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

[Yabani]

Even if Spain had won, the result would have remained the same. Therefore, De La Fuente opted for a mostly substitutes squad.
Similarly, Montella fielded a substitutes squad, and both teams scored twice, and the match finished 2-2. With this result, Spain conceded their first goal in the group.
I'd say Spain was the better side in the match. They were the ones who missed out on a victory.

[laspol65]

Denmark had more chances to score, but once again I was amazed by Scotland fight to the end to qualify. McTominay performance has truly changed drastically, he's in his best form this season, not only for his club but also for the national team, showing an extraordinary mentality. Denmark suffered a bitter pill, especially after losing a player. Although Dorgu gave them hope, who knows where the Scottish players mentality came from, they managed to create a nightmare in the 90+3 minute and a final goal to cap it off beautifully. It was a very difficult match to forget, and I have to admit Scotland deserved to advance.

To be honest, I thought I would see denmark win. But Scotland secured the victory in this match with a margin of 4- 2. Scotland won by  performing very well. But it cannot be denied that Scotland was quite lucky. Firstly , Denmark played with 10 players in the second half. The referee showed Kristensen a red card in the 61 st minute. Also, Denmark equalized the  match in the 81st minute with a goal by Dorgu. But after 90 minutes, Scotland secured the victory by  scoring two goals in extra time. Tierney and Mclean scored both goals after 90 minutes.

Denmark tried hard until the 81st minute, even though one of their players was sent off, they were ready to equalize the game. But Scotland attacked so much in the last minute that the 10-man Denmark team couldn't withstand the pressure. Even though Denmark lost, they performed quite well, because I think Denmark was quite aggressive in this match. In this match, I would call the Danish players unlucky, and the Scottish players were very lucky, they completed the attacks in a moment.

[execijutiere]

Belarus and Greece drew 0-0. It was already certain that neither team would advance from the group, so this match was largely meaningless. The truly important match was the one that would determine the group leader. Scotland managed to win against Denmark and advance from the group as leaders. Scotland went into halftime leading 1-0, but conceded a goal early in the second half. Things went from bad to worse for Denmark, who were down to 10 men just four minutes after scoring. Denmark lost the match after conceding goals in extra time, which was a disappointing result. Of course, they still have a chance to qualify for the World Cup, but they could have gone directly.

[emrecemsan]

I was satisfied with Türkiye's effort against Spain. Maybe an unimportant match and rotated lineups. But nice to perform solid there.

I tried to look at the Scotland v Denmark match too at the same time. It was one of the most entertaining matches of the night... I wasn't expecting Denmark to go through playoffs. A great job by Scotland! 


On second thought, I think Gattuso can actually be right about some points. I don't agree with him on South America though. But for Africa, I think the same.

- South America: 6 teams (or 7 depending on playoff results)
- North & Central America: 3 teams (or 4-5 depending on inter-confederation playoffs)
- Africa: 9 teams (or 10 depending on inter-confederation playoffs)

Africa teams aren't that successful in the World Cup in general. Only Morocco's work in the last one shouldn't be misleading.

[Stavri]

Denmark had more chances to score, but once again I was amazed by Scotland fight to the end to qualify. McTominay performance has truly changed drastically, he's in his best form this season, not only for his club but also for the national team, showing an extraordinary mentality. Denmark suffered a bitter pill, especially after losing a player. Although Dorgu gave them hope, who knows where the Scottish players mentality came from, they managed to create a nightmare in the 90+3 minute and a final goal to cap it off beautifully. It was a very difficult match to forget, and I have to admit Scotland deserved to advance.

To be honest, I thought I would see denmark win. But Scotland secured the victory in this match with a margin of 4- 2. Scotland won by  performing very well. But it cannot be denied that Scotland was quite lucky. Firstly , Denmark played with 10 players in the second half. The referee showed Kristensen a red card in the 61 st minute. Also, Denmark equalized the  match in the 81st minute with a goal by Dorgu. But after 90 minutes, Scotland secured the victory by  scoring two goals in extra time. Tierney and Mclean scored both goals after 90 minutes.

