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

[eaLiTy]

~
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.

Ronaldinho did not start playing for the national team in 1998, Ronaldo was having some sort of injury coming into the world cup and he was not playing that well in the entire tournament and the entire tournament was ruled by Zinedine Zidane who single handedly took France to the finals and ultimately the cup.

In 2002, Brazil had the perfect mix of players including Ronaldinho making his World Cup debut, Ronaldo and Rivaldo in great form and their defenders included Roberto Carlos and Cafu and thereby they won the World Cup that year.

[1714643576]

1714643576

[mm2543363580]

~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.

With the passage of time and use of technology things have become more clear and a little bit flexible as each and everything is recorded and counted as in extra time,  which is given in every match to cover the wasted time by players .
Same is with VAR which is a very good step by fifa for more fair results .

[Daniel91]

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

Yes, every era has its champions and stars.
The Brazilian national team played the most beautiful football at the 1982 World Cup, but it was not enough.
The most beautiful football does not necessarily mean the best and most efficient, and we have been able to convince ourselves of this many times so far.
At the 1994 World Cup, Brazil played almost like Italy and that helped them to win and become world champions in a very ugly and boring game in the final.
To win the world cup, you need to know how to play effectively and for the result, without entertaining the fans and dying in beauty.

[Slow death]

in past years the world cup games were much nicer, there was more publicity before the event and many people could watch the games on tv, but in recent years fifa has become like an organization of mercenaries, for example in this world cup world when there were argentina games and brazil games against other teams in my country we didn't watch them even though we paid to watch the games, everyone had to pay more money to be able to watch argentina and brazil games against other teams

this started in recent years, honestly it is deplorable this type of thing, another issue is the number of teams from africa that have participated in the world cup, and a very small number, now they want to increase it to 9 teams, something good but that could be at least 1 teams. fifa needs to review the countries that organize the world cup well, it seems that it has become a tendency to choose strange and problematic countries

[kotwica666]

in past years the world cup games were much nicer, there was more publicity before the event and many people could watch the games on tv, but in recent years fifa has become like an organization of mercenaries, for example in this world cup world when there were argentina games and brazil games against other teams in my country we didn't watch them even though we paid to watch the games, everyone had to pay more money to be able to watch argentina and brazil games against other teams

this started in recent years, honestly it is deplorable this type of thing, another issue is the number of teams from africa that have participated in the world cup, and a very small number, now they want to increase it to 9 teams, something good but that could be at least 1 teams. fifa needs to review the countries that organize the world cup well, it seems that it has become a tendency to choose strange and problematic countries

Qatar has shown their potential in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It has been the best World Cup in history so far. You hope that the 2026 World Cup will write more chapters in history than this World Cup.

[Theones]

in past years the world cup games were much nicer, there was more publicity before the event and many people could watch the games on tv, but in recent years fifa has become like an organization of mercenaries, for example in this world cup world when there were argentina games and brazil games against other teams in my country we didn't watch them even though we paid to watch the games, everyone had to pay more money to be able to watch argentina and brazil games against other teams

this started in recent years, honestly it is deplorable this type of thing, another issue is the number of teams from africa that have participated in the world cup, and a very small number, now they want to increase it to 9 teams, something good but that could be at least 1 teams. fifa needs to review the countries that organize the world cup well, it seems that it has become a tendency to choose strange and problematic countries

Qatar has shown their potential in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It has been the best World Cup in history so far. You hope that the 2026 World Cup will write more chapters in history than this World Cup.

Now Saudi want to have the same - that is one of the reason they would be bidding for the next world cup
Qatar did amazing job despite of the fact they have been criticised a lot by the other nations.

[Cryptock]

in past years the world cup games were much nicer, there was more publicity before the event and many people could watch the games on tv, but in recent years fifa has become like an organization of mercenaries, for example in this world cup world when there were argentina games and brazil games against other teams in my country we didn't watch them even though we paid to watch the games, everyone had to pay more money to be able to watch argentina and brazil games against other teams

this started in recent years, honestly it is deplorable this type of thing, another issue is the number of teams from africa that have participated in the world cup, and a very small number, now they want to increase it to 9 teams, something good but that could be at least 1 teams. fifa needs to review the countries that organize the world cup well, it seems that it has become a tendency to choose strange and problematic countries

Qatar has shown their potential in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It has been the best World Cup in history so far. You hope that the 2026 World Cup will write more chapters in history than this World Cup.

thats correct - Qatar needs a huge appreciation for doing such an amazing work
The world cup in three counties will be comparison only. I should be one country - but let;s see what amazing stuff it brings to the world.

