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

[Helena Yu]

I think Saudi Arabia will qualify for World Cup using any possible way.

They spent a lot of money to buy Ronaldo and other European players, they also become the sponsor for Club World Cup, after everything they done for football, would they accept if they're not qualified for World Cup.

The problem is that football and politics are becoming one thing, there is too much involvement from politicians. Just like Russia can't play the same should happen with Israel.

Yep.

Russia has a decent quality in football, I actually forget if Russia is absence in football. They're trying to find a way to participate in international competition, even they play in Asia, they wouldn't automatically become a champion because both South Korea and Japan are too strong.

[Nahl]

I think Saudi Arabia will qualify for World Cup using any possible way.

They spent a lot of money to buy Ronaldo and other European players, they also become the sponsor for Club World Cup, after everything they done for football, would they accept if they're not qualified for World Cup.

Ronaldo hired by Al Nassr because they want Ronaldo can help them to broke the domination of Al-Ittihad on Saudi Pro League and gets the trophies on that competition so in my opinion there is no related between him with Saudi Arabia chances to the world cup

Speaking about Saudi Arabia currently they will fight at 4th round and they only have 2 games remaining before reach to that competition assuming they can won from Irak and Indonesia automatically Saudi Arabia will went to the world cup and Saudi Arabia has good chances to do that especially they playing as a host on that round

[SuperBitMan]

I think Saudi Arabia will qualify for World Cup using any possible way.

They spent a lot of money to buy Ronaldo and other European players, they also become the sponsor for Club World Cup, after everything they done for football, would they accept if they're not qualified for World Cup.

Saudi Arabia is one of the world biggest countries that are currently paying football's so well and yes they are sponsored the club world cup they are doing very well however if they don't qualify they won't go to world cup competition there's no play in this situation, no body can help them be in that competition if they don't qualify no matter the amount of money they are spending, so all they have to do now is try there best in other to qualify.
I think one of the major reason why Saudi Arabia signed Ronaldo and other star players from Europe is to make there league more popular and they achieved it there league is becoming more popular.

The problem is that football and politics are becoming one thing, there is too much involvement from politicians. Just like Russia can't play the same should happen with Israel.

Yep.

Russia has a decent quality in football, I actually forget if Russia is absence in football. They're trying to find a way to participate in international competition, even they play in Asia, they wouldn't automatically become a champion because both South Korea and Japan are too strong.

Russia was ban from international competition by FIFA I really don't know how true that is but I think the reason why they stop participating in international competition was because of the war they where having with Ukraine, if they want to come back is okay, Russia footballers are very strong the last world cup competition they participated in they really tried there best and that was how I knew they are strong.

[Dump3er]

Footballers from almost every country are doing well in European clubs, but very few players from this country are doing well in other countries' leagues. Instead of Italian players in the Italian league, most of the players are from abroad, meaning they are relying more on foreign players for their clubs. At one time, our hopes for the Italian team were completely dashed because we were not seeing any strong players in the pipeline that we could rely on to fill the gaps that the current players would fill when they retire. Now Italy may be working on their football again, but they will have to work a lot harder if they want to regain their former position.

I think Italy should go to the World Cup right now They have a very good team, good forwards, and strategies that draw attention, Especially when watching their games, they have a much more attacking nature, and that's essential They'll face very tough teams, and what they need now is to secure their place, It's all up to them. I think one of the things they need to work on the most is their physicality, especially their endurance, and for them to play a little faster.

It could be bad timing for this post after Inter Milan got destroyed by PSG in the Champions League final. Italian teams haven't been doing well internationally and as it's right that this doesn't count too much, there are not really that many Italian stars out there. Italy has played convincingly strong football because of their high degree of team organization through stressful game periods. I doubt that as of today they have the players and the level to take a shot at the title. It is still one year to go, but taking everything from recent months into account, I wouldn't consider them to be among the top favorites.

If we take a look at the European results of Italian teams they are not too bad, especially considering that Italian teams spend for players and salaries only a fraction of what English teams do, and of course Real Madrid, Barcelona and PSG. You can't expect Italian teams to win the Champions League when a random English team spends more money on the market than the Serie A winner.

Regarding the national team there are 0% chances for Italy to even think about winning the World Cup. And I'm Italian.

The manner in which Inter Milan lost the Champions League final had nothing to do with random English teams spending a fortune on new players. Inter Milan did not do what they did in all those other games and player quality was not the issue in the league phase, not in the round of 16 or quarterfinal or semifinal. They could have done it in the final, but for some reason stopped playing football altogether in that game.