Denmark tried hard until the 81st minute, even though one of their players was sent off, they were ready to equalize the game. But Scotland attacked so much in the last minute that the 10-man Denmark team couldn't withstand the pressure. Even though Denmark lost, they performed quite well, because I think Denmark was quite aggressive in this match. In this match, I would call the Danish players unlucky, and the Scottish players were very lucky, they completed the attacks in a moment.

Congratulations to Scots. The game was really amazing. Best game of last night probably. They showed incredible heart and determination from start to finish. The goals and energy was awesome really. Even if you are not a Scotland fan, it was impossible not to get caught up in the excitement.

[Stavri]

I was satisfied with Türkiye's effort against Spain. Maybe an unimportant match and rotated lineups. But nice to perform solid there.

I tried to look at the Scotland v Denmark match too at the same time. It was one of the most entertaining matches of the night... I wasn't expecting Denmark to go through playoffs. A great job by Scotland!  

Same here. I enjoyed watching Scotland vs Denmark game much more to be honest. It is great to see Scots back on the world stage.
And about Turkey game I really thought Turkey would end up losing by at least six. The game really went in a completely different direction than I expected.

[aipercoin]

Spain and Turkey drew 2-2 in a match where both teams fielded mostly substitutes.
Spain conceded their first goal in this group against Türkiye.
The Spanish fans showed little interest in the match. There was a lot of emptiness in the stands.
Goalkeeper Altay was the best player in Türkiye. He made some excellent saves, but a huge mistake in the final minute resulted in a goal, but the goal was disallowed because he was called offside.
Goalkeepers have the same situation. You can play well throughout the match, but if a mistake in the final moments changes the score, you're the worst player in the match. Altay had luck on his side yesterday.

If a mistake made towards the end of the crown game as the worst player by the fans is really what i hate.
This is part of football, mistakes are made is inevitable.
The game went as it should have gone despite the fact that they fielded substitutes, i liked it i can't say otherwise.
Altay did well and really put in the effort, kudos to him for holding on, Spain pushed well in attack.

[Solokan]

Getting a draw from the Spanish national team is a sign of strength and how formidable that the Turkish national team gradually has become in the recent time. Spain is a big team and they aims at winning each team they come across to maintain superiority and dominancy.
It was an incredible performance to see Turkiye share point with Spain, only few teams can draw or win Spain.

No doubt Turkiye is a strong team. Although they didn't play with all their best players, they still could get a draw result against Spain. We know Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz only sit on the bench. As far as I know these players are the mainstay players for Turkiye.

Sure, Spain is a big team. They usually won with big scores. They have popular players in all lines. So, it makes sense if they can be very strong. However, against Turkiye, they looked a bit difficult to score goals. It is a sign that Turkiye has a solid defense. Even Turkiye was leading 2-1, but Oyarzabal could equalize the score in minute 62'. Considering this result, I'm sure no team to underestimate Turkiye in this world cup matches.

Yes, Spain did seem to struggle to score many goals against Turkey because Turkey had a strong defense, which ultimately made it difficult for the Spanish players to capitalize on their chances. Yes, Turkey did take the lead with a score of 2-1. If Oyarzabal hadn't scored in the 62nd minute, Turkey might have won, and many Turkish fans would have been disappointed because Oyarzabal scored against Turkey in the 62nd minute, resulting in a draw. Looking at the Turkey vs. Spain match, it clearly showed that Turkey's strength should not be underestimated. If Turkey qualifies for the 2026 World Cup, I believe they will certainly not be taken lightly. In my opinion, if Turkey were not in the same group as Spain, they could potentially win the group and secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup.

However, in the Spain vs. Turkey match, I was disappointed that Arda Guler wasn't played, because in my opinion, if Arda had been played, it could have made Turkey perform stronger. But of course, now we'll just have to see whether Turkey will qualify for the 2026 World Cup or not.

