# 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:** 235
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4681 "2026-07-16T21:12:09Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > In Argentina saying “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” is a left wing position, Galtieri is hated for trying (and predictably failing, in the process sending innocent boys to die futilely fighting against a world power) to take them by force when the country’s position has always been to get them by diplomatic means. Uh, Galitery was a right wing dictator. > **[Leopoldo Galtieri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopoldo_Galtieri)** > > Leopoldo Fortunato Galtieri Castelli\[a\] (15 July 1926 – 12 January 2003) was an Argentine military officer who held power as the de facto President of Argentina from December 1981 to June 1982. Galtieri ruled as a military dictator during the National Reorganization Process as leader of the Third Junta with Jorge Anaya and Basilio Lami Dozo. Galtieri was chief combat engineer of the Argentine Army and a patron of the 1976 military coup d'état, which helped him become commander-in-chief of the a... ---
**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 16, 2026, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4682 "2026-07-16T21:12:31Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > Someone is asking a hefty $1300 for a ticket to the 1962 Chile-Yugoslavia match, which might seem like a lot, but they point out it was Chile’s best WC performance ever (presumably Yugoslavia’s too). The 1962 WC was long before my time, and I have no clue about that specific game, but in the collective memory of every football fan, the WC in Chile is remembered as the worst WC in history, with the ugliest games, meanest fouls and lowest scores. Almost everyone has forgotten that tournament. It was at the height of catenaccio. > **[Catenaccio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catenaccio)** > > Catenaccio (.mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}Italian pronunciation: \[kateˈnattʃo\]) or The Chain is a tactical system in football with a strong emphasis on defence. In Italian, catenaccio means "door-bolt", which implies a highly organised and effective backline defence focused on nullifying opponents' attacks and preventing goal-sc... ---
**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 16, 2026, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4683 "2026-07-16T21:17:10Z")
At that point in time “Las malvinas son argentinas” was a lodestone across the political spectrum, left wing, right wing, middle of the road, it didn’t matter, it was a national cause. Starting in the 90’s and to “attract investment” (never seems to work) the right wing started to distance themselves from Argentina’s traditional claim. Nowadays, especially with Milei being an avowed fan of Margaret Thatcher 🤮 Malvinas is a left wing position. (I really should start that thread about Malvinas/Falklands, but you’ll understand that for reasons more directly related to this thread I’m operating on 3 hours of sleep in the last 2 days) ETA: Left wing and the ultra-nationalistic right of course, but in normal parlance is left wing coded and not related to support of the dictatorship. ---
**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 16, 2026, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4684 "2026-07-16T21:29:57Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > …the WC in Chile… Occurred just a couple weeks after the Valvidia earthquake! ---
**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 16, 2026, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4685 "2026-07-16T21:42:38Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > At that point in time “Las malvinas son argentinas” was a lodestone across the political spectrum, left wing, right wing, middle of the road, it didn’t matter, it was a national cause. I should’ve mentioned that that status as a national cause was what the dictatorship wanted to exploit to keep themselves in power by retaking the islands. What kind of whiskey that notorious drunk was drinking that made him think that the U.K. would take that as a fait acompli and not fight back is left as an excercise for the reader. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4686 "2026-07-16T22:05:45Z")
I kind of like the idea of eschaton as a never-ending third-place match. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4687 "2026-07-16T22:08:46Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > Also, how do you red card a _team_? Do you mean show a red card to every member of the team? FIFA has the power to penalize the team. Fines have no meaning but losing a player does. This was both politically motivated and massively bad sportsmanship. I didn’t have a horse in this race but I do now. There’s a special place in hell for sore winners. ---
**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 16, 2026, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4688 "2026-07-16T22:09:24Z")
**shudders** ---
**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 16, 2026, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4689 "2026-07-16T22:34:41Z")
There is a special on TV right now about Maradona’s only return to Azteca Stadium, in 2000, after the World Cup win. He has quite the beer belly… ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4690 "2026-07-16T23:11:00Z")
It has grass on both sides obviously. ---
**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 16, 2026, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4691 "2026-07-16T23:26:52Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > He has quite the beer belly… I thought cocaine would offset that somehow? ---
**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 16, 2026, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4692 "2026-07-16T23:32:33Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > Occurred just a couple weeks after the Valvidia earthquake! 🤦‍♂️ More like two years after. I was thinking, wow, all that screwed up infrastructrure, but the WC still started on schedule! Concerned if Messi will find Spain too tough a nut to crack. Mbappe couldn’t. I wonder if that worries Messi, or provides fodder for him to prove he can do what Mbappe couldn’t. Martinez and Fernandez will have to play lights out if Argentina stands any chance. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4693 "2026-07-17T00:33:51Z")
You weren’t expecting Armageddon to be pleasant, were you? ---
**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 17, 2026, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4694 "2026-07-17T00:34:14Z")
I expected it be over at some point at least! ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4695 "2026-07-17T01:07:53Z")
That’s the thing about sports fandom. It’s never really over. Either you’re losing, which is depressing, or you’re winning, which is stressful. I mean, until you’re dead. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4696 "2026-07-17T02:46:46Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > I mean, until you’re dead. I picture soccer players pushing and grabbing each other in line at the pearly gates. ---
**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 17, 2026, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4697 "2026-07-17T02:51:34Z")
True,and if you are Argentine you have all that plus 12 cardiac events per game. ---
**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 17, 2026, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4698 "2026-07-17T19:45:37Z")
Interesting tidbit from German media: the final on Sunday will be the first since 1978 without a player from FC Bayern. ---
**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 17, 2026, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4699 "2026-07-17T19:57:00Z")
Nice to know, I like that. Do the German media perchance also say how many Spanish clubs are represented in both teams? I did not check, but there could be several. ---
**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 17, 2026, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962/4700 "2026-07-17T20:00:02Z")
Unfortunately not, I got this info from 11Freunde via spiegel online: [WM 2026: Diese Bayern-Spieler standen in WM-Endspielen - 11FREUNDE](https://www.11freunde.de/wm/wm-2026-diese-bayern-spieler-standen-in-wm-endspielen-der-stern-des-suedens-ist-erloschen-a-3c996814-cf6d-4099-bcd3-45c2ac69f19e?_gl=1*1lfem2v*spon_gcl_au*Njc1NjkyOTY3LjE3ODE2MjkwNTkuLS4tLjE3ODQyNzg4OTMuODg1NDY2MDU4LjE3ODQyNzg4OTQuMTc4NDMxNzI0OA).. (German link) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962.md?page=234) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-etc/1023962.md?page=236)