[LUCKMCFLY]

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

Yes, every era has its champions and stars.
The Brazilian national team played the most beautiful football at the 1982 World Cup, but it was not enough.
The most beautiful football does not necessarily mean the best and most efficient, and we have been able to convince ourselves of this many times so far.
At the 1994 World Cup, Brazil played almost like Italy and that helped them to win and become world champions in a very ugly and boring game in the final.
To win the world cup, you need to know how to play effectively and for the result, without entertaining the fans and dying in beauty.

Well, for that year I had not yet been born, but for the year 1994 I did see that World Cup, they cannot deny it, I was going to Brazil, at that moment Romario and Bebeto were there and the sensation in the goal was the incredible goalkeeper Taffarel, for It was like a wall in the way I covered, I can't deny that at that time I still remember Roberto Baggio and his elegant way of playing, at that time even though I was going to Brazil, I started to admire the Italian team a lot, because I liked his style, in fact at that time I was 10 years old, and I wanted to play like the Brazilians with their dribbling and with the style of the Italians, that final was hard, and I think Baggio always remembers that final for having peeled that penalty.

[Zackgeno96]

in past years the world cup games were much nicer, there was more publicity before the event and many people could watch the games on tv, but in recent years fifa has become like an organization of mercenaries, for example in this world cup world when there were argentina games and brazil games against other teams in my country we didn't watch them even though we paid to watch the games, everyone had to pay more money to be able to watch argentina and brazil games against other teams

this started in recent years, honestly it is deplorable this type of thing, another issue is the number of teams from africa that have participated in the world cup, and a very small number, now they want to increase it to 9 teams, something good but that could be at least 1 teams. fifa needs to review the countries that organize the world cup well, it seems that it has become a tendency to choose strange and problematic countries

Qatar has shown their potential in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It has been the best World Cup in history so far. You hope that the 2026 World Cup will write more chapters in history than this World Cup.

thats correct - Qatar needs a huge appreciation for doing such an amazing work
The world cup in three counties will be comparison only. I should be one country - but let;s see what amazing stuff it brings to the world.

A great deal has been done and written in the context of Qatar, and by that I mean, of course, all human rights and the organizations that have conducted research. If you look purely at the organizational part, Qatar has arranged it very well and I have also heard several players say that this was the best organized World Cup ever so far. But yes, Qatar is also one of the richest countries in the world, so you can expect something from that if you put it on the scales that way, of course. I think it will be difficult to organize the World Cup in 2026 so well, but they have a few years and it will be divided among different countries, logistically it will be difficult because of the great distances.

[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

Yes, every era has its champions and stars.
The Brazilian national team played the most beautiful football at the 1982 World Cup, but it was not enough.
The most beautiful football does not necessarily mean the best and most efficient, and we have been able to convince ourselves of this many times so far.
At the 1994 World Cup, Brazil played almost like Italy and that helped them to win and become world champions in a very ugly and boring game in the final.
To win the world cup, you need to know how to play effectively and for the result, without entertaining the fans and dying in beauty.

Hmm, analyzing your point of view, I also agree with what you said.
Having a beautiful football game is different from having effective football.
I don't have much memory of the Brazilian team from the 1982 world cup, most of the time Brazil always had a beautiful football game, maybe not always effective, but one of the games and mainly one of the teams I watched which was one of the most effective was the Germany team in the World Cup in 2014, they had a good team, but extremely effective, which was the world cup champion in 2014.

[nullama]

~snip~
With the passage of time and use of technology things have become more clear and a little bit flexible as each and everything is recorded and counted as in extra time,  which is given in every match to cover the wasted time by players .
Same is with VAR which is a very good step by fifa for more fair results .

Maybe, but the fact that the play is stopped so often now and the fact that the games are extended so much, makes it a bit of a different game these days.

You could tell players were exhausted in the first few matches that got extended too much. They were prepared for half times of up to 50 minutes, but they ended up playing half times of more than an hour each.

These changes are transforming the game, and it's turning it a bit more into something like American Football, where there are multiple stops.

[Strongkored]

~snip~
With the passage of time and use of technology things have become more clear and a little bit flexible as each and everything is recorded and counted as in extra time,  which is given in every match to cover the wasted time by players .
Same is with VAR which is a very good step by fifa for more fair results .

Maybe, but the fact that the play is stopped so often now and the fact that the games are extended so much, makes it a bit of a different game these days.