In regards to the Italian national team, I think 0% is too pessimistic. I agree tha they are not one of the biggest favorite teams, there is no disagreement about that. But I think large events like the World Cup are always good for surprises and I would not count Italy out when it is about pulling a surprise. It's not like they only have low quality players.

And one more thing about the money spent and success it brings. PSG paid for Messi, Mbappe and Neymar and you know how that ended in the Champions League.

[Ale88]

The manner in which Inter Milan lost the Champions League final had nothing to do with random English teams spending a fortune on new players. Inter Milan did not do what they did in all those other games and player quality was not the issue in the league phase, not in the round of 16 or quarterfinal or semifinal. They could have done it in the final, but for some reason stopped playing football altogether in that game.

I'm not trying to defend Inter's defeat (I'm a Juventus fan so I hate Inter ), I was just pointing out that Italian teams don't spend the same way they used to so there is a financial gap that every year gets bigger and bigger. Considering our situation the fact that we played 4 Champions League finals in the last 10 years (Juventus 2015 and 2017, Inter 2023 and 2025) is quite remarkable. We lost all of them but it's like if, I don't know, Uruguay or Croatia qualify for a World Cup final quite often: they are good teams but there are better ones, and at the beginning of the competition for sure very few people would expect them to reach the final.

In regards to the Italian national team, I think 0% is too pessimistic.

Considering our qualification path 0% could be even too optimistic because it means we would partecipate at the World Cup, and right now it's not what is happening

And one more thing about the money spent and success it brings. PSG paid for Messi, Mbappe and Neymar and you know how that ended in the Champions League.

PSG is a different case because they were collecting players, there was no idea, no project, just buy random famous players.

[Dump3er]

The manner in which Inter Milan lost the Champions League final had nothing to do with random English teams spending a fortune on new players. Inter Milan did not do what they did in all those other games and player quality was not the issue in the league phase, not in the round of 16 or quarterfinal or semifinal. They could have done it in the final, but for some reason stopped playing football altogether in that game.

I'm not trying to defend Inter's defeat (I'm a Juventus fan so I hate Inter ), I was just pointing out that Italian teams don't spend the same way they used to so there is a financial gap that every year gets bigger and bigger. Considering our situation the fact that we played 4 Champions League finals in the last 10 years (Juventus 2015 and 2017, Inter 2023 and 2025) is quite remarkable. We lost all of them but it's like if, I don't know, Uruguay or Croatia qualify for a World Cup final quite often: they are good teams but there are better ones, and at the beginning of the competition for sure very few people would expect them to reach the final.

In regards to the Italian national team, I think 0% is too pessimistic.

Considering our qualification path 0% could be even too optimistic because it means we would partecipate at the World Cup, and right now it's not what is happening

And one more thing about the money spent and success it brings. PSG paid for Messi, Mbappe and Neymar and you know how that ended in the Champions League.

PSG is a different case because they were collecting players, there was no idea, no project, just buy random famous players.

Yes but this "collecting players" as you call it, it is a thing that many clubs do. It is not anything special for PSG. See how Tottenham and Manchester United did last season and they are rich Premier League clubs. I don't disagree though that the gap in terms of financial scope is widening, but I still think that Inter Milan is one of the best teams right now and Juventus Turin is making too many wrong decisions about player transfers. I didn't like the composition of their squad for the last 3-4 years.

I agree that Italy isn't having their best time now, but I still think if they get into the knockout stages at the World Cup, they still must be considered a strong team. If it is like Italy against Portugal, it wouldn't be an easy call. Those big events have their own rules.

[Cossyblack]

I think Saudi Arabia will qualify for World Cup using any possible way.

Football have gone passed that stage where a single country can influence the outcome of a particular game..in the case of Saudi Arabia qualifying for the world cup is possible. It also  depends on the opponent they meet or play against. If it's a stronger opponents,then the chances or the probability of them qualifying will be slim.

They spent a lot of money to buy Ronaldo and other European players, they also become the sponsor for Club World Cup, after everything they done for football, would they accept if they're not qualified for World Cup.

Saudi Arabia is a very wealthy country vast in abundances of Rich minerals resources so money isn't a problem for them. Signing Cristiano Ronaldo to play in their domestic leagues and also been a major sponsors of the Club world cup doesn't mean they will still be promoted if they failed to qualify to the next phase of the world cup. FIFA have setup rules in every football competitions and the world cup is not an exception. If Saudi Arabia failed to meetup with the rules of the game,they wouldn't be allowed to progress further.

[Ale88]

The manner in which Inter Milan lost the Champions League final had nothing to do with random English teams spending a fortune on new players. Inter Milan did not do what they did in all those other games and player quality was not the issue in the league phase, not in the round of 16 or quarterfinal or semifinal. They could have done it in the final, but for some reason stopped playing football altogether in that game.

