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

[Sithara007]

I partially agree with you. However, today's Ronaldo no longer makes a difference on the field and in the results like the Ronaldo from 10 or more years ago, almost as if there is one less player on the field because he avoids playing in defense. 
At the last World Cup, I had the impression that Portugal would have achieved better results if they had played without Ronaldo in the lineup. 
Of course, who dares to say that Ronaldo is too old and that it's time for football retirement?

Probably you haven't seen him play recently. Currently he is playing for Al Nassr in the Saudi Professional League, and trust me the competition there is quite tough. Despite that, he has so far scored 83 goals from 85 appearances for the club. Ronaldo, despite his age remains as one of the top football players in the world currently. Only Messi can offer competition to him, and I would rate others such as Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Harry Kane and Achraf Hakimi a level lower than him.

[bitcoin_mining]

I partially agree with you. However, today's Ronaldo no longer makes a difference on the field and in the results like the Ronaldo from 10 or more years ago, almost as if there is one less player on the field because he avoids playing in defense. 
At the last World Cup, I had the impression that Portugal would have achieved better results if they had played without Ronaldo in the lineup. 
Of course, who dares to say that Ronaldo is too old and that it's time for football retirement?

Probably you haven't seen him play recently. Currently he is playing for Al Nassr in the Saudi Professional League, and trust me the competition there is quite tough. Despite that, he has so far scored 83 goals from 85 appearances for the club. Ronaldo, despite his age remains as one of the top football players in the world currently. Only Messi can offer competition to him, and I would rate others such as Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Harry Kane and Achraf Hakimi a level lower than him.

There is no doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo is still the best player. For those who say that Ronaldo would not have scored goals if he was in Europe, he went to the Saudi League and the competition in the Saudi League is much easier than the European League, I will say that the teams in the Saudi League are in no way inferior to the teams in the European League. Al-Nassr defeated Manchester City in the Club World Cup, so we should not forget this. Ronaldo is performing well for Al-Nassr, he is still playing at his best, that is why he is able to score goals.

[Gost ms]

I partially agree with you. However, today's Ronaldo no longer makes a difference on the field and in the results like the Ronaldo from 10 or more years ago, almost as if there is one less player on the field because he avoids playing in defense. 
At the last World Cup, I had the impression that Portugal would have achieved better results if they had played without Ronaldo in the lineup. 
Of course, who dares to say that Ronaldo is too old and that it's time for football retirement?

Probably you haven't seen him play recently. Currently he is playing for Al Nassr in the Saudi Professional League, and trust me the competition there is quite tough. Despite that, he has so far scored 83 goals from 85 appearances for the club. Ronaldo, despite his age remains as one of the top football players in the world currently. Only Messi can offer competition to him, and I would rate others such as Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Harry Kane and Achraf Hakimi a level lower than him.

Yes, I completely agree with you on this point. Cristiano Ronaldo is truly a very extraordinary player. There will be a generation after generation, maybe there will not be such a player. There are many people who compare Cristiano Ronaldo with Kylian Mbappe. Those who make this assumption may not understand much. Because a person should never be judged by the results of one or two matches.

Cristiano Ronaldo is in very good form. If the form he is in now is like that, then Cristiano Ronaldo can win the FIFA World Cup this time. Although a player can never win a match by relying on it. If Cristiano Ronaldo and his team can play in harmony, then maybe they can win the FIFA World Cup this time.

[Ale88]

I partially agree with you. However, today's Ronaldo no longer makes a difference on the field and in the results like the Ronaldo from 10 or more years ago, almost as if there is one less player on the field because he avoids playing in defense. 
At the last World Cup, I had the impression that Portugal would have achieved better results if they had played without Ronaldo in the lineup. 
Of course, who dares to say that Ronaldo is too old and that it's time for football retirement?

Probably you haven't seen him play recently. Currently he is playing for Al Nassr in the Saudi Professional League, and trust me the competition there is quite tough. Despite that, he has so far scored 83 goals from 85 appearances for the club. Ronaldo, despite his age remains as one of the top football players in the world currently. Only Messi can offer competition to him, and I would rate others such as Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Harry Kane and Achraf Hakimi a level lower than him.