[ZekiBeyy]

I think last night’s matches showed how full of surprises football can be. Even though the Spain–Turkey game was played mostly with substitute players, it was quite lively. Spain was generally better, but Turkey also resisted well, and Altay stood out in particular.

In the Scotland–Denmark match, the goals in the final minutes really made the game exciting. Denmark struggled after being reduced to 10 players, but they still fought well. Scotland didn’t give up and earned a deserved victory.

[Pulsar77]

It's time to wait for the draw which is going to take place tomorrow. The system is like this for playoff draw:

• Pot 1 teams face Pot 4 teams in the semi finals
• Pot 2 teams face Pot 3 teams in the same phase
• The winners of these 2 sides play against each other in the finals to qualify for the World Cup

There are 4 paths and 4 more teams to qualify for the World Cup as a result. Let's see who are the bests among them. I wish good luck to Türkiye while being one of the seeded teams here.  

[Daniel91]

In Group J, Belgium is beating Liechtenstein 5–0 and they will win this match, qualifying directly for the World Cup as group leaders.
The most important match of this group is Wales vs. North Macedonia, and Wales is currently winning 4–1 with 40 minutes left. Most likely, Wales will qualify for the play-offs.

The most important match in Group H is Austria vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is currently winning 1–0 and if the match ends this way, they will qualify directly for the World Cup. If it ends in a draw or a loss for them, Austria will qualify directly.

I am surprised that after your post no one else commented on this very exciting and dramatic match that decided which team would directly qualify for the World Cup.  
I honestly feel sorry for Bosnia; in the last few days they played 2 excellent matches, defeated Romania in Zenica, and led against Austria almost until the very end of the match, coming very close to qualifying for the World Cup again after 16 years.  
They didn’t succeed, and now they will have to go through the hell of additional qualifiers against top teams like Italy or Denmark.

[martinom]

The Spanish team wasn't motivated to defeat Turkey because Spain had already qualifies for the World Cup finals after five wins in a row.
Making conclusions about strong the Turkish defense was seems kinda funny to me. Why wasn't the Turkish defense so strong when Spain defeated Turkey by scoring six goals? Bulgaria won against Georgia in a pointless match, but they didn't deserve the victory and didn't have any control over the game.
What the hell did Wales do against North Macedonia? 7-1 seems too much. Why the Macedonians were so humiliated?
Great performance by Scotland beating Denmark 4-2. It seems that Norway is the strongest team from Scandinavia right now. Denmark and Sweden are mediocre.

The Spanish team doesn't give a damn about the match and that must be said, in fact they played a very low-key match and this is something that certainly means very little to them, and in fact they did so, however they played a very diminished match compared to what they can do.

[8rch7]

It's time to wait for the draw which is going to take place tomorrow. The system is like this for playoff draw:

• Pot 1 teams face Pot 4 teams in the semi finals
• Pot 2 teams face Pot 3 teams in the same phase
• The winners of these 2 sides play against each other in the finals to qualify for the World Cup

There are 4 paths and 4 more teams to qualify for the World Cup as a result. Let's see who are the bests among them. I wish good luck to Türkiye while being one of the seeded teams here.  

Still interested with playoff round due 16 national teams left and 4 teams only are qualifying to World Cup, I am excited with Italy national teams and waiting for will success for this time qualifying to World Cup 2026 after two time in a row failed at playoff round. Based on the POT format likely Italy not face any difficult opponent teams and great opportunity if want qualifying semifinal round and secure the ticket for participating at World Cup 2026.

In my opinion seems Italy, Turkey, Poland and Romania are strong candidate teams qualifying to World Cup 2026, but waiting the drawing and matches result which teams has chance to play at World Cup 2026.

[changaa]

When talking about fairness or unfairness, it's even less fair for countries in Asia or Africa, which have a large number of countries but few representatives in the World Cup. Europe, with 50 countries, has one-third of the total World Cup qualification participants, which is already a lot. Meanwhile, South American countries, with 10 countries, have 6 direct qualifiers plus 1, making 60 percent plus 1, so 70%. If the remaining representatives who participate in the playoffs most likely face Iraq, they will also qualify.

