FIFA World Cup 2026 :Canada/Mexico/United States: Discussion Thread

[Sithara007]

I mean, Brazil is the only team in the world that has qualified to every single World Cup in history.

Also, they have won it five times, the current record.

Plus, they are at number one in the FIFA ranking today.

Yeah, I think they'll manage 

There is no dearth of talent in Brazil. Even for the 2022 Qatar edition, they were the bookmaker's favorites by a long distance. But then, one mistake during the knockout phases can result in the team failing to qualify for the next round. And this time it was Croatia, which surprised Brazil during the quarter-finals stage. BTW, Argentina has only failed to qualify just once. That was in 1970, when Peru and Bolivia finished ahead of them in CONMEBOL qualifiers Group 1. Peru, Brazil and Uruguay qualified during that year from CONMEBOL.

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[YinShuiSiYuan]

I mean, Brazil is the only team in the world that has qualified to every single World Cup in history.

Also, they have won it five times, the current record.

Plus, they are at number one in the FIFA ranking today.

Yeah, I think they'll manage 

There is no dearth of talent in Brazil. Even for the 2022 Qatar edition, they were the bookmaker's favorites by a long distance. But then, one mistake during the knockout phases can result in the team failing to qualify for the next round. And this time it was Croatia, which surprised Brazil during the quarter-finals stage. BTW, Argentina has only failed to qualify just once. That was in 1970, when Peru and Bolivia finished ahead of them in CONMEBOL qualifiers Group 1. Peru, Brazil and Uruguay qualified during that year from CONMEBOL.

Brazil is a strong team in football and they won the trophy multiple times, in this world cup they got unlucky during penalty shootout and we know all know penalty shootout is total about luck and Croatia got lucky with their strikes .
Argentina and Brazil both are the strongest teams of all times.

[sana54210]

Surely we all know about Brazilian quality but right now things are not working for them with last time they won in 2002 after this they are facing humiliations as well and their player's coordination is also now biggest problem for them with quality is still amazing and talent is also unanimous with this all now if Brazilian Soccer Federation wants to have better results then surely they can bring this rule even just for experiment and hire any coach from European Union for the next four years and then check the change because most chance they will be improved and having better changes which will help them for having another good time in soccer for their country.

One common issue which I can think about both Brazil and Argentina is that the local leagues in these two nations are not very strong. And it has been that way for the past many decades. Local leagues (Campeonato Brasileiro Série A or Argentine Liga Profesional de Fútbol) can't afford the insane salaries that are being offered by the Europeans. So almost all of the national team members play for European clubs and this results in a lack of co-ordination when they play for the national team. But this issue will be there forever and they need to adjust with it.

That could be resolved with a simple solution; get them to train together time to time, friendlies and all that. If they can do that, if these teams could play like once a month on average, that would mean that there will be some connection, and suggest them to keep in contact with each other as well.

You could literally get them to train in Europe, would be very weird but if they want success, they need to think outside the box for sure. Look at European clubs picking kids that are just 16-17 years old from these nations, you can't just ask them to come to Brazil all the time, so meet with them in Europe and go around and talk with them in each nation they are in.

[freedomgo]

Messi's current interview suggests he may not play in the next World Cup. In fact, this year's World Cup was organized historically. And witnessing this historic event, Messi's Argentina made history and secured the World Cup. Lionel Messi is now complete in all aspects.

Lionel Messi is very satisfied with his achievements so far in football, he has won almost all competitions either in the league or in international competition with Argentina. So even if he retires later everyone will always remember the historical moment about him. But the 2022 world cup is the pinnacle of his career and with that I think he is done.

Right now we are in 2023 and the 2026 world cup starts in 4 years, which is far away, and Lionel Messi is 35 years old. He indeed got reach many achievements with many teams while playing for Argentina and the clubs he was paying there but playing at age of 39-38 in the world cup is not something many players can reach even the most professional players can't perform like the early years and mostly these players prefer to retire before everyone sees them playing for poor performance level compared to other times and I guess Lionel Messi is one these players.

