# 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:** 192
**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, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3821 "2026-07-10T20:49:15Z")
Yeah, DeBruyne is probably the #2 attacking mid of the last decade. Prefer his last game to not finish on the bench, but so be it if Spain wins. Yamal isn’t deadly enough to be the best player in the world. Yet. ---
**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 10, 2026, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3822 "2026-07-10T20:50:19Z")
Spain putting on the pressure. The backup goalkeeper may have to make a brilliant save or three. ---
**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 10, 2026, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3823 "2026-07-10T20:50:53Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > The backup goalkeeper may have to make a brilliant save or three. And he couldn’t do it. ---
**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, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3824 "2026-07-10T20:50:57Z")
Spain with the best midfield in the world, one of the most electric attackers in the world, and maybe their winning goal on a rebound from their teenage CB just ripping it from 35 yards. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lantern2/32/3010_2.png) [@Lantern2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern2)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2026, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3825 "2026-07-10T20:51:16Z")
Am I the only one who thought he had missed that at first? ---
**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, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3826 "2026-07-10T20:51:30Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > And he couldn’t do it. He actually spilled it poor guy. ---
**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 10, 2026, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3827 "2026-07-10T20:51:53Z")
If it were hockey, the goalie would be criticized for rebound control. ---
**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, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3828 "2026-07-10T20:52:33Z")
Courtois spilled the first one too at least, so the backup doesn’t have to feel as bad. > [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > If it were hockey, the goalie would be criticized for rebound control. Huge thing in soccer as well. ---
**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, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3829 "2026-07-10T20:52:58Z")
Same for football. Goalies, always clear a ball to the side, if you can’t catch it! ---
**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, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3830 "2026-07-10T20:53:51Z")
He was trying to hold on to it. Which Courtois would have surely done. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2026, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3831 "2026-07-10T20:54:19Z")
It was a tough one - too centered in the goalmouth to push it over the touch line. He might have made himself bigger on the follow shot, but he was thinking Spain’s player would go lower corner, and guessed wrong. ---
**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, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3832 "2026-07-10T20:55:42Z")
> [@SunUp](#): > > It was a tough one - too centered in the goalmouth to push it over the touch line. It was into his midrift. He could have and should have held on to the ball. ---
**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, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3833 "2026-07-10T20:55:48Z")
Pedri not choosing to play Yamal into a 1v1 in lots of space and then just falling down leading to a Belgium attack was weird. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2026, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3834 "2026-07-10T21:00:31Z")
Point is, if it had too much mustard or movement on it for him to handle cleanly, Lammens had no choice. He’s paid the big bucks to cover those, of course, but sometimes they’re just too hot to handle. ---
**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, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3835 "2026-07-10T21:02:53Z")
It wasn’t easy but the last thing you do is let the ball squirm out a few feet in front of the goal. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2026, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3836 "2026-07-10T21:03:15Z")
I just spent the last week reading this thread and catching up on every post, from the beginning. It took me a week because I only read it whenever I’m eating, I like to read while I eat and for some reason I like to read about things that I don’t partake in but like reading conversations of people talking about it. This applies to guns, cigars, wine, and sports… I don’t like sports, I’m not watching the world cup right now, I never have watched the world cup,.. But it’s on, I love reading about it in here. It took me about a week and a half to finally catch up on this thread and I lived through Einstein’s hund being sad when Germany was out, and frodo’s constant superstitious things, like not posting in this thread, following Argentina’s journey through the finals, ricepad, an actual retired soccer referee, giving his thoughts, Maserschmidt going to a game and then disappearing for a while, …Snarky Kong, rocking chair, Ike Witt, Mahaloth, Fiendish Astronaut, railer13, guest starring id, thumper668, JKellyMap (who also attended a game), Trout Man, Pardel Lux, iamatractorboy, fachverwirrt,… Many more, the list goes on, sorry if I didn’t name you specifically… But this topic makes me wish I was more interested in sports and especially the world cup. I’m almost jealous of how invested people get into this. It’s like a club that I am unable to ever belong to, but it’s nice to see the interaction everyone has as they sit on their edge of their seats cheering for their teams. Sorry, I don’t mean to hijack, so I hope this doesn’t turn into one, I just wanted to make one Post in here thanking you all for keeping the thread going and keeping it so active. Gives me something to read while I eat… Even though I have no interest in the world cup at all. I appreciate reading about it. I’m weird. That’s all. ---
**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, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3837 "2026-07-10T21:05:50Z")
Bless you @Idle_Thoughts Will you at least join us for the World Cup Final? ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2026, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3838 "2026-07-10T21:07:30Z")
You bet…l’ll be following this thread live as it’s going on. ---
**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, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3839 "2026-07-10T21:10:20Z")
I was hoping to convince you to watch some of this beautiful game, but whatever you prefer of course. ---
**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, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/3840 "2026-07-10T21:14:00Z")
I do think soccer is harder to get into as a non-sports person than basketball or hockey or American football. I was an American football fan for like 20 years but I never really understood it. Yes, I know the rules and tackle breaking runs are exciting, and very very basic strategy, but I could never tell you how the defense was lining up or have expectations on what play should be called. You can still enjoy that sport on that level, but I think you need to know soccer one layer deeper to enjoy it or else it’s just the Simpsons meme anytime there’s not a bicycle kick. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962.md?page=191) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962.md?page=193)