# 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:** 132
**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:** [July 3, 2026, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2621 "2026-07-03T01:04:43Z")
Definitely offside, IMO ---
**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:** [July 3, 2026, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2622 "2026-07-03T01:05:58Z")
And so it is. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2026, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2623 "2026-07-03T01:06:14Z")
Damn. That sucks. ---
**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:** [July 3, 2026, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2624 "2026-07-03T01:07:21Z")
This is ridiculous. ---
**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:** [July 3, 2026, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2625 "2026-07-03T01:11:31Z")
Technology has ruined this game for me. Why even bother having a bloody referee anymore? ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2026, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2626 "2026-07-03T01:12:01Z")
Ruined it by getting a call right? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2026, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2627 "2026-07-03T01:13:54Z")
Sorry Croatia. The fix was in from the most corrupt body in sports. ---
**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:** [July 3, 2026, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2628 "2026-07-03T01:19:11Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > The fix… Curious for an elaboration. Crummy band, even without the extra “x”. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2026, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2629 "2026-07-03T01:20:48Z")
Pardon my ignorance, but I thought it’s not offside if an opponent (a Portuguese player) was the one to touch the ball last? ---
**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:** [July 3, 2026, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2630 "2026-07-03T01:20:56Z")
All right I’m not going to spend time debating this, but all through this FWC they have been airing commercial extolling football as the best game in the world because “all you need is a ball”. When I was playing (and refereeing) many years ago, the standard for an offsides call was the location of the player’s feet. One of the hallmarks of the laws of the game is the idea that the referee is the ultimate authority. VAR, chipped balls and wearables on players are against the spirit of that ideal. Yes, referees sometimes get calls wrong. Technology doesn’t make that better, and this tournament has shown that many times. Offside for a toenail? A shoulder? A pinky finger? Years ago we wouldn’t have had so much stoppage time because these questions would have been resolved ON the field by the referee, not a bunch of people in a booth with computers and telemetry. We now know that Maradona’s Hand of God goal was illegal - should we invalidate those results? Sometimes it’s more about it being a game than it is about getting the call right. That’s it. I’m done for the night. I may even be done with the tournament, because this match literally made me sick. Peace. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2026, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2631 "2026-07-03T01:22:24Z")
So spending 5 minutes on VAR to get a call right is somehow worse than a call being wrong and that wrong call having effects that linger for years or decades? And yes, of course, Maradona’s Hand of God goal should have been invalidated had VAR existed at the time. I’m not sure if you’re seriously suggesting that wrong calls should just be allowed to stand. ---
**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:** [July 3, 2026, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2632 "2026-07-03T01:26:42Z")
I think people are basically arguing for DnD’s “rule of cool.” That is, if it would prevent something cool enough, ignore the rules. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2026, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2633 "2026-07-03T01:55:49Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Pardon my ignorance, but I thought it’s not offside if an opponent (a Portuguese player) was the one to touch the ball last? Yes, but only if the defender deliberately plays the ball. In this case the decision is that the ball deflected off the defender rather than him purposely playing it. ---
**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:** [July 3, 2026, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2634 "2026-07-03T02:10:30Z")
Next Monday the USA will play Belgium. Also on Monday will be the Battle of Iberia, when Spain plays Portugal. ---
**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:** [July 3, 2026, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2635 "2026-07-03T03:38:27Z")
Currently Switzerland is leading Algeria 1-0. ---
**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:** [July 3, 2026, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2636 "2026-07-03T03:43:56Z")
Apropos of nothing, just wanna say how freaky it is hearing Peter Drury mentioning New Jersey. ---
**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:** [July 3, 2026, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2637 "2026-07-03T03:55:34Z")
My goodness did I hear that right - that the last time Switzerland won a WC knock-out game was 1938? ---
**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:** [July 3, 2026, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2638 "2026-07-03T04:10:02Z")
Algerian defense cough up the ball for a Switzerland 2-0 go ahead. Nice strike. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2026, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2639 "2026-07-03T04:55:00Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > My goodness did I hear that right - that the last time Switzerland won a WC knock-out game was 1938? I don’t know how the tournament was structured back in 1938, but for the last couple decades only 16 teams advanced to the knockout rounds. Winning a knockout game meant you were one of he 8 best teams. This year, winning a knockout game means you’re one of the 16 best. ---
**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:** [July 3, 2026, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2640 "2026-07-03T05:25:17Z")
1. > [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > the original Galician Spanish saying I just remembered, the correct saying is “yo no creo en las meigas, pero haberlas, haylas.” Things you think about at night… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962.md?page=131) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962.md?page=133)