You could tell players were exhausted in the first few matches that got extended too much. They were prepared for half times of up to 50 minutes, but they ended up playing half times of more than an hour each.

These changes are transforming the game, and it's turning it a bit more into something like American Football, where there are multiple stops.

Sometimes the time that becomes longer can often be detrimental to the winning team because the team that is left behind has time to score goals but the time that becomes longer is understandable because sometimes players can also slowing down themselves in many ways to spend time , where this can be said as an act of unfair play, and I like how FIFA is trying to make this sport better and make players also play fair play

[rendravolt]

~snip~
With the passage of time and use of technology things have become more clear and a little bit flexible as each and everything is recorded and counted as in extra time,  which is given in every match to cover the wasted time by players .
Same is with VAR which is a very good step by fifa for more fair results .

Maybe, but the fact that the play is stopped so often now and the fact that the games are extended so much, makes it a bit of a different game these days.

You could tell players were exhausted in the first few matches that got extended too much. They were prepared for half times of up to 50 minutes, but they ended up playing half times of more than an hour each.

These changes are transforming the game, and it's turning it a bit more into something like American Football, where there are multiple stops.

Sometimes the time that becomes longer can often be detrimental to the winning team because the team that is left behind has time to score goals but the time that becomes longer is understandable because sometimes players can also slowing down themselves in many ways to spend time , where this can be said as an act of unfair play, and I like how FIFA is trying to make this sport better and make players also play fair play

Indeed, this latest regulation from FIFA makes players feel useless when stalling for time and this can also impact the possibility of a comeback from their opponent which can be fatal for defeat. But on the other hand, even though this is a new regulation, I hope that the countries competing in the 2026 World Cup can adapt better, so there is no need to take actions that could harm the team.

[klidex]

Qatar has shown their potential in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It has been the best World Cup in history so far. You hope that the 2026 World Cup will write more chapters in history than this World Cup.

Indeed, at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar showed that they managed to make history by becoming the best host in the history of this prestigious football event.
However, if the 2026 World Cup, which will host the United States, is chosen to host, then I am sure that I can compete with Qatar as the best host. America is a developed country and belongs to the most advanced economy in the world, so it will be easy for America to make the World Cup the best and the most luxurious, So maybe in 2026 America can write a new history in the history of the FIFA World Cup.

[rahmad2nd]

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

Yes, I also believe in every era there are new names popping up. especially, at every world cup event. and I agree with you, the best version of Brazil was in the 2006 era and it was filled with star players who were famous. starting from Dida the goalkeeper, Lucio, Roberto Carlos, Gilberto, Cicinto, Maiocon, Cafu, Emerson, Edmilson, Gilberto Sliva, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Julio Baptista, Robinho, Adriano, and the superstars, Ronaldo, all have big names and  play in top european clubs. Unfortunately, Brazil was unable to win the world title after the 2002 world cup.

But my favorite is still Argentina, in the 2002 era. At that time, it was filled by Roberto Ayala, Javier Zanetti, Juan Veron, Diego Simeone, Riquelme, Ortega, Crespo, Claudio  Lopez, and the superstar, Gabriel Omar Batistuta. it's a shame, Argentina was also unable to win the title after the 1978 world cup. only after Messi, they were able to achieve it. in the 2026 world cup later, it looks like Argentina will not be able to defend its title of defending champion. because after all, I don't see regeneration shining enough.

For Brazil, at least it's better because there are several new names popping up. also, they are predicted to have a wonderkid who will become the future of Madrid and the Brazilian national team later.

[Gosgosking]

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.

In the last World Cup it was unbelievable to see Brazil not to get to the semi final stage, it was  really disappointing after having good squad but they were removed like a team that doesn't have quality players and much experience in World cup. The last World Cup is one I have seen Brazil under performed.

[FanEagle]

I also believe in every era there are new names popping up. especially, at every world cup event. and I agree with you, the best version of Brazil was in the 2006 era and it was filled with star players who were famous. starting from Dida the goalkeeper, Lucio, Roberto Carlos, Gilberto, Cicinto, Maiocon, Cafu, Emerson, Edmilson, Gilberto Sliva, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Julio Baptista, Robinho, Adriano, and the superstars, Ronaldo, all have big names and  play in top european clubs. Unfortunately, Brazil was unable to win the world title after the 2002 world cup.