I'm not trying to defend Inter's defeat (I'm a Juventus fan so I hate Inter ), I was just pointing out that Italian teams don't spend the same way they used to so there is a financial gap that every year gets bigger and bigger. Considering our situation the fact that we played 4 Champions League finals in the last 10 years (Juventus 2015 and 2017, Inter 2023 and 2025) is quite remarkable. We lost all of them but it's like if, I don't know, Uruguay or Croatia qualify for a World Cup final quite often: they are good teams but there are better ones, and at the beginning of the competition for sure very few people would expect them to reach the final.

In regards to the Italian national team, I think 0% is too pessimistic.

Considering our qualification path 0% could be even too optimistic because it means we would partecipate at the World Cup, and right now it's not what is happening

And one more thing about the money spent and success it brings. PSG paid for Messi, Mbappe and Neymar and you know how that ended in the Champions League.

PSG is a different case because they were collecting players, there was no idea, no project, just buy random famous players.

Yes but this "collecting players" as you call it, it is a thing that many clubs do. It is not anything special for PSG. See how Tottenham and Manchester United did last season and they are rich Premier League clubs. I don't disagree though that the gap in terms of financial scope is widening, but I still think that Inter Milan is one of the best teams right now and Juventus Turin is making too many wrong decisions about player transfers. I didn't like the composition of their squad for the last 3-4 years.

I agree that Italy isn't having their best time now, but I still think if they get into the knockout stages at the World Cup, they still must be considered a strong team. If it is like Italy against Portugal, it wouldn't be an easy call. Those big events have their own rules.

I don't want to go too OT but there is a difference between collecting players and buying players: it's the same thing that Florentino Perez did back in the early 2000s when he bought Beckham, Owen, Van Nistelrooy, Ronaldo, and so on, because there was no logic, he was just doing it for the show. And, just like PSG, they didn't win. If you keep getting players you don't actually need, in roles you already have covered, it's pointless.

[Sithara007]

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Saudi Arabia is a very wealthy country vast in abundances of Rich minerals resources so money isn't a problem for them. Signing Cristiano Ronaldo to play in their domestic leagues and also been a major sponsors of the Club world cup doesn't mean they will still be promoted if they failed to qualify to the next phase of the world cup. FIFA have setup rules in every football competitions and the world cup is not an exception. If Saudi Arabia failed to meetup with the rules of the game,they wouldn't be allowed to progress further.

You didn't had an issue when Qatar hosted the world cup, and thereby gained automatic entry to the tournament in 2022? The same is happening next year, when three countries (USA, Canada and Mexico) are granted automatic entry. So this is a norm for the FIFA World Cups. The fact that Saudi Arabia can spend massive amounts of money in sports, unlike the bankrupt European nations should not be used to blame them. Perhaps the European governments should focus on improving the infrastructure in their own nations rather than spending billions of Euros to import Syrians and Afghans to their country.

[dezoel]

The current Brazil team are in good form now, I am pretty sure they will go far in the competition after qualifying for the World Cup. With the likes of Vinicius, Neymar, Rodrygo Goes, Raphina, Casemeri, Gabriel Martineli and Gabriel Jesus, and so on. And Alisson Becker at their goal, the team might be unstoppable. Only the Spanish team and Portugal team can beat this squad I mentioned. Anyway, it will be inappropriate to start judging the teams when the tournament is yet to begin.

They did had a good level before, but they were on a rump recently so we shouldn't be expecting it to change and they need to make some changes. They had all these good players and yet still had a bad period in the recent years, which is why they ended up getting Ancelotti to begin with. Does that mean they will stay bad? Of course not, they can do better but they need to realize they need to play better.

I feel like Brazil hasn't been good in a long time, and that could be putting too much pressure on them. They haven't won the world cup in a long time, last time they won was in 2002 which means by 2026 we would see 24 years of no titles for them here and that is why we can't really look at this as a potential success, they haven't been good.

[Agbamoni]

They did had a good level before, but they were on a rump recently so we shouldn't be expecting it to change and they need to make some changes. They had all these good players and yet still had a bad period in the recent years, which is why they ended up getting Ancelotti to begin with. Does that mean they will stay bad? Of course not, they can do better but they need to realize they need to play better.

Let us hope that Ancelotti will make the changes. Like you said they had all these player in few years ago, and couldn't do anything. It could be that they need a change in coaching, and a few other players too. Most time having the best squad doesn't guarantee a trophies. Portugal won against Spain even with their squad, Chelsea won PSG too. When we look how most matches turns out, it becomes more obvious how unpredictable football can be. The teams we expect the least often gives the most.

