# 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:** 144
**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 4, 2026, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2861 "2026-07-04T23:07:18Z")
Extremely minor point but will mention anyway - Mbappe coulda had a bit more class and reciprocate hand bump with the losing goalie before celebrating. I mean, he was right there. ---
**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:** [July 4, 2026, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2862 "2026-07-04T23:16:21Z")
Where’s Lalas? Did they fire him, please God? ---
**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:** [July 4, 2026, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2863 "2026-07-04T23:29:30Z")
He was in phila., he was shown at independence hall. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2026, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2864 "2026-07-04T23:30:21Z")
I gotta say, the first two Round of 16 matches were horrible compared to the last few matches in the round of 32. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2026, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2865 "2026-07-04T23:44:21Z")
Tomorrow’s and Monday’s matches should be better. They can’t be worse. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2026, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2866 "2026-07-04T23:56:36Z")
As somebody who defaults to rooting for the underdog unless I have interests otherwise (I know, very original), Paraguay made me root quite emphatically for France. ---
**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:** [July 5, 2026, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2867 "2026-07-05T00:06:57Z")
I couldn’t watch the game (only on pay TV I don’t have), but [kicker.de](http://kicker.de) tells me that it’s a mystery how Paraguay could get away without any yellow card from this game. ---
**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 5, 2026, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2868 "2026-07-05T00:16:56Z")
No splash on that dive. ---
**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:** [July 5, 2026, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2869 "2026-07-05T00:43:49Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > I gotta say, the first two Round of 16 matches were horrible compared to the last few matches in the round of 32. Yeah, no kidding. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2870 "2026-07-05T00:47:57Z")
Bad reffing. And bad VARing, since at least one of the cards given to France was a clear simulation. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2871 "2026-07-05T06:37:03Z")
After watching the highlights this morning I am very glad justice prevailed and France went through. Paraguay comfortably the least likeable team I’ve seen, full of horrible snide tactics and how they escaped a single booking is ridiculous. One of them threw an arm at Mbappe as he tried to run past, in full view of the ref from maybe 7 yards away and didn’t even have a foul given for it! Not sure what was worse, Paraguay or the ref. Complete incompetence. Oh and the incident where the Paraguay player, prone on the ground, kicked out at Mbappe’s shin? Not even a yellow for that either. In 1998 Beckham was sent off for essentially the same thing and then vilified by the English press for it. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2872 "2026-07-05T16:40:47Z")
The Athletic has an article saying that Balogun’s suspension has been lifted and he will be available against Belgium. ---
**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 5, 2026, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2873 "2026-07-05T16:42:35Z")
Yeah, and really doesn’t give any details other than FIFA can do what they want. So almost certainly wildly corrupt. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2874 "2026-07-05T16:50:59Z")
That’s excellent news that if any other team got that kind of break I’d be screaming bloody murder. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2875 "2026-07-05T16:52:25Z")
Yeah, I’m kind of “yay!” and “what the fuck!?” at the same time. ---
**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:** [July 5, 2026, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2876 "2026-07-05T16:56:50Z")
I’ve just noticed with horror that the next two games are only shown on [magenta.tv](http://magenta.tv), a pay channel I don’t have, and this will be the first day of the WC without any game for me. I would have stayed up for the England-Mexico game which kicks off at 2 PM my local time, but nope, they don’t show it on regular TV. Bummer. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2877 "2026-07-05T16:57:15Z")
Wasn’t a red card but this kind of intervention feels wrong. Off the top of my head in the pre-VAR days there were red cards that were wrongly given and neither FIFA or UEFA in club competitions changed it. Which leads me to believe FIFA should not have the VAR from the USA vs Bosnia match get another match now if they are effectively declaring the decision to give a red card to Balogun wrong. ---
**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:** [July 5, 2026, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2878 "2026-07-05T16:59:58Z")
> [@Boycott](#): > > Off the top of my head in the pre-VAR days there were red cards that were wrongly given and neither FIFA or UEFA in club competitions changed it. Pre- and post-VAR, this never happened on the international level before, and it’s a very bad precedent IMHO. And smells like favoritism for the host nation. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2879 "2026-07-05T17:03:31Z")
Although they also did it for Ronaldo, which sounds more like financial incentive in wanting the popular players on the pitch to sell tickets. (Although Balogun probably wouldn’t have had the same cache elsewhere, so being the host likely helped there.) ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/2880 "2026-07-05T17:04:01Z")
Yeah I’m not sure how I feel about it. In general I don’t really like the automatic suspension for red cards. To pick an example, the first red card Qatar got vs Canada was a _very_ light tackle judged to be a DOGSO. That absolutely doesn’t warrant a suspension, but that’s the rule For what Balogan actually did, I think a suspension is quite unfair. But it’s the rule, and to rescind this particular one seems like somebody tipping the scales. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962.md?page=143) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962.md?page=145)