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

[KTChampions]

Both matches played in Group B ended 1-1. Slovenia and Sweden had no chance of advancing from the group before their final matches, so it was essentially a meaningless formality, but the same cannot be said for the other match.
Kosovo failed to secure a victory against Switzerland and finished the group in second place. Neither team created many scoring opportunities during the match, and frankly, it was a rather dull encounter.

I was surprised to learn that Sweden still has a chance to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, as they are in the top 4 (according to some special rating system) in the Nations League, and they still have a chance to win a ticket. Therefore, this game was not important to them at all, even as a friendly (respect for their own fans was apparently also absent).
Denmark lost first place in their group to Scotland in dramatic fashion - it must have been a shame to lead the entire tournament and then miss out on a direct ticket in the final round.

[cande86]

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.

yes, in fact the change that took place was a particular rotation that makes available the players who have not played much in these qualifiers precisely to maintain and not waste the others.
Now I don't know what he wanted to do but Turkey was committed while Spain was so-so

[aylabadia05]

<snip>

Here, Austria will be playing to get that draw and get immediate qualification while Bosnia-Herzegovina will be aiming for the win but Austria can still win because they have that spirit of doggedness and since they the advantage is still on their side, they will make good use of it by either playing draw or they win.

Austria achieved their goal, drawing and qualifying automatically. Bosnia had to go through a play-off.
Denmark suffered a different fate. Scotland overtook first place in the group, playing as the home team. Scotland played quite well, and their victory was a resounding victory.

McTominay and Ferguson were two players who, in my opinion, were the main pillars behind Scotland