But my favorite is still Argentina, in the 2002 era. At that time, it was filled by Roberto Ayala, Javier Zanetti, Juan Veron, Diego Simeone, Riquelme, Ortega, Crespo, Claudio  Lopez, and the superstar, Gabriel Omar Batistuta. it's a shame, Argentina was also unable to win the title after the 1978 world cup. only after Messi, they were able to achieve it. in the 2026 world cup later, it looks like Argentina will not be able to defend its title of defending champion. because after all, I don't see regeneration shining enough.

For Brazil, at least it's better because there are several new names popping up. also, they are predicted to have a wonderkid who will become the future of Madrid and the Brazilian national team later.

I know Endrick sounds like a superstar of the future, but that kid is too young to make some calculation already. I know sports people are very good at scouting and they do not look at just talent but work ethic as well, which shows itself not just at training grounds but also when you play and you run around and you give your best and not just chase goals, that shows people that you like working hard to get where you should.

However, when you are only 16-17 years old, you could be a great potential and amazing striker, but the moment you step into the big league and start playing against other stars, that may cause a trouble and we should not be this excited about such a young kid just yet, lets see how he is in 3 years.

[Vaculin]

Qatar has shown their potential in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It has been the best World Cup in history so far. You hope that the 2026 World Cup will write more chapters in history than this World Cup.

Indeed, at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar showed that they managed to make history by becoming the best host in the history of this prestigious football event.
However, if the 2026 World Cup, which will host the United States, is chosen to host, then I am sure that I can compete with Qatar as the best host. America is a developed country and belongs to the most advanced economy in the world, so it will be easy for America to make the World Cup the best and the most luxurious, So maybe in 2026 America can write a new history in the history of the FIFA World Cup.

Not just America but the whole North American continent will host the game and that includes Mexico and Canada while the United States of America will host most of the games, 40 games to be exact out of 60 games that will be played as they got more bigger stadium that can cater tens of thousands of people in one go. Aside from that, I think America got the highest bid out of 3 countries named, that's why most games will happen in their country. Correct me if I'm wrong Besides, let's expect that this upcoming World Cup will be explosive as well or much more than what happened recently.

[gagux123]

Yes, I also believe in every era there are new names popping up. especially, at every world cup event. and I agree with you, the best version of Brazil was in the 2006 era and it was filled with star players who were famous. starting from Dida the goalkeeper, Lucio, Roberto Carlos, Gilberto, Cicinto, Maiocon, Cafu, Emerson, Edmilson, Gilberto Sliva, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Julio Baptista, Robinho, Adriano, and the superstars, Ronaldo, all have big names and  play in top european clubs. Unfortunately, Brazil was unable to win the world title after the 2002 world cup.

But my favorite is still Argentina, in the 2002 era. At that time, it was filled by Roberto Ayala, Javier Zanetti, Juan Veron, Diego Simeone, Riquelme, Ortega, Crespo, Claudio  Lopez, and the superstar, Gabriel Omar Batistuta. it's a shame, Argentina was also unable to win the title after the 1978 world cup. only after Messi, they were able to achieve it. in the 2026 world cup later, it looks like Argentina will not be able to defend its title of defending champion. because after all, I don't see regeneration shining enough.

For Brazil, at least it's better because there are several new names popping up. also, they are predicted to have a wonderkid who will become the future of Madrid and the Brazilian national team later.

I still reiterate...
If Brazil continues with this same team and fails to make a drastic change in players, coaches and staff, it will not win the next world cups.

Brazil's level has dropped a lot compared to previous world cups (example, 1998, 2002, 2006),
At that time, Brazilians had several players who were the best in the world in each position, we had goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and striker.

And today, unfortunately, we only have Neymar, in which he is the team's star player.

I have no doubt that Brazil will need to hone young talents from childhood to adulthood, so after that, Brazil may be able to be world champions again.

[nullama]

~snip~
Not just America but the whole North American continent will host the game and that includes Mexico and Canada while the United States of America will host most of the games, 40 games to be exact out of 60 games that will be played as they got more bigger stadium that can cater tens of thousands of people in one go. Aside from that, I think America got the highest bid out of 3 countries named, that's why most games will happen in their country. Correct me if I'm wrong Besides, let's expect that this upcoming World Cup will be explosive as well or much more than what happened recently.

The US and Mexico already have hosted the world cup in the past. For Canada this will be their first time. I wonder why the US wanted so much to host this one. It's probably just economics really.

But I have to say that having it hosted in three countries is going to be an admin hell. Visas, travel time, accommodation, climate differences, languages, etc. It's so much more complicated than a single host.

And it's going to be the first time ever with three hosting countries. The maximum have been two, Korea-Japan 2002.

We'll have to see how it goes...