# 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:** 202
**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 11, 2026, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4021 "2026-07-11T23:51:42Z")
Sucks for Nyland to have a good game against Brazil and lose the game this time. ---
**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 11, 2026, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4022 "2026-07-11T23:52:12Z")
Bloody hell England. If Wednesday is like that I may not make it through the match! ---
**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 11, 2026, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4023 "2026-07-11T23:53:49Z")
Switzerland doesn’t have a realistic chance against Argentina, do they? ---
**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 11, 2026, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4024 "2026-07-11T23:54:14Z")
England manager Tuchal is on TV absolutely slating the performance. ---
**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 11, 2026, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4025 "2026-07-11T23:54:56Z")
What’s realistic? They’re probably like 35% chance? Wouldn’t shock me at all for Switzerland to win. ---
**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 11, 2026, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4026 "2026-07-11T23:55:00Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Switzerland doesn’t have a realistic chance against Argentina, do they? Nope, Switzerland are absolutely dreadful. But you never know in football. ---
**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 11, 2026, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4027 "2026-07-11T23:55:59Z")
If Cape Verde almost tied us, and Egypt almost defeated us I think Switzerland has more than a realistic chance. ---
**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 11, 2026, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4028 "2026-07-11T23:57:26Z")
Do they ever play three or five game series? When it’s a one off there are chances of an upset. ---
**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 11, 2026, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4029 "2026-07-11T23:59:26Z")
The Champions League is mostly 2 game series. Home and Away. And most leagues don’t have playoffs so you can consider it a 38 game round robin. ---
**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 12, 2026, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4030 "2026-07-12T00:01:05Z")
I couldn’t watch the game, but there were reports that an assist to one of Bellingham’s goals touched a camera cable or such. What was that about? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4031 "2026-07-12T00:02:07Z")
England’s coach is not much of an inspiration to the team. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4032 "2026-07-12T00:02:44Z")
Apparently FIFA has since said it didn’t happen. ---
**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 12, 2026, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4033 "2026-07-12T00:03:20Z")
IIRC a Norway goal kick clipped a cable, and was followed by an English possession and eventual goal. Meh from my perspective. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4034 "2026-07-12T00:04:32Z")
Fox just showed a tracking of the ball, and it didn’t seem to change trajectory. ---
**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 12, 2026, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4035 "2026-07-12T00:11:08Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Switzerland doesn’t have a realistic chance against Argentina, do they? Not if the refs have anything to say about 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 12, 2026, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4036 "2026-07-12T00:15:11Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Switzerland doesn’t have a realistic chance against Argentina, do they? That’s what most everybody thought when they played Colombia. > [@Frodo](#): > > If Cape Verde almost tied us, and Egypt almost defeated us I think Switzerland has more than a realistic chance. This, exactly. Argentina has played just good enough to win their last two games. They will need to play better tonight against a decent Swiss side. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4037 "2026-07-12T00:20:27Z")
Someone needs to tell this announcer lady on Fox that Javier is pronounced “Ha-vee-yare” and not “Ha-vee-yay”. I think Chicharito is being too nice in not correcting her. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4038 "2026-07-12T00:25:11Z")
Argentina’s 2nd highest scorers in this tournament are tied at 1 each. Lot on Messi’s shoulders. ---
**Author:** ![stopnonstop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@stopnonstop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stopnonstop)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4039 "2026-07-12T00:26:22Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > I couldn’t watch the game, but there were reports that an assist to one of Bellingham’s goals touched a camera cable or such. What was that about? The ball hit the spider camera cable. Play should have stopped, but it didn’t. Consequently, England scored. I have no horse in this race, but fifa and their approach to the tournament reminds me of Olympic figure skating judgement and the politics that go on behind the scenes. ---
**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 12, 2026, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4040 "2026-07-12T00:30:56Z")
I know nobody trusts FIFA but they say it did not touch the cable. They say the sensor in the ball would have indicated any touch and nothing was measured. The UK broadcaster just showed the flight of the ball in slow motion and I couldn’t see any deviation of the ball (or indeed any nearby cable though that might have been too thin to see). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962.md?page=201) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962.md?page=203)