# 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:** 184
**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 8, 2026, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3661 "2026-07-08T18:05:37Z")
> [@ricepad](#): > > You might be able to use that information to win a bar bet! Heck, could I win bar bets and quizzes anytime with all the useless knowledge I learned from the Dope! Posts like this are the reason I love this board so much. ---
**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 8, 2026, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3662 "2026-07-08T18:07:19Z")
Why doesn’t football use 2 refs, the way hockey does? ---
**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 8, 2026, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3663 "2026-07-08T18:08:20Z")
Ahem, on the prof level they usually use 4, not counting VAR refs. ---
**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 8, 2026, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3664 "2026-07-08T18:09:21Z")
Should I ever get invited to participate in Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (German version) I will sure contact you to ask whether you want to be my _Telefonjoker_. It is not only because of the knowledge you have gained here on the Board, but also because of the knowledge you bring in so many fields. Football and music, for instance. ---
**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 8, 2026, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3665 "2026-07-08T18:09:28Z")
And they’re using a fifth official in this World Cup. Not sure if that’s used wider. ---
**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 8, 2026, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3666 "2026-07-08T18:11:21Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > win bar bets and quizzes anytime with all the useless knowledge I learned from the Dope! Posts If the knowledge that you have gleaned from the Dope wins you a bar bet, it is certainly not useless! ---
**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 8, 2026, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3667 "2026-07-08T18:13:35Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Should I ever get invited to participate in Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (German version) I will sure contact you to ask whether you want to be my _Telefonjoker_. It is not only because of the knowledge you have gained here on the Board, but also because of the knowledge you bring in so many fields. Football and music, for instance. Ah well, now I’m blushing. I must admit that I seriously thought about applying for the show, but I never did because I’m ultra shy, have stage fright and am afraid of Günther Jauch. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3668 "2026-07-08T18:19:00Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Ahem, on the prof level they usually use 4, not counting VAR refs. Ahem, no they don’t. pedantry ON There is ONE referee in football. The others are ASSISTANT referees, whose job is to assist the referee. That includes the two running the touchlines (used to be called linesmen), the Fourth Official whose primary duty is keeping order in the technical areas and handling substitutions, and the VAR. pedantry OFF Football is a stuffy old game, and clings to the notion that THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE OFFICIAL IN CHARGE OF THE MATCH. The argument against two or more referees has always been, “What if they disagree on what they saw/what happened?” In my mind, this has always suggested admitting that the referee might not see everything, but it’s used to stick with only one. In parts of the US, games are played using a 2-man system, with each one in charge of their end of the field, calling fouls and offside. Since they split the FOP along the half line, there is, theoretically, no dispute between them: I call what happens on my end, you call what happens on your end. USSoccer and FIFA shit all over this system any time they get a chance. Admittedly, using the 2-man system means the referee is usually out of position for all but the most obvious offside, and that may be the cause for the shitting. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3669 "2026-07-08T18:20:53Z")
> [@duality72](#): > > And they’re using a fifth official in this World Cup. IIRC in South Africa, before chipped balls, they had officials on the goal line strictly to watch for balls crossing the goal line, nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3670 "2026-07-08T18:34:22Z")
just an aside, I had to laugh when Trump questioned why a tackle was not allowed in soccer (confused with our football of course, but then, it’s Trump!) ---
**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:** [July 8, 2026, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3671 "2026-07-08T21:13:36Z")
So I went to my friend’s wedding in this Day Without World Cup Games and in the train station… [![](https://i.imgur.com/9gcOXwu.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/9gcOXwu.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![icon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c6cbf5/32.png) [@icon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icon)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3672 "2026-07-08T21:29:10Z")
😲 The spirit of Messi appeared to you??? What did he say? What wisdom did he impart? `//i\\` ---
**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 8, 2026, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3673 "2026-07-08T21:39:05Z")
> [@icon](#): > > What wisdom did he impart? Next penalty should be kicked by another guy… 😉 ---
**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:** [July 8, 2026, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3674 "2026-07-08T21:53:25Z")
He didn’t say a word, I think it’s some kind of message of wisdom I have to interpret. (Or its because it’s a mural) ---
**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 9, 2026, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3675 "2026-07-09T05:26:55Z")
This neutral is torn, Mary MacGregor-like, three ways between eventual WC winner. Norway, to see if one of the greatest strikers on the planet can somehow carry a country of that stature to a WC title. Argentina, my favourite footballer’s last chance to do it. Morocco, for the trophy presentation. (I can see Trump having to leave for a sudden emergency and then just getting Vance to do it) ---
**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:** [July 9, 2026, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3676 "2026-07-09T05:31:53Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > Morocco, for the trophy presentation. (I can see Trump having to leave for a sudden emergency and then just getting Vance to do it) If “what we all want but do not say” doesn’t happen I would also like Morocco to win, because of what you said about Trump and because they don’t have any world cups and thus would threaten Argentina’s position in the “table” of number of cups won. For the same reason (disturbing Trump and assorted right wing slugs) I would not mind France winning it so much (and it’s by far the most likely result), they’d get even with us in number of cups but at least Trump and a bunch of racists would suffer. ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3677 "2026-07-09T11:46:49Z")
If not England then Belgium. They’re by far the least likely team to give Trump any time of day. ---
**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:** [July 9, 2026, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3678 "2026-07-09T15:21:39Z")
None of the teams or players are going to react any differently to Trump. They will accept the trophy from him, shake his hand, and that’ll be the end of it. Anyone who thinks that any professional footballer is going to try to perform any sort of stunt, protest or even refuse to shake his hand is severely overestimating the modern footballer. ---
**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 9, 2026, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3679 "2026-07-09T15:44:45Z")
100% correct. It will be a non-event. ---
**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 9, 2026, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3680 "2026-07-09T15:46:40Z")
There is still plenty of time for Trump to do something to ensure that it will be an event. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962.md?page=183) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962.md?page=185)