[masulum]

I feel like Brazil hasn't been good in a long time, and that could be putting too much pressure on them. They haven't won the world cup in a long time, last time they won was in 2002 which means by 2026 we would see 24 years of no titles for them here and that is why we can't really look at this as a potential success, they haven't been good.

The Brazilian national team faces a challenge in finding world-class talent after the era of Cafu, Carlos, and Ronaldo. Neymar is now the only bright star. But i think, there is also potential starting to shine: Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo have impressed on the European stage, while Gabriel Martinelli and Endrick also have a bright future. In midfield, Bruno Guimaraes looks good too, an in defense, Eder Militao and Bremer showing their strength and they are young enough for world cup. Carlo Ancelotti Love Brazilian talent while coaching AC Milan, so there's a good chance he could discover and polish another hidden gem for the national team.

[Ale88]

I feel like Brazil hasn't been good in a long time, and that could be putting too much pressure on them. They haven't won the world cup in a long time, last time they won was in 2002 which means by 2026 we would see 24 years of no titles for them here and that is why we can't really look at this as a potential success, they haven't been good.

The Brazilian national team faces a challenge in finding world-class talent after the era of Cafu, Carlos, and Ronaldo. Neymar is now the only bright star. But i think, there is also potential starting to shine: Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo have impressed on the European stage, while Gabriel Martinelli and Endrick also have a bright future. In midfield, Bruno Guimaraes looks good too, an in defense, Eder Militao and Bremer showing their strength and they are young enough for world cup. Carlo Ancelotti Love Brazilian talent while coaching AC Milan, so there's a good chance he could discover and polish another hidden gem for the national team.

I'm sorry but I totally disagree. Let's take a look at the players you mention:
- Neymar is constantly injured, he has a huge talent but we can barely call him a football player at this point;
- Vinicius Jr. is good but nowhere near to Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, or other Brazilian players of the past;
- Rodrygo is kept in high consideration because he plays for Real Madrid but in reality he is an average player, he's been at Madrid for years and he never became a starter player;
- Bruno Guimarães is a good player, not a star, otherwise at 27 he wouldn't be playing for Newcastle (with all due respect);
- Éder Militão, good defender, for sure he is no VVD, I prefer Marquinhos over him;
- Bremer, he is good, very good, but he had a serious injury, let's see how he comes back.

Does Brazil have a good team? Yes. Does Brazil have a very good team? In my opinion, no.

[bitcoin_mining]

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Saudi Arabia is a very wealthy country vast in abundances of Rich minerals resources so money isn't a problem for them. Signing Cristiano Ronaldo to play in their domestic leagues and also been a major sponsors of the Club world cup doesn't mean they will still be promoted if they failed to qualify to the next phase of the world cup. FIFA have setup rules in every football competitions and the world cup is not an exception. If Saudi Arabia failed to meetup with the rules of the game,they wouldn't be allowed to progress further.

You didn't had an issue when Qatar hosted the world cup, and thereby gained automatic entry to the tournament in 2022? The same is happening next year, when three countries (USA, Canada and Mexico) are granted automatic entry. So this is a norm for the FIFA World Cups. The fact that Saudi Arabia can spend massive amounts of money in sports, unlike the bankrupt European nations should not be used to blame them. Perhaps the European governments should focus on improving the infrastructure in their own nations rather than spending billions of Euros to import Syrians and Afghans to their country.

Qatar hosted the World Cup in 2022 and surprised the world by hosting the World Cup for the first time. They planned a lot around the World Cup and started building a lot long ago. Other countries have never spent so much money to host the World Cup as Qatar has. Qatar has built a city just for the World Cup and has built several modern stadiums with air conditioning so that the spectators can enjoy the game very comfortably. The 2026 World Cup will be held by three countries and I think that three countries will not be able to host it like Qatar did when they hosted the 2026 World Cup. However, those who are lucky enough to watch the 2026 World Cup will definitely see something wonderful and it may be that Saudi Arabia has broken all the records in history to host the World Cup.

[LUCKMCFLY]

But like everything football is also changing. There is no demand for that style anymore unfortunately. Now sticking to a system is more important. As a result Brazil is also much more different than those days now.

It’s not that, it’s that Joga Bonito only applies to players with a lot of skill, the last one of Joga Bonito that I’ve seen and that there is is Neymar , because Vinicius, Rodreigo, Raphinha are very far from them, Endrick? less , then I hope that the next Generation comes those Ronaldos, Dinho , Robinhos who do show that this style is the dominant one , it’s not easy to master that style you have to be in Brazil and preferably learn it since you were a Child , as an adult you can but it’s Difficult to let go and master it like they did.