But it's not injustice, in the end it qualifies who has the skills and abilities to win, if you don't have a prepared team even if there are 100 teams in your country it's fair.

They are not two weights two measures, they are two weights one measure.
If you win you rank if you can't get past the groups it's obvious you won't participate.
Latin America has great players, but it's always been that way, ever since I was little.

[püsür]

Even if Spain had won, the result would have remained the same. Therefore, De La Fuente opted for a mostly substitutes squad.
Similarly, Montella fielded a substitutes squad, and both teams scored twice, and the match finished 2-2. With this result, Spain conceded their first goal in the group.
I'd say Spain was the better side in the match. They were the ones who missed out on a victory.

This score doesn't do justice for this match up.Spain didn't have Yamal, Williams, Zubimendi, etc. And Turkey didn't have Arda, Kenan, Yunus, Kerem, Hakan, but if Yamal and Williams had been there, Turkey would have conceded five goals probably, not two. In the first game If Turkey had played with a more defensive midfield, things would have been different. We can say that the 6-0 match difference was entirely down to the squad and formation. Montella may have thought that if he scored early, he might not win but he wouldn't lose either, but you'll see that you have to go out with a game plan and squad tailored to the opponent. For example, matches against Bulgaria and Georgia wouldn't have happened with a squad like that. You're playing against Spain, you need to field players with a high level of technical skill. They have players who are stronger, more athletic and more technically skilled than you. Turkey should learn a lesson here for the playoffs and the world cup if they can go.

[pewboy]

Some people might also want to abuse this opportunity.  They might overstay their visa and remain in the country as undocumented immigrants. This is why match tickets shouldn't guarantee visas.

I don't understand why you say the United States is very beautiful, I don't like it and there are many other places in the world that are much more beautiful than others, I don't understand the fact that this thing then advertises the World Cup, they found bodies near the stadiums doesn't seem like a positive thing to me

[hyudien]

The Spanish team doesn't give a damn about the match and that must be said, in fact they played a very low-key match and this is something that certainly means very little to them, and in fact they did so, however they played a very diminished match compared to what they can do.

Regardless of the result, they still qualified, and they also considered the fitness and potential injuries of key players in this match. So, it's understandable that they played a low-key game, not particularly determined to beat Turkey. Fortunately, I checked the standings before placing my bet, so I considered eliminating Spain from my bet, and it turned out to be correct.

[execijutiere]

Bulgaria managed to beat Georgia. I expected Georgia to win, but that didn't happen. It must be said that it didn't make much difference, as it was already certain that neither team would advance from the group. The real match, however, was between Spain and Turkey. Your national team finished the first half 1-1, but started the second half quickly and took a 2-1 lead. Even if your national team had won this match, they would have finished second in the group anyway, as they couldn't have won by a margin of seven goals, and the match ended in a draw.

[verdinio]

The standings in Group J have been finalized.
Belgium and Wales both secured very comfortable victories.
Belgium will qualify directly for the World Cup, while Wales will go to the play-offs.
Wales prepared extremely well for the match against North Macedonia and completely dominated their opponents, winning 7?1.

Austria vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina match ended in a draw, and Austria will qualify directly for the World Cup.
Bosnia and Herzegovina will play in the play-offs.

Scotland defeated Denmark 3?2 with a late goal and will also qualify directly for the World Cup.

Wales is definitely the favourite team among the many there, and i wonder how a team that gets 18 points can be in the play-offs. The European system definitely needs to be reviewed. Italy, in its current situation, doesn't deserve such treatment and they're still at risk of not going to the World Cup.

[execijutiere]

Austria fell behind against Bosnia and Herzegovina but managed to salvage a point from the match and finished the group in first place. Bosnia and Herzegovina had managed to score early in the first half but failed to hold onto the lead. Had the match ended 1-0 in their favor, they would have secured top spot.
Romania defeated San Marino 7-1 in a meaningless match. Romania had no chance of finishing second, and nothing changed.