You are absolutely correct, Messi have achieved everything that is achievable in football, and so is Ronaldo as well, I personally can not find any reason why they should still be in the field of play by the age of 39 upwards, it is better to retire so as to give the younger players the breathing space to prove themselves, like I said in my previous comment, they can not play forever, even if they want to, so it is better for them to give themselves rest while the younger seize the opportunity to show what they are capable of.

I doubt if Messi and Ronaldo will be able to participate in the next world cup. Even we call see the effect of age in their performance,  expecially that of Ronaldo.  In the very next four years their performance will be very terrible. They have done enough and achieved enough,  the best thing is to retire.

These are the common comments that are made after the World Cup 2022 and I know this got a point because at 40 years old, there is indeed a lot of change from the player's body that would highly affect its performance and worse, the play of the whole team as this sport requires a team play and not just by one player who will carry them towards the win. But we shouldn't also forget that these are mere speculations and will remain as speculations as of now because only Messi and CR7 can answer those questions for us if we will see them in the next WC or not.

Ronaldo is 37 right now and in 2026 he'll be 40+  so his participation is a question as his performance and fitness will be different than now. They participate or not they have already given too much to football world . The way they played , there achievements they are remarkable and whatever world says they both are the goats of football world.

I understand your point but considering the fact that both Ronaldo and Messi haven't released a statement yet, then there is still a chance that they will play in the next WC. Right? All of these are mere speculations and we're just trying to weigh the chances if they will or they won't. Just like Ronaldo, we all thought that UEFA will be his last dance but right now, that's almost impossible as he's now with Al Nassr.

[keyscore44]

Messi's current interview suggests he may not play in the next World Cup. In fact, this year's World Cup was organized historically. And witnessing this historic event, Messi's Argentina made history and secured the World Cup. Lionel Messi is now complete in all aspects.

Lionel Messi is very satisfied with his achievements so far in football, he has won almost all competitions either in the league or in international competition with Argentina. So even if he retires later everyone will always remember the historical moment about him. But the 2022 world cup is the pinnacle of his career and with that I think he is done.

Right now we are in 2023 and the 2026 world cup starts in 4 years, which is far away, and Lionel Messi is 35 years old. He indeed got reach many achievements with many teams while playing for Argentina and the clubs he was paying there but playing at age of 39-38 in the world cup is not something many players can reach even the most professional players can't perform like the early years and mostly these players prefer to retire before everyone sees them playing for poor performance level compared to other times and I guess Lionel Messi is one these players.

You are absolutely correct, Messi have achieved everything that is achievable in football, and so is Ronaldo as well, I personally can not find any reason why they should still be in the field of play by the age of 39 upwards, it is better to retire so as to give the younger players the breathing space to prove themselves, like I said in my previous comment, they can not play forever, even if they want to, so it is better for them to give themselves rest while the younger seize the opportunity to show what they are capable of.

I doubt if Messi and Ronaldo will be able to participate in the next world cup. Even we call see the effect of age in their performance,  expecially that of Ronaldo.  In the very next four years their performance will be very terrible. They have done enough and achieved enough,  the best thing is to retire.

These are the common comments that are made after the World Cup 2022 and I know this got a point because at 40 years old, there is indeed a lot of change from the player's body that would highly affect its performance and worse, the play of the whole team as this sport requires a team play and not just by one player who will carry them towards the win. But we shouldn't also forget that these are mere speculations and will remain as speculations as of now because only Messi and CR7 can answer those questions for us if we will see them in the next WC or not.

Ronaldo is 37 right now and in 2026 he'll be 40+  so his participation is a question as his performance and fitness will be different than now. They participate or not they have already given too much to football world . The way they played , there achievements they are remarkable and whatever world says they both are the goats of football world.

I understand your point but considering the fact that both Ronaldo and Messi haven't released a statement yet, then there is still a chance that they will play in the next WC. Right? All of these are mere speculations and we're just trying to weigh the chances if they will or they won't. Just like Ronaldo, we all thought that UEFA will be his last dance but right now, that's almost impossible as he's now with Al Nassr.

In fact, I feel very sad that we might not see living legends like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the 2026 World Cup. No one can really stop age. Everyone loses to age one day.

[keyscore44]

I mean, Brazil is the only team in the world that has qualified to every single World Cup in history.

Also, they have won it five times, the current record.

Plus, they are at number one in the FIFA ranking today.

Yeah, I think they'll manage 

There is no dearth of talent in Brazil. Even for the 2022 Qatar edition, they were the bookmaker's favorites by a long distance. But then, one mistake during the knockout phases can result in the team failing to qualify for the next round. And this time it was Croatia, which surprised Brazil during the quarter-finals stage. BTW, Argentina has only failed to qualify just once. That was in 1970, when Peru and Bolivia finished ahead of them in CONMEBOL qualifiers Group 1. Peru, Brazil and Uruguay qualified during that year from CONMEBOL.

Brazil is a strong team in football and they won the trophy multiple times, in this world cup they got unlucky during penalty shootout and we know all know penalty shootout is total about luck and Croatia got lucky with their strikes .
Argentina and Brazil both are the strongest teams of all times.

Brazil is a very strong team. But luck did not help them in the 2022 World Cup. Still the team's players played the wrong game due to which they did not do well in the World Cup. But the 2026 World Cup Brazil team will prove themselves in a big way how strong they are.

[LUCKMCFLY]

We are currently seeing world cups where they present something new, in this particular world cup that is coming up, do we think it can happen with the combination of these countries? I understand that on the part of the USA things are going to be phenomenal, but will they be compatible with Mexico? Mexico is a purely soccer country, and soccer is in the hands of the Mexicans, they have a culture more focused on that sport, the Americans have their own league where it has been growing, I like the idea that Canada is on the way to improve a lot Because these countries have a great operational command to do great things, and that is what is sought with the organization of the World Cup, that their football grows.

Compared to nations like Venezuela that have never been to a World Cup, I'm already beginning to think that if they continue like this, the only way they'll go to a World Cup is by being organizers, and that's a long way off.

now the sub 20 qualifiers are taking place, and I have not seen a soccer game that convinces me of Venezuela, there is still a long way to go, just when I thought so, that is why I think that Canada will like a World Cup so that they continue to improve, That is one of the advantages of being a first world country, everything is focused on improving.

[gagux123]

~snip~
Surely we all know about Brazilian quality but right now things are not working for them with last time they won in 2002 after this they are facing humiliations as well and their player's coordination is also now biggest problem for them with quality is still amazing and talent is also unanimous with this all now if Brazilian Soccer Federation wants to have better results then surely they can bring this rule even just for experiment and hire any coach from European Union for the next four years and then check the change because most chance they will be improved and having better changes which will help them for having another good time in soccer for their country.

I mean, Brazil is the only team in the world that has qualified to every single World Cup in history.

Also, they have won it five times, the current record.

Plus, they are at number one in the FIFA ranking today.

Yeah, I think they'll manage  

Honestly, I would like to see Brazil be champions once again in a world cup.
But I don't know if that will happen.
Football around the world has evolved a lot, that's a fact, there are still several teams that are growing and improving their level of football... if we analyze some data from the Brazilian team, the team is no longer like before, the current team is far from resembling the 2002 team that were champions in the last world cup.

[Fivestar4everMVP]

~snip~
Surely we all know about Brazilian quality but right now things are not working for them with last time they won in 2002 after this they are facing humiliations as well and their player's coordination is also now biggest problem for them with quality is still amazing and talent is also unanimous with this all now if Brazilian Soccer Federation wants to have better results then surely they can bring this rule even just for experiment and hire any coach from European Union for the next four years and then check the change because most chance they will be improved and having better changes which will help them for having another good time in soccer for their country.

I mean, Brazil is the only team in the world that has qualified to every single World Cup in history.

Also, they have won it five times, the current record.

Plus, they are at number one in the FIFA ranking today.

Yeah, I think they'll manage  

Honestly, I would like to see Brazil be champions once again in a world cup.
But I don't know if that will happen.
Football around the world has evolved a lot

You guys just reminded me of the Old days, back in my childhood days, Brazil was the best country in terms of football, they were the ones that were always taking the world cup home year after year.
But today. Alot have changed really, many countries now have alot of good players that have helped leveled the playing ground.

And also, why exactly should I wish Brazil to win the world cup again if I'm not a Brazilian?  
I wish my country win the world cup, but if any other country wins, no big deal.

[gagux123]

You guys just reminded me of the Old days, back in my childhood days, Brazil was the best country in terms of football, they were the ones that were always taking the world cup home year after year.
But today. Alot have changed really, many countries now have alot of good players that have helped leveled the playing group.

And also, why exactly should I wish Brazil to win the world cup again if I'm not a Brazilian?  
I wish my country win the world cup, but if any other country wins, no big deal.

Unfortunately I didn't see Pelé, Garrincha, Romario, Rivellino, Zico and other Brazilian players from the past playing.

But I witnessed the 2002/2006 team playing, with all my respect, but this team scared the whole world, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Cafu, Kaka, R. Carlos and others, it was literally beautiful to see them playing, the chemistry , the passes and kicks, it was something surreal...
I believe that unfortunately it will take time for Brazil to have a national team like the one from 2002/2006 again  

[Fivestar4everMVP]

You guys just reminded me of the Old days, back in my childhood days, Brazil was the best country in terms of football, they were the ones that were always taking the world cup home year after year.
But today. Alot have changed really, many countries now have alot of good players that have helped leveled the playing group.

And also, why exactly should I wish Brazil to win the world cup again if I'm not a Brazilian?  
I wish my country win the world cup, but if any other country wins, no big deal.

Unfortunately I didn't see Pelé, Garrincha, Romario, Rivellino, Zico and other Brazilian players from the past playing.

I don't know much about this other players you mentioned (though I remember their names) but I watched most of late Pele's games, he was an amazing player, his tactics, dribbling, goal scoring styles, were all out of this world, at times, he played like he's a spirit.
Though I was very little back then, I knew nothing about football other than the fact that I loved to sit next to my dad while he and he's friends and my mom watched and screamed, I still remember it was always a joyful moment any time Brazil was playing against another country other than mine  .

I believe that unfortunately it will take time for Brazil to have a national team like the one from 2002/2006 again  

Alot have changed mate, and I personally do not think it is even possible for Brazil or any other country to have a national team like they had in the past, my country did very well in the past years, but today, they seem to be in their worst shape.
Players of old have all grown old and retired, some are late already, this were players that played for the passion and love they have for football, majority of players we have today are nothing but chasing after money and fame, and this is why they can never play up to the standards the players of old played.

[STT]

Canada and Mexico will host 10 matches each.

Nice of USA to share but isnt it slightly ironic the Mexico is by far the most popular soccer/fútbol  playing nation out of the three but only will do 12% of the total.    I just wonder on the thinking behind not doing an equal split, maybe it suits all three countries just fine as USA is by far the most capable of hosting any sporting event; however in terms of audience and attendance it looks funny.    USA are advancing in this sport alot I think so in a few years time I might be completely wrong to worry about it at all.

back in my childhood days, Brazil was the best country in terms of football,

Still are some would say though I'm glad for Messi he got his dream win.

Messi also said Argentina “in general were better than our rivals” and picked Mexico, its second group opponent as “the toughest”.

[Sithara007]

Nice of USA to share but isnt it slightly ironic the Mexico is by far the most popular soccer/fútbol  playing nation out of the three but only will do 12% of the total.    I just wonder on the thinking behind not doing an equal split, maybe it suits all three countries just fine as USA is by far the most capable of hosting any sporting event; however in terms of audience and attendance it looks funny.    USA are advancing in this sport alot I think so in a few years time I might be completely wrong to worry about it at all.

The split looks fair to me. Mexico maybe having more football fans when compared to the United States, but the facilities are much better in the US (not denying the fact that Estadio Azteca has the maximum capacity out of all the venues). Also, Mexico has limited matches to three of the cities due to safety concerns - Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey, while the US will be hosting the tournament in 11 venues. Most of the heavy lifting (in terms of financials) is being done by the United States and therefore it makes sense if they host the vast majority of the matches.

[Daniel91]

You guys just reminded me of the Old days, back in my childhood days, Brazil was the best country in terms of football, they were the ones that were always taking the world cup home year after year.
But today. Alot have changed really, many countries now have alot of good players that have helped leveled the playing group.

And also, why exactly should I wish Brazil to win the world cup again if I'm not a Brazilian?  
I wish my country win the world cup, but if any other country wins, no big deal.

Unfortunately I didn't see Pelé, Garrincha, Romario, Rivellino, Zico and other Brazilian players from the past playing.

But I witnessed the 2002/2006 team playing, with all my respect, but this team scared the whole world, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Cafu, Kaka, R. Carlos and others, it was literally beautiful to see them playing, the chemistry , the passes and kicks, it was something surreal...
I believe that unfortunately it will take time for Brazil to have a national team like the one from 2002/2006 again  

I also remember the great Brazilian generation from the 1982 World Cup led by Zico, Socrates, Falcao... they were really football artists and not football players.
We were all convinced that they would be world champions in 1982, but then they unexpectedly lost to Italy.
It was shown that ''dying in beauty'' is not enough for success, but that you need to play solid and organized football and especially be strong in defense.
The generation of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo... was at its peak in 1998-2002 and I don't understand how they lost the final in 1998.
Such players appear once in a generation and it is obvious that today Brazil does not have such players and team anymore.

[sana54210]

Nice of USA to share but isnt it slightly ironic the Mexico is by far the most popular soccer/fútbol  playing nation out of the three but only will do 12% of the total.    I just wonder on the thinking behind not doing an equal split, maybe it suits all three countries just fine as USA is by far the most capable of hosting any sporting event; however in terms of audience and attendance it looks funny.    USA are advancing in this sport alot I think so in a few years time I might be completely wrong to worry about it at all.

The split looks fair to me. Mexico maybe having more football fans when compared to the United States, but the facilities are much better in the US (not denying the fact that Estadio Azteca has the maximum capacity out of all the venues). Also, Mexico has limited matches to three of the cities due to safety concerns - Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey, while the US will be hosting the tournament in 11 venues. Most of the heavy lifting (in terms of financials) is being done by the United States and therefore it makes sense if they host the vast majority of the matches.

I think this wasn't even really about mexico or canada, it was basically USA wanting to get it, and they realized they needed to get the other two in order to be accepted. Otherwise, why would you have a world cup in USA where football is not that big? It is becoming increasingly big, look at women football there, they are by far the best right now, and men are getting much better as well each year.

However, they are still not as football oriented as Mexico for example, or anywhere close to latin america/europe levels, not even africa levels, would say they are somewhere fighting with asia I guess. This is why they took on the other two, to appeal to football world a lot more and get accepted.

[Gosgosking]

I mean, Brazil is the only team in the world that has qualified to every single World Cup in history.

Also, they have won it five times, the current record.

Plus, they are at number one in the FIFA ranking today.

Yeah, I think they'll manage 

That's an extraordinary statistic that even other countries that have won the world cup have also not qualified for qualification, such as Italy at the World Cup Qatar, which did not play. Brazil has always been able to qualify for the World Cup are the fact as well as the individual quality of the players no need to be doubted and being one of the countries with a lot of good player material and that has prevented many other players from finally being able to enter the team list core at the last World Cup

I think Brazil is just blessed when it comes to football,  their record in football is just different from other teams.   Their has been no time that Brazil performance in any world cup  been poor.  In the next world cup I know Brazil will do better than what they had in the last world cup.

[rahmad2nd]

Brazil is a very strong team. But luck did not help them in the 2022 World Cup. Still the team's players played the wrong game due to which they did not do well in the World Cup. But the 2026 World Cup Brazil team will prove themselves in a big way how strong they are.

Luck is another matter of a game.

Brazil's failure at the Qatar world cup was purely Tite's fault as Brazil coach. in the 2022 world cup, Brazil has many talented players. sadly, Tite didn't have a good system. plus, the wrong choice of several players that he put on his squad. Tite should have brought in some more experienced players, also in form and one of them was Firmino "that time". also, Tite lacks discipline in his players.

In modern football, a team does not only rely on individual skills. but also, requires a good system. sadly, Tite didn't have that. next, Brazil must choose a coach who really has high intelligence, as well as a good game system. if Brazil has a good coach, of course it will be very profitable in the 2026 world cup. because, apart from having talented players and individual skills, Brazil also has a modern playing style system.

[freedomgo]

~snip~
Surely we all know about Brazilian quality but right now things are not working for them with last time they won in 2002 after this they are facing humiliations as well and their player's coordination is also now biggest problem for them with quality is still amazing and talent is also unanimous with this all now if Brazilian Soccer Federation wants to have better results then surely they can bring this rule even just for experiment and hire any coach from European Union for the next four years and then check the change because most chance they will be improved and having better changes which will help them for having another good time in soccer for their country.

I mean, Brazil is the only team in the world that has qualified to every single World Cup in history.

Also, they have won it five times, the current record.

Plus, they are at number one in the FIFA ranking today.

Yeah, I think they'll manage  

Honestly, I would like to see Brazil be champions once again in a world cup.
But I don't know if that will happen.
Football around the world has evolved a lot

You guys just reminded me of the Old days, back in my childhood days, Brazil was the best country in terms of football, they were the ones that were always taking the world cup home year after year.
But today. Alot have changed really, many countries now have alot of good players that have helped leveled the playing ground.

And also, why exactly should I wish Brazil to win the world cup again if I'm not a Brazilian?  
I wish my country win the world cup, but if any other country wins, no big deal.

Yes, I'm as well guilty about that as I can't help myself but to reminisce about how great Brazil was in the past and they are the ones who I frequently see winning and taking home the championship. I guess that also mean that we're quite old already too because somehow that was back in the early 2000s

But let's just be happy for what happened as time goes by because whether we like or not, every sports including football will always evolve in almost every decade. But still, Brazil was also a slight favorite in the recent World Cup, they aren't that much forgotten as they always produced talented players in their nation.

[gagux123]

I also remember the great Brazilian generation from the 1982 World Cup led by Zico, Socrates, Falcao... they were really football artists and not football players.
We were all convinced that they would be world champions in 1982, but then they unexpectedly lost to Italy.
It was shown that ''dying in beauty'' is not enough for success, but that you need to play solid and organized football and especially be strong in defense.
The generation of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo... was at its peak in 1998-2002 and I don't understand how they lost the final in 1998.
Such players appear once in a generation and it is obvious that today Brazil does not have such players and team anymore.

Yes, exactly, you are correct!
Some players think they are gods and that they are indestructible!

And that's the worst thought a player can have is, "thinking he's indestructible"!
They are still human and make mistakes, he's not perfect

I believe that every football "ERA" had a player like that, for example Brazil, they had great chances of being champions in 1982, and that didn't happen, the same happened in 1998, but they lost to France, Brazil was champion in 2002 and I had no doubt that they would be champions again in 2006, but that didn't happen.
By the way, I had no doubts that the 2006 Brazil team was excellent, I even dare to say that it could be better than the 1998 or 2002 team.

Some players from Brazil have already made these mistakes, when they were younger, over time they gained experience and realized that things don't work as they imagined... an example I can cite was Neymar, he is an excellent player, but he could have been even better if he had a different "mindset" when he was younger

[nullama]

~snip~
Yes, I'm as well guilty about that as I can't help myself but to reminisce about how great Brazil was in the past and they are the ones who I frequently see winning and taking home the championship. I guess that also mean that we're quite old already too because somehow that was back in the early 2000s

But let's just be happy for what happened as time goes by because whether we like or not, every sports including football will always evolve in almost every decade. But still, Brazil was also a slight favorite in the recent World Cup, they aren't that much forgotten as they always produced talented players in their nation.

Yes, football has changed quite a lot. Specially in the last world cup.

Having now 5 substitutes(plus one for head injury) is very different than only 3. And the extra time was just insane. They were adding so much time that it was almost a different type of game altogether.

I remember back in the days the extra time was never more than 5 minutes. In this world cup I think one time they played more than 15 minutes extra time... that's insane as that's more than a third of the official time (45 minutes).

Also the introduction of VAR some year ago, but now used everywhere. It's a bit too much to stop almost every play.