# 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:** 189
**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 9, 2026, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3761 "2026-07-09T22:16:44Z")
On replay that Mbappe goal is just unreal. Probably the best pure strike of the tournament? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3762 "2026-07-09T22:32:47Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Morroco looks pretty lame, to be honest. Disappointing. They slow-walked it back from half time. I so wanted to see the Referee blow the whistle to start without them. They set the pace for their own defeat. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3763 "2026-07-09T22:37:25Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > On replay that Mbappe goal is just unreal. Probably the best pure strike of the tournament? It would be great to see a top-down view of the curve of the shot. ---
**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 10, 2026, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3764 "2026-07-10T02:24:49Z")
I was about to post a youtube video of that incredible Haiti goal, but AIUI not really a kosher move, here? If not, check it out on youtube - Sunderland striker Isodore Wilson smacked the bejebus out of the ball from ten feet out of the box and tucked it right into that top corner where mom keeps the peanut butter cookies, giving Haiti a 2-1 lead over Morocco at the time. That’s my pure strike of the tourney. ---
**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 10, 2026, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3765 "2026-07-10T03:00:16Z")
This one? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-UuYHN-jMmI/maxresdefault.jpg "Wilson Isidor Goal | Morocco 4-2 Haiti | FIFA World Cup 2026™") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UuYHN-jMmI) ---
**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 10, 2026, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3766 "2026-07-10T03:08:18Z")
It’s quite a nice goal. I need to see the behind angle though; the impressive thing about Mbappe’s goal is how tiny the angle is that he has to shoot through ---
**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 10, 2026, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3767 "2026-07-10T03:58:13Z")
Indeed, that one, Sure, it didn’t sneak around and go in with zero margin of error like Mbappe’s did, but man. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 18 y.o. Kerim Alajbegovic (Bayern Leverkuesen) scored a nice one against Qatar that snuck by a defender or two. ---
**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 10, 2026, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3768 "2026-07-10T04:04:39Z")
The best goal so far, IMHO was the second Cape Verde goal against Argentina, it was beautiful. But I haven’t seen them all. ---
**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 10, 2026, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3769 "2026-07-10T04:17:11Z")
This is a really good one. Phenomenal strike (I think I saw it was ~0.03xG i.e. an average striker would only score 1 in 30+ attempts), plus the story. ---
**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 10, 2026, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3770 "2026-07-10T05:26:57Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > best goal so far, IMHO was the second Cape Verde goal against Argentina This is the correct answer. If that doesn’t win the goal of the tournament award then something is up. ---
**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 10, 2026, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3771 "2026-07-10T05:29:12Z")
Getting rather worried about my prediction of Spain to beat France in the semi and go on to win the whole thing. France just look too good to be honest. At least I have got Mbappe as top scorer, although Messi is also giving me major concerns. ---
**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 10, 2026, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3772 "2026-07-10T14:55:52Z")
It generated the usual (and usually unfair) Argentinian complain when such things happen against weaker teams “These guys turn into 1970’s Brazil only when they play us!” ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2026, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3773 "2026-07-10T16:13:17Z")
Speaking of Brazil, the chattering classes down there are engaging in a fascinating theory about what’s been hindering their teams: The expansion of Evangelical Christianity in Latin America > **[Has the evangelism ended Brazilian football's joy?](https://en.ara.cat/sports/has-evangelism-ended-brazilian-football-s-joy_130_5794797.html)** > > After Brazil's elimination from the World Cup, an unexpected debate has arisen about the role of religion in the results TL:DR: Contemporary Evangelicalism with its puritanism, predestination, prosperity-gospel and individual-relation-with-Jesus elements has resulted in selfish players joylessly chasing money so they no longer play with the right spirit. (The socialnets BTW get nastier on whose “fault” it is that the Evangs are proliferating in LatAm…) Like, can’t it just be that now your kids have other things than football to pay attention to? ---
**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 10, 2026, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3774 "2026-07-10T16:18:17Z")
You can’t deny the numbers, 17 Catholic World Cups against 5 Protestant ones, and Germany’s World Cups could count as Catholic too if you look at the Catholic part of Germany… (I don’t like the U.S. style evangelicals that are proliferating now in S. America, they have a lot of responsibility for Bolsonaro and Milei, so I’ll take anything against them) ---
**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:** [July 10, 2026, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3775 "2026-07-10T17:46:12Z")
lol. Argentina has had the same shift away from Catholicism, yet their men’s national team seems to be doing okay. > [@Frodo](#): > > and Germany’s World Cups could count as Catholic too if you look at the Catholic part of Germany… Germany’s best side is right there in the regional fortress of Catholicism! ---
**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 10, 2026, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3776 "2026-07-10T18:01:56Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Germany’s best side is right there in the regional fortress of Catholicism! Yeah, Borussia Mönchengladbach in the traditional Catholic bastion of the Lower Rhine region. 😉 ---
**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:** [July 10, 2026, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3777 "2026-07-10T18:16:10Z")
TIL that Moenchengladbach is 38% Catholic, Muenchen 24% 😳 ---
**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 10, 2026, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3778 "2026-07-10T18:27:35Z")
More heathens in the big city of Munich than in provincial Gladbach… ---
**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 10, 2026, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3779 "2026-07-10T18:59:51Z")
Hard to see past Spain here. I don’t think Belgium have nearly enough to breach this Spanish defence and even if they do it once, Spain will outscore them. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2026, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3780 "2026-07-10T19:05:17Z")
Soccer noob question. What teams are generally better, the best of the World Cup teams or the best of the best League teams? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962.md?page=188) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962.md?page=190)