227 "2026-06-29T19:18:03Z")
Eh, Brazil were by far the better team pretty much the whole game. Every loss sucks, and one at the end is worse, but they can’t feel hard done by the result. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2228 "2026-06-29T19:21:50Z")
Oh well, off to sleep for a couple of hours. At least we had a bit of glory before reality hit. ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2229 "2026-06-29T19:24:41Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > All the games in this round thus far Am I mistaken that the “hydration breaks” are included in stoppage time, so this tournament has more added time than usual? ---
**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 29, 2026, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2230 "2026-06-29T19:25:24Z")
The only Paraguay match I watched was the initial 1-4 against USA, I won’t watch this one either, no need to jinx our neighbors, Dionisio the construction worker in the crew who replaced my kitchen’s roof last month would never forgive me. ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2231 "2026-06-29T19:27:53Z")
Ooh, Deniz Undav is starting today! ---
**Author:** ![icon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c6cbf5/32.png) [@icon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icon)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2232 "2026-06-29T19:28:17Z")
> [@Thumper668](#): > > Am I mistaken that the “hydration breaks” are included in stoppage time, so this tournament has more added time than usual? Yes, the clock is not stopped during those breaks so it is added. However they are adding it at the end of each period, so the final stoppage time theoretically only encompasses that of the second half. `//i\\` ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2233 "2026-06-29T19:30:01Z")
Okay, that’s what I thought ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2234 "2026-06-29T20:00:33Z")
Couldn’t address this earlier but definitely will now… > [@icon](#): > > I think that overall, [Can / SA] was a fine game… I thought it was quite often poorly played and that both teams could’ve done a much better showing. Over next two weeks - swiching back and forth between WC and Wimbledon. ---
**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 29, 2026, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2235 "2026-06-29T20:32:03Z")
Germany are sporting a proper 90’s throwback kit. ---
**Author:** ![Pheoinix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7993a0/32.png) [@Pheoinix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pheoinix)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2236 "2026-06-29T20:37:51Z")
It’s not a traditional Germany kit without black shorts ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2237 "2026-06-29T20:45:48Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > I thought it was quite often poorly played and that both teams could’ve done a much better showing. I’ve watched a fair amount of Canada’s recent games and I thought they were below their usual level. Probably some nerves, and possibly some issues with the pitch as well. I’m hoping that being the underdog in the next match will free them up psychologically a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2238 "2026-06-29T20:51:20Z")
OK, so I just wasted an hour calculating the Even More Unofficial World Championship, counting only World Cup and continental championship games, starting with the first Copa America in 1916. It actually was less complicated than I’d expected. The current title holders are Spain, who took it from Italy in a group stage match at the 2024 Euros. Italy had taken it while winning the 2020 Euros (actually played in 2021 for obvious reasons), and cunningly contrived to hold onto it for three years by not qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. There are no huge surprises here, the winners are all generally considered major soccer powers. The smallest country to hold the title for any length of time is Denmark from 2000 to 2002. The smallest country to ever hold it at all, and also the only holder ever from outside Europe and South America, was Algeria, who beat West Germany in a 1982 WC group stage game, then lost to Austria next game (and then Austria infamously transferred it back to West Germany in the game after that). Correction! After writing that I checked; Uruguay is actually smaller than Denmark, and I’m not going to calculate it, but Uruguay has clearly spent more time in possession of this title than any other nation, at a rough count 33 of the 110 years it has sort of existed. They haven’t held it for more than a few days since 1997, though. Even though non-South American teams theoretically became eligible in 1930 when the World Cup started, South America managed to hold the title for another 32 years, until Uruguay lost a group stage game to Yugoslavia in 1962. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2239 "2026-06-29T21:11:23Z")
Sounds like Germany-Paraguay is a snoozer. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2240 "2026-06-29T21:12:07Z")
Not anymore! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962.md?page=111) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962.md?page=113)