I'm sorry but "Saudi Professional League" and "tough competition" can't be in the same phrase. Just because the Arab teams brought some European and other international players it doesn't mean that all of a sudden Ronaldo is playing in a tough league. The level increased, sure, but besides 4-5 teams with some good names all the others are quite bad.

[BlackBaron]

I partially agree with you. However, today's Ronaldo no longer makes a difference on the field and in the results like the Ronaldo from 10 or more years ago, almost as if there is one less player on the field because he avoids playing in defense. 
At the last World Cup, I had the impression that Portugal would have achieved better results if they had played without Ronaldo in the lineup. 
Of course, who dares to say that Ronaldo is too old and that it's time for football retirement?

Probably you haven't seen him play recently. Currently he is playing for Al Nassr in the Saudi Professional League, and trust me the competition there is quite tough. Despite that, he has so far scored 83 goals from 85 appearances for the club. Ronaldo, despite his age remains as one of the top football players in the world currently. Only Messi can offer competition to him, and I would rate others such as Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Harry Kane and Achraf Hakimi a level lower than him.

He may not be as agile as he once was, and his range of play has significantly diminished, and that's true. However, when supporting the defense, he often drops into the central areas to close off the opponent's passing options. However, as long as the coach needs him and can implement the right strategy, he can be very reliable, as we can see at Al Nassr now.

The narrative surrounding him during the World Cup was certainly heard. However, we must examine the overall strategy to see whether it's appropriate to utilize him effectively.

[BRINIRHA]

I partially agree with you. However, today's Ronaldo no longer makes a difference on the field and in the results like the Ronaldo from 10 or more years ago, almost as if there is one less player on the field because he avoids playing in defense. 
At the last World Cup, I had the impression that Portugal would have achieved better results if they had played without Ronaldo in the lineup. 
Of course, who dares to say that Ronaldo is too old and that it's time for football retirement?

Probably you haven't seen him play recently. Currently he is playing for Al Nassr in the Saudi Professional League, and trust me the competition there is quite tough. Despite that, he has so far scored 83 goals from 85 appearances for the club. Ronaldo, despite his age remains as one of the top football players in the world currently. Only Messi can offer competition to him, and I would rate others such as Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Harry Kane and Achraf Hakimi a level lower than him.

Not only in Al-Nassr, but we can also see this year when Cristiano Ronaldo plays for the Portuguese national team. Just look at him, he remains the team's top scorer. And even when he's absent, we see Portugal struggling to win on several occasions, though not always. However, when Cristiano Ronaldo plays, especially when paired with Joao Felix, as in Al-Nassr, we immediately see a more active and productive Portuguese national team.

Cristiano Ronaldo is almost 41 years old, but his productivity and stamina are still comparable to younger players. Therefore, most of the time, when he plays, he is rarely substituted midway through, unless he has scored a lot of goals or when Portugal is already ahead. I think Cristiano Ronaldo is still needed by the Portuguese national team for at least a few more seasons before Portugal's young players can gain confidence without him.

I think what makes Cristiano Ronaldo's presence better for Portugal is that he dampens the egos of the other players on the national team. This fosters good teamwork. However, when Cristiano Ronaldo is absent, it seems many players want to stand out more, resulting in teamwork that isn't as strong as when Cristiano Ronaldo is on the pitch. However, this is just my observation. I don't know how others will judge them based on their observations after watching Portugal's many matches.

[yenerbatmaz]

I partially agree with you. However, today's Ronaldo no longer makes a difference on the field and in the results like the Ronaldo from 10 or more years ago, almost as if there is one less player on the field because he avoids playing in defense. 
At the last World Cup, I had the impression that Portugal would have achieved better results if they had played without Ronaldo in the lineup. 
Of course, who dares to say that Ronaldo is too old and that it's time for football retirement?

Probably you haven't seen him play recently. Currently he is playing for Al Nassr in the Saudi Professional League, and trust me the competition there is quite tough. Despite that, he has so far scored 83 goals from 85 appearances for the club. Ronaldo, despite his age remains as one of the top football players in the world currently. Only Messi can offer competition to him, and I would rate others such as Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Harry Kane and Achraf Hakimi a level lower than him.

I'm sorry but "Saudi Professional League" and "tough competition" can't be in the same phrase. Just because the Arab teams brought some European and other international players it doesn't mean that all of a sudden Ronaldo is playing in a tough league. The level increased, sure, but besides 4-5 teams with some good names all the others are quite bad.

The level you're describing applies to every league. Only the Premier League offers a certain level of quality; in all other leagues, a maximum of four or five very good teams are available, while the rest are mediocre. Saudi Arabian teams are currently not at the expected level. They're paying large sums of money to bring star players into the league. The mediocre teams will spend large sums of money to improve the league's quality. As long as they don't run out of money, they'll be even better.

[Daniel91]

I partially agree with you. However, today's Ronaldo no longer makes a difference on the field and in the results like the Ronaldo from 10 or more years ago, almost as if there is one less player on the field because he avoids playing in defense. 
At the last World Cup, I had the impression that Portugal would have achieved better results if they had played without Ronaldo in the lineup. 
Of course, who dares to say that Ronaldo is too old and that it's time for football retirement?

Probably you haven't seen him play recently. Currently he is playing for Al Nassr in the Saudi Professional League, and trust me the competition there is quite tough. Despite that, he has so far scored 83 goals from 85 appearances for the club. Ronaldo, despite his age remains as one of the top football players in the world currently. Only Messi can offer competition to him, and I would rate others such as Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Harry Kane and Achraf Hakimi a level lower than him.

Not only in Al-Nassr, but we can also see this year when Cristiano Ronaldo plays for the Portuguese national team. Just look at him, he remains the team's top scorer. And even when he's absent, we see Portugal struggling to win on several occasions, though not always. However, when Cristiano Ronaldo plays, especially when paired with Joao Felix, as in Al-Nassr, we immediately see a more active and productive Portuguese national team.

Cristiano Ronaldo is almost 41 years old, but his productivity and stamina are still comparable to younger players. Therefore, most of the time, when he plays, he is rarely substituted midway through, unless he has scored a lot of goals or when Portugal is already ahead. I think Cristiano Ronaldo is still needed by the Portuguese national team for at least a few more seasons before Portugal's young players can gain confidence without him.

I think what makes Cristiano Ronaldo's presence better for Portugal is that he dampens the egos of the other players on the national team. This fosters good teamwork. However, when Cristiano Ronaldo is absent, it seems many players want to stand out more, resulting in teamwork that isn't as strong as when Cristiano Ronaldo is on the pitch. However, this is just my observation. I don't know how others will judge them based on their observations after watching Portugal's many matches.

That's exactly what I want to emphasize. 
No one here disputes that Ronaldo is the greatest forward in the history of football, who will probably reach the magical milestone of 1,000 goals in official matches even before retiring, but here we are talking about something else. 
Ronaldo is no longer young and fast as he once was, which is normal considering his age. 
Honestly, the Saudi football league is still not on the level of the best European football leagues, such as the Spanish or English leagues, and it is still easier to play and score goals there. 
Finally, Ronaldo has always been known for his selfishness rather than his teamwork. 
This was evident in the latest tournaments in which Portugal competed, showing that Ronaldo in key matches was one player less for his team and did not have the strength to turn the result around and help his team win. 
Do you remember the match against Morocco at the World Cup?

[pewboy]

I also hope that Portugal will have a great World Cup, but even if i read that Cristiano Ronaldo is not interested in winning a World Cup, it is clear that this is something that perhaps he does out of superstition and it is not known if he is truly interested.

He is not interested in winning the World Cup simply because Portugal cannot win the World Cup.
Without him, the team is pretty mediocre, and he's starting to get old.
Even if you keep fit and train a lot, that's not enough when you get too old for this game.