[babo]

Qatar hosted the World Cup in 2022 and surprised the world by hosting the World Cup for the first time. They planned a lot around the World Cup and started building a lot long ago. Other countries have never spent so much money to host the World Cup as Qatar has. Qatar has built a city just for the World Cup and has built several modern stadiums with air conditioning so that the spectators can enjoy the game very comfortably. The 2026 World Cup will be held by three countries and I think that three countries will not be able to host it like Qatar did when they hosted the 2026 World Cup. However, those who are lucky enough to watch the 2026 World Cup will definitely see something wonderful and it may be that Saudi Arabia has broken all the records in history to host the World Cup.

yes but also for example Saudi Arabia is spending a lot, indeed, investing a lot in football
They are trying to diversify their revenue by trying to enter the entertainment industry
there is
I don't know how profitable the investment is honestly but it can be done

[Sim_card]

I think Saudi Arabia will qualify for World Cup using any possible way.

They spent a lot of money to buy Ronaldo and other European players, they also become the sponsor for Club World Cup, after everything they done for football, would they accept if they're not qualified for World Cup.

Lolz..will Ronaldo go and play as for them in order for them to qualify to the world cup. Ronaldo was signed to make the league popular and for people to recognize Saudi Arabia as a football loving country. Suadi have to play in order for them to qualify and if they can't, let them stay at home and watch of countries playing in the world cup so that, they can learn from their mistakes. No country will sell their qualification tocket to Saudi Arabia.

[Tipstar]

I think Saudi Arabia will qualify for World Cup using any possible way.

They spent a lot of money to buy Ronaldo and other European players, they also become the sponsor for Club World Cup, after everything they done for football, would they accept if they're not qualified for World Cup.

Lolz..will Ronaldo go and play as for them in order for them to qualify to the world cup. Ronaldo was signed to make the league popular and for people to recognize Saudi Arabia as a football loving country. Suadi have to play in order for them to qualify and if they can't, let them stay at home and watch of countries playing in the world cup so that, they can learn from their mistakes. No country will sell their qualification tocket to Saudi Arabia.

He might mean Saudi Arabia bringing in world class players to local league, the local players got more experience and exposure playing with each other and other top teams around the world. A good local league is precursor for the overall strength of the team.
This has greatly been seen on the performance by Saudi team, it qualified for 3rd round qualifier with equal points that of Jordan. Jordan entered the world cup while Saudi being in a difficult group fell behind Japan and Australia, Now they are in a group with Iraq and Indonesia, Iraq would be their fiercest competitor, The group leader would qualify for worldcup while if they be able to stick to the 2nd position, they'll still get a chance for qualifier.

[Sithara007]

Qatar hosted the World Cup in 2022 and surprised the world by hosting the World Cup for the first time. They planned a lot around the World Cup and started building a lot long ago. Other countries have never spent so much money to host the World Cup as Qatar has. Qatar has built a city just for the World Cup and has built several modern stadiums with air conditioning so that the spectators can enjoy the game very comfortably. The 2026 World Cup will be held by three countries and I think that three countries will not be able to host it like Qatar did when they hosted the 2026 World Cup. However, those who are lucky enough to watch the 2026 World Cup will definitely see something wonderful and it may be that Saudi Arabia has broken all the records in history to host the World Cup.

There were a lot of complaints about the 2022 FIFA World Cup. There was exploitation on the laborers who built the stadiums and the fans who travelled to Qatar faced a lot of restrictions and other issues. The 2022 edition remains one of the worst world cups in the history if the tournament. On the other hand, the 2026 edition is co-hosted by three North American countries, and I believe that it will be planned much better. There is no need to construct any new stadiums, as already there are a number of existing stadiums in these countries.

[LUCKMCFLY]

By any chance are you talking about Massimo Margiotta?  Because if that's the case I'll just leave this here:


Let's say that Margiotta chose to play for the Venezuelan national team when Italy had a very strong team, I was a good player but nowhere near to the other players, he had literally 0 chances to be called up. In most recent times there was Lapadula who chose to play for Peru (I think his mom is Peruvian) and even Daniel Maldini, son of the legendary Paolo, considered playing for Venezuela.

I remember him, but not him, it's Alessandro Milani, he preferred to leave to play for Venezuela, and I remember the case of Daniel Maldini, it's a shame because a player like him is sorely missed, he's also a striker who would have made a great duo with Rondón , but he was undecided because they didn't call him from the national team, after they called him it became clear that he was no longer going to Venezuela.


source:https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKfzlChpGvD/