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

[Velvet78]

When I opened the Spanish national team squad list on FotMob, Yamine Yamal's name wasn't listed. Perhaps in the next three days, there will be an update, including his name in the squad to face Georgia. Two matches after Spain's victory over Turkey, Yamal wasn't in the Spanish lineup against Georgia in Elche, Spain, or against Bulgaria.

However, Spain has players with excellent talent, and it's not just Yamal. Yamal is a great player with great talent, but he still shouldn't be overestimated due to his seemingly unstable attitude. Comparing Yamal to the level of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo isn't appropriate, even though Yamal's skills are above average for players his age.

La Fuente talked like this and after that we found out Yamal wasn't going to play for the next 2 games ahead. He won't be a part of the team against Georgia and Türkiye both.

His absence is important for Spain of course. Without him they will be weaker in the attacking line. But I still expect Spain to win both of those games. However I wonder when Yamal will return to the national team...

[trendcoin]

Ronaldo recently announced that he is aiming for the 2026 World Cup and that this tournament will be his last. He is the greatest player in the history of football, in my opinion. I am sure that he will remain involved in football after his active career and continue to achieve success, but I don't give him and the Portuguese national team much chance in this tournament...

[Fuso.hp]

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.

Let's not talk nonsense, Ronaldo is the strongest of all and he always shows it fully as always, and I think that if he has a chance even just one will try in every way to win this world cup even if obviously it is not easy and it will not be for anyone

Even the strongest teams in football can never say with certainty that they will win the World Cup. Ronaldo is still in good form and we still feel good momentum in him and the current Portugal team is also quite strong and balanced. In that case, I think we can expect the most from Portugal in this World Cup tournament. Ronaldo will play his best in this World Cup and Ronaldo's opinion will be given priority in announcing the World Cup team. That is, we can see all the players that Cristiano Ronaldo will suggest in the main team of Portugal in the 2026 World Cup. If Ronaldo plays his best in his place and the other players in the team play their best in their respective positions, then it is definitely possible to do well in this World Cup.

[aylabadia05]

<snip>

La Fuente talked like this and after that we found out Yamal wasn't going to play for the next 2 games ahead. He won't be a part of the team against Georgia and Türkiye both.

His absence is important for Spain of course. Without him they will be weaker in the attacking line. But I still expect Spain to win both of those games. However I wonder when Yamal will return to the national team...

Without Yamal, I think Luis de la Fuente still has other options that will make it easier for him to execute his strategy to target the team's goals.
To cover Yamal's position, de la Fuente still has Olmo and Oyarzabal on the left and right flanks in a 4-3-3 formation, with Merino potentially playing as a center forward.

Again, it won't be difficult for de la Fuente in Spain's next two matches.
However, with Spain set to play in the World Cup after qualifying, de la Fuente will have to consider other options if Yamal remains unavailable. Yamal's absence is unlikely.

[Jossque]

Iceland wants to win against Azerbaijan. They will want to finish at least second in the group. We already know that Azerbaijan has not won any of its recent matches. If Iceland wins this match, it will increase its points to 7 and be in contention for second place. If we assume that France will beat Ukraine or, at worst, draw, then Iceland can finish second in the group by beating them in the final match and try their luck in the play-offs. If we assume that France will win the match, then Iceland will finish second with their victory.

[SuperBitMan]

Ronaldo recently announced that he is aiming for the 2026 World Cup and that this tournament will be his last. He is the greatest player in the history of football, in my opinion. I am sure that he will remain involved in football after his active career and continue to achieve success, but I don't give him and the Portuguese national team much chance in this tournament...

Yes Cristiano Ronaldo is a very good player and one of the greatest player in the world, if he's anticipating to lift the world cup is a very good one every player who is going to this world cup is also anticipating to lift the world cup because the world cup is like one of the greatest trophy in the world so lifting it is a very good and great achievement however Cristiano Ronaldo will have a lot of challenge because we have a lot of inform countries that have good players so it will be a huge problem for him but nothing is impossible Portugal is a very good team and they are doing very well they have good players also so they have a chance to lift world cup.

[Agbe]

Snip

Yes Cristiano Ronaldo is a very good player and one of the greatest player in the world, if he's anticipating to lift the world cup is a very good one every player who is going to this world cup is also anticipating to lift the world cup because the world cup is like one of the greatest trophy in the world so lifting it is a very good and great achievement however Cristiano Ronaldo will have a lot of challenge because we have a lot of inform countries that have good players so it will be a huge problem for him but nothing is impossible Portugal is a very good team and they are doing very well they have good players also so they have a chance to lift world cup.

It's good that Ronaldo is planning of going to the world cup and winning it, I don't see the possibility of Ronaldo ever winning the world cup before retiring from football because, this world cup in the United States of America will be the last world cup Ronaldo will attend if actually he is called up for the Portuguese team. In terms of quality of performance and squad depth the Portuguese team is not yet there because there are many nations that are up there which Portugal is behind.

[Slow death]

Ronaldo recently announced that he is aiming for the 2026 World Cup and that this tournament will be his last. He is the greatest player in the history of football, in my opinion. I am sure that he will remain involved in football after his active career and continue to achieve success, but I don't give him and the Portuguese national team much chance in this tournament...

After Messi said that the next World Cup would be his last, I already predicted that Ronaldo would make the same decision. Now, regarding Portugal's chances in the next World Cup, I think they have a very strong national team, and if the coach manages to improve the attack

I mean, choosing the best players for the attack, because they have many good attacking players, but the problem is that some of them are selfish and play as if they were in a friendly match—then the coach needs to find the best combination of attackers. If he manages to do that, then we will see the Portuguese national team as a strong contender to win the World Cup.

[LGD2Business]

France will beat Ukraine, but I don't know if they'll score many goals. Iceland will also beat Azerbaijan. France will finish first in this group. Iceland will be level on points with Ukraine. In Group D, it will all come down to the match between them in 3 days' time.

Italy will beat Moldova by a wide margin. Norway will also beat Estonia. In this scenario, Italy will have to play in the play-offs. It's interesting that this ambitious country, which has won the World Cup, is finding it so difficult to qualify for the World Cup. It's not the first time they've experienced this.

[GiftedMAN]

When I opened the Spanish national team squad list on FotMob, Yamine Yamal's name wasn't listed. Perhaps in the next three days, there will be an update, including his name in the squad to face Georgia. Two matches after Spain's victory over Turkey, Yamal wasn't in the Spanish lineup against Georgia in Elche, Spain, or against Bulgaria.

However, Spain has players with excellent talent, and it's not just Yamal. Yamal is a great player with great talent, but he still shouldn't be overestimated due to his seemingly unstable attitude. Comparing Yamal to the level of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo isn't appropriate, even though Yamal's skills are above average for players his age.

La Fuente talked like this and after that we found out Yamal wasn't going to play for the next 2 games ahead. He won't be a part of the team against Georgia and Türkiye both.

His absence is important for Spain of course. Without him they will be weaker in the attacking line. But I still expect Spain to win both of those games. However I wonder when Yamal will return to the national team...

During FIFA international break, many top clubs are good at sending modified injury reports or statements that'll likely stop their players from participating in the national team games, I think that's what happened in this Barcelona and Spain national team saga.
It's obvious that Spain coach La Fuente isn't happy with whatever report that forced Yamal's withdrawal from the team ahead of their crucial two games. But that said, I believe Spain national team is too talented to depend on one player so I expect them to get good results even without the Barcelona winger

[CroverNo01]

Ronaldo recently announced that he is aiming for the 2026 World Cup and that this tournament will be his last. He is the greatest player in the history of football, in my opinion. I am sure that he will remain involved in football after his active career and continue to achieve success, but I don't give him and the Portuguese national team much chance in this tournament...

I can't wait to see the outstanding performance of these players, they're superb in terms of performance. Ronaldo is yet to win the world cup for his country despite accomplishing major trophies with his country, he's hunger for more. In the upcoming 2026 world cup, Cristiano Ronaldo want to exhibit his full abilities because this might be his last world cup as a professional player for Portugal. There's precisely more entertaining actions to watch out for because the best will always stepped out.

[Ale88]

Ronaldo recently announced that he is aiming for the 2026 World Cup and that this tournament will be his last. He is the greatest player in the history of football, in my opinion. I am sure that he will remain involved in football after his active career and continue to achieve success, but I don't give him and the Portuguese national team much chance in this tournament...

Why? Portugal have a very good team, probably they are not as good as Spain, France and Argentina but, in my opinion, they are at least at the same level as England, Germany, Brazil, etc. If they have a little luck they may actually go a long way next year. I simply hope for them that Ronaldo won't have to be a starter every single match just because of his name.

[Uruhara]

La Fuente talked like this and after that we found out Yamal wasn't going to play for the next 2 games ahead. He won't be a part of the team against Georgia and Türkiye both.

His absence is important for Spain of course. Without him they will be weaker in the attacking line. But I still expect Spain to win both of those games. However I wonder when Yamal will return to the national team...

Lamine Yamal does need to rest considering his current condition. However, he will only be absent from the national team for those two matches. After that, he may continue to play for Barcelona in the third week of this month. His condition is not too bad. The reason Yamal is not playing for the national team is because Barcelona is concerned that he will suffer a more serious injury if he is forced to play. Therefore, Yamal is advised to rest. And it seems the Spanish national team does not object to this, as they have plenty of quality players to replace him. Although there may be a slight drop in team performance, it will not be severe at all. Spain will remain the favorites in the upcoming two matches.

[BRINIRHA]

Ronaldo recently announced that he is aiming for the 2026 World Cup and that this tournament will be his last. He is the greatest player in the history of football, in my opinion. I am sure that he will remain involved in football after his active career and continue to achieve success, but I don't give him and the Portuguese national team much chance in this tournament...

Why? Portugal have a very good team, probably they are not as good as Spain, France and Argentina but, in my opinion, they are at least at the same level as England, Germany, Brazil, etc. If they have a little luck they may actually go a long way next year. I simply hope for them that Ronaldo won't have to be a starter every single match just because of his name.

yeah thats right. But making Cristiano Ronaldo a starter is fine. As long as he is also given limited playing time, such as being substituted in the second half. Because age never lies. At that point, his stamina will definitely not be as good as in the first half. Because, after all, it seems that Cristiano Ronaldo will remain the captain of the Portuguese national team.

Fortunately, the Portuguese national team does not rely solely on one or two players. However, the Portuguese national team is similar to the English national team. Both teams have a deep squad filled with star players who have extensive experience playing for big clubs. Although Felix has moved to the Saudi Pro League, I see that he has actually improved in quality, as his confidence may have grown even more. Therefore, when he is given playing time, he almost always scores goals, even for the Portuguese national team at present.

However, if I may be honest about Cristiano Ronaldo's stamina, it seems that he has not declined much. As a result, he is rarely substituted, even in the final minutes. He is always able to run and receive passes with good concentration and does not appear to be overly fatigued. But that is the case now. We do not know what will happen in the coming months.

[8rch7]

La Fuente talked like this and after that we found out Yamal wasn't going to play for the next 2 games ahead. He won't be a part of the team against Georgia and Türkiye both.

His absence is important for Spain of course. Without him they will be weaker in the attacking line. But I still expect Spain to win both of those games. However I wonder when Yamal will return to the national team...

Completed problem regarding Lamine Yamal injury or not because last games he played almost 90 minutes against Celta Vigo and Barcelona have official confirming about their player ready for the international break match. But Spain national teams withdrew him after getting injury and sadly Spain have two important matches against Georgia and Turkey for securing FIFA World Cup 2026 ticket, actually Spain only need to secure three points despite what the result last match against Turkey is enough to secure top position standings and qualifying to World Cup.
I don't think huge problem for Spain national team due Lamine Yamal absence two matches later, if can get three points against Georgia the match against Turkey not really important yet because Spain lead difference goals and head to head from Turkey.

[Arenga pinnata]

Iceland wants to win against Azerbaijan. They will want to finish at least second in the group. We already know that Azerbaijan has not won any of its recent matches. If Iceland wins this match, it will increase its points to 7 and be in contention for second place. If we assume that France will beat Ukraine or, at worst, draw, then Iceland can finish second in the group by beating them in the final match and try their luck in the play-offs. If we assume that France will win the match, then Iceland will finish second with their victory.

If France defeats Ukraine and Iceland defeats Azerbaijan, then Iceland will move up to second place as long as Iceland remains ahead of Ukraine in terms of goals scored. Currently, Iceland is ahead of Ukraine by one goal. Furthermore, Iceland is more productive in scoring goals. However, if Ukraine manages to draw or even win, Iceland will certainly fail sooner. At least in this match, Iceland will be heavily favored. Azerbaijan may have an advantage as the host of the upcoming match. But I don't think that will help much at all.

[Inwestour]

If France defeats Ukraine and Iceland defeats Azerbaijan, then Iceland will move up to second place as long as Iceland remains ahead of Ukraine in terms of goals scored. Currently, Iceland is ahead of Ukraine by one goal. Furthermore, Iceland is more productive in scoring goals. However, if Ukraine manages to draw or even win, Iceland will certainly fail sooner. At least in this match, Iceland will be heavily favored. Azerbaijan may have an advantage as the host of the upcoming match. But I don't think that will help much at all.

All that Azerbaijan can rely on is their defense, but in my opinion, Iceland’s attack is much better than Azerbaijan’s defense, and the motivation in this match is clearly on Iceland’s side. Ukraine is to blame for this situation, because in one of their matches they failed to beat Azerbaijan, and now they depend on the game against France. That’s bad for them, because even getting a draw with France is difficult for any team, and Ukraine is clearly not in their best form right now.

[AprilioMP]

If France defeats Ukraine and Iceland defeats Azerbaijan, then Iceland will move up to second place as long as Iceland remains ahead of Ukraine in terms of goals scored. Currently, Iceland is ahead of Ukraine by one goal. Furthermore, Iceland is more productive in scoring goals. However, if Ukraine manages to draw or even win, Iceland will certainly fail sooner. At least in this match, Iceland will be heavily favored. Azerbaijan may have an advantage as the host of the upcoming match. But I don't think that will help much at all.

France only needs three more points to secure qualification from Group D. If France currently has 10 points, then gaining three more points would bring their points tally to 13 and automatically qualify.
Against Ukraine, France has a good chance of winning. Even if they draw, France can secure their spot against Azerbaijan in their final match.

Although Azerbaijan is playing at home, I don't have the analysis to bet on them to win because Iceland has something I think I can hope for in the match against Azerbaijan.

[snipie]

France only needs three more points to secure qualification from Group D. If France currently has 10 points, then gaining three more points would bring their points tally to 13 and automatically qualify.
Against Ukraine, France has a good chance of winning. Even if they draw, France can secure their spot against Azerbaijan in their final match.

The odds in this game are not interesting for those selecting France as the winner because it is at 1.2 while Ukraine is at +15 in many bookies. France is favourite in their group and should normally win that match.

Although Azerbaijan is playing at home, I don't have the analysis to bet on them to win because Iceland has something I think I can hope for in the match against Azerbaijan.

The odds are way in favour of Iceland at 1.57 versus 6.6 for Azerbaijan on average.
In the next round, Azerbaijan odds are +25 while France is 1.1 which is very obvious. It is rather about how many goals will France score in that game which depends a lot from the outcome of their game against Ukraine, thus how many main squad players will play in front of Azerbaijan.

[giorgione]

After Messi said that the next World Cup would be his last, I already predicted that Ronaldo would make the same decision. Now, regarding Portugal's chances in the next World Cup, I think they have a very strong national team, and if the coach manages to improve the attack

I mean, choosing the best players for the attack, because they have many good attacking players, but the problem is that some of them are selfish and play as if they were in a friendly match?then the coach needs to find the best combination of attackers. If he manages to do that, then we will see the Portuguese national team as a strong contender to win the World Cup.

I always think that Ronaldo must be able to win a World Cup, he must do it for all the fans who are with him and for everyone, it is not possible that Messi was helped to win the World Cup and Cristiano instead has never had concrete help in any championship.