[Inwestour]

Probably you haven't seen him play recently. Currently he is playing for Al Nassr in the Saudi Professional League, and trust me the competition there is quite tough. Despite that, he has so far scored 83 goals from 85 appearances for the club. Ronaldo, despite his age remains as one of the top football players in the world currently. Only Messi can offer competition to him, and I would rate others such as Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Harry Kane and Achraf Hakimi a level lower than him.

Yes you’re right, despite his age, Ronaldo is in great shape and continues to score. Maybe it’s just me, but he seems to be a more talked about figure now than Messi. It’s harder to compare him with Kane or Mbappé because they are younger and currently play for top clubs, so they get much more attention, plus they play in the Champions League, which also matters. I would also like Ronaldo to keep playing in the Champions League and keep scoring, but I think because of his age, top clubs are unlikely to buy him, and he’s still too expensive for most of them. I think that he will continue to play for the national team as long as he is in good shape, regardless of age.

[Scarlett_23]

Ronaldo is currently 40 years old and will turn 41 in February. Messi is currently 38 and will turn 39 in June. And even though they're no longer young, and they're no longer at the world's top clubs, the two remain constant topics of conversation, and the media continues to cover them. Yes, because their great names are always hot topics that remain legendary to this day.

Well, let's put these two aside for now, because right now, they're focused on their respective matches in the World Cup Qualifiers.

Another interesting thing is the match between Messi with Argentina and Yamal with Spain. It will be a high-tension match for sure, and although it will take place in March 2026, the excitement is already there, with the plan being to play it at the Lusail Stadium in Doha, where Argentina once won the World Cup.

Source: Argentina 🆚 Spain

Football is a game that I love very much, like many others. There are many players in the world whose games amaze me. Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi are among the players whose magic feet fascinate me in football. Rolando's fitness, discipline, mental toughness, and politeness on the field of play are an inspiration to many players. The audience is eager to enjoy the game of favorite stars Ronaldo and Messi in the 2026 World Cup. Although it is not yet certain whether they will play in the next World Cup. Earlier, the 40-year-old Ronaldo had expressed his desire to play in the 2026 World Cup. The rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi will be history for ages. For more than two decades, these two stars have been shining stars in the history of world football by challenging each other.

[landheer]

I partially agree with you. However, today's Ronaldo no longer makes a difference on the field and in the results like the Ronaldo from 10 or more years ago, almost as if there is one less player on the field because he avoids playing in defense.  
At the last World Cup, I had the impression that Portugal would have achieved better results if they had played without Ronaldo in the lineup.  
Of course, who dares to say that Ronaldo is too old and that it's time for football retirement?

Probably you haven't seen him play recently. Currently he is playing for Al Nassr in the Saudi Professional League, and trust me the competition there is quite tough. Despite that, he has so far scored 83 goals from 85 appearances for the club. Ronaldo, despite his age remains as one of the top football players in the world currently. Only Messi can offer competition to him, and I would rate others such as Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Harry Kane and Achraf Hakimi a level lower than him.

I actually agree with the opinions of both of you. Cristiano Ronaldo may no longer be as good as he was in his youth. However, his contribution to the Portuguese national team has never been in doubt. In fact, I think he's still better than the younger players on the Portuguese national team. I'm sorry to say this, because I believe Cristiano Ronaldo's mentality and confidence are always superior. He may be inferior to the younger players in terms of stamina and speed. However, in terms of offensive effectiveness and maneuverability in the opponent's defense, I think few can match his level. He plays effectively with efficient steps. He does this to compensate for his stamina, which may not be as strong as it once was.



And one more thing, remember that in the 2025 Nations League, Cristiano Ronaldo was the second-highest goal scorer. In first place was Gyokeres, and Cristiano Ronaldo was second. At 40 years old, he still managed to compete for the top scorers. Even Haaland was outscored in this year's Nations League. So, if anyone still doubts Cristiano Ronaldo, they should look at the whole picture. Not just at club level, not just at the European Championship, not just in the Nations League, not just in the last World Cup, and not just in the current qualifiers, but in all of them. And then we can draw conclusions. But we never know how long he can maintain his quality.

[SuperBitMan]

Ronaldo is currently 40 years old and will turn 41 in February. Messi is currently 38 and will turn 39 in June. And even though they're no longer young, and they're no longer at the world's top clubs, the two remain constant topics of conversation, and the media continues to cover them. Yes, because their great names are always hot topics that remain legendary to this day.

Well, let's put these two aside for now, because right now, they're focused on their respective matches in the World Cup Qualifiers.

Another interesting thing is the match between Messi with Argentina and Yamal with Spain. It will be a high-tension match for sure, and although it will take place in March 2026, the excitement is already there, with the plan being to play it at the Lusail Stadium in Doha, where Argentina once won the World Cup.

Source: Argentina 🆚 Spain

Football is a game that I love very much, like many others. There are many players in the world whose games amaze me. Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi are among the players whose magic feet fascinate me in football. Rolando's fitness, discipline, mental toughness, and politeness on the field of play are an inspiration to many players. The audience is eager to enjoy the game of favorite stars Ronaldo and Messi in the 2026 World Cup. Although it is not yet certain whether they will play in the next World Cup. Earlier, the 40-year-old Ronaldo had expressed his desire to play in the 2026 World Cup. The rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi will be history for ages. For more than two decades, these two stars have been shining stars in the history of world football by challenging each other.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a very good player and can never be forgotten when it concerns football and again Lionel Messi is also a very good player and a great player that can never be forgotten as long as football is concern these two people created what has never been created in the world of football that rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi has never happened before when these two players were in la Liga it was back to back competition one of them will lift the Ballon d'or this year the other we lifted next year, one of them will lift the Golden Boot this year the other will do it next year, one of them will be the highest goal scorer this year the other will be next year and the competition and imagine were so small in every season they made a lot of people love to watch football.
I will continue to love and respect this two players.

[snipie]

Another interesting thing is the match between Messi with Argentina and Yamal with Spain...
it will take place in March 2026, the excitement is already there, with the plan being to play it at the Lusail Stadium in Doha, where Argentina once won the World Cup...

The match will be intense between the two nations. They are among the two best teams in the world and they are both contenders for the FIFA World Cup.
The fact that it will take a place in Qatar is very symbolic. It is like the final game for the title in the same country that hosted the last World Cup version.

The audience is eager to enjoy the game of favorite stars Ronaldo and Messi in the 2026 World Cup. Although it is not yet certain whether they will play in the next World Cup.

Unless an injury or a major event in the family or something like that, I am almost sure both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will participate in this version of the FIFA World Cup and it will be the last one for both of them. Their age will be 43 for Messi and 45 for Ronaldo in the 2030 version so impossible for them to be as competitive as their young colleagues and rivals.
It is their last chance with their team to advance and try to bring the Cup home even though it is a lot difficult for Cristiano comparing to Lionel. I believe Ronaldo will try to score goals and achieve something in his career before quitting his national team. For Messi, he will try to win the trophy again before leaving.

[Sithara007]

I'm sorry but "Saudi Professional League" and "tough competition" can't be in the same phrase. Just because the Arab teams brought some European and other international players it doesn't mean that all of a sudden Ronaldo is playing in a tough league. The level increased, sure, but besides 4-5 teams with some good names all the others are quite bad.

In every league, you have strong as well as weak teams. The Saudi Professional League is also the same. They have 4 teams which are sponsored by the Saudi Public Investment Fund: Al Ittihad, Al Nassr, Al Ahli and Al Hilal. These teams are quite strong. Then they have a few other strong teams such as Al-Taawoun, Al-Qadsiah and Al-Ettifaq. Obviously there are also weaker teams like Al-Hazem and Al-Okhdood, but even in the English Premier League you have clubs such as Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford. 

[Lannakosa]

For Ukraine, the match against France will be very important because they will need at least not to lose in order to stay in second place. Iceland will most likely beat Azerbaijan, and in that case, they will have seven points, so Ukraine will need at least a draw to reach eight points and remain in second position. But honestly, even though France is not playing very well in attack right now, I have big doubts that Ukraine will be able to earn points away in such a difficult match. Still, I will be cheering for Ukraine and hoping that they can manage to get a draw in this game.

[martinom]

Not only in Al-Nassr, but we can also see this year when Cristiano Ronaldo plays for the Portuguese national team. Just look at him, he remains the team's top scorer. And even when he's absent, we see Portugal struggling to win on several occasions, though not always. However, when Cristiano Ronaldo plays, especially when paired with Joao Felix, as in Al-Nassr, we immediately see a more active and productive Portuguese national team.

Cristiano Ronaldo is almost 41 years old, but his productivity and stamina are still comparable to younger players. Therefore, most of the time, when he plays, he is rarely substituted midway through, unless he has scored a lot of goals or when Portugal is already ahead. I think Cristiano Ronaldo is still needed by the Portuguese national team for at least a few more seasons before Portugal's young players can gain confidence without him.

I think what makes Cristiano Ronaldo's presence better for Portugal is that he dampens the egos of the other players on the national team. This fosters good teamwork. However, when Cristiano Ronaldo is absent, it seems many players want to stand out more, resulting in teamwork that isn't as strong as when Cristiano Ronaldo is on the pitch. However, this is just my observation. I don't know how others will judge them based on their observations after watching Portugal's many matches.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the perfect example of the most responsible person of all, the only one who still trains if he were to win everything, I don't know how he manages to have such a maniacal dedication to work, but that's how you become the greatest and he has succeeded and he never wants to stop.

[cande86]

The level you're describing applies to every league. Only the Premier League offers a certain level of quality; in all other leagues, a maximum of four or five very good teams are available, while the rest are mediocre. Saudi Arabian teams are currently not at the expected level. They're paying large sums of money to bring star players into the league. The mediocre teams will spend large sums of money to improve the league's quality. As long as they don't run out of money, they'll be even better.

Saudi Arabian teams are still weak teams, although it must be said that they are improving having acquired many talents from the big European teams.
They will certainly never become at the level of the best European teams so I don't see why we should worry.

[Oneandpure]

Yes you’re right, despite his age, Ronaldo is in great shape and continues to score. Maybe it’s just me, but he seems to be a more talked about figure now than Messi. It’s harder to compare him with Kane or Mbappé because they are younger and currently play for top clubs, so they get much more attention, plus they play in the Champions League, which also matters. I would also like Ronaldo to keep playing in the Champions League and keep scoring, but I think because of his age, top clubs are unlikely to buy him, and he’s still too expensive for most of them. I think that he will continue to play for the national team as long as he is in good shape, regardless of age.

Not underestimate with Cristiano Ronaldo how many fans more talking about Lionel Messi because he won FIFA World Cup 2022 and performance quite well since phase group matches. I believe all fans will talk more for Cristiano Ronaldo if already winning World Cup because its the only trophy not winning yet in his professional career after winning many domestic league tittles, Champion League, Euro tittle and UEFA Nation League with Portugal teams.

Ronaldo has one chance left for playing last world cup 2026 and its great opportunity for him winning world cup for last time, if Portugal become the winner I believe many fans will talk more him than Lionel Messi. Not matter how many goals scoring and how many trophies winning with club not perfectly achievement without winning World Cup trophy.

[dollyamo]

He may not be as agile as he once was, and his range of play has significantly diminished, and that's true. However, when supporting the defense, he often drops into the central areas to close off the opponent's passing options. However, as long as the coach needs him and can implement the right strategy, he can be very reliable, as we can see at Al Nassr now.

The narrative surrounding him during the World Cup was certainly heard. However, we must examine the overall strategy to see whether it's appropriate to utilize him effectively.

I think he's still a top player, he's definitely aged a lot but not too much. There are younger players who aren't as incisive as him and he's still there struggling. I think he can still give a lot to world football and we'll see about that, I'm afraid the haters will have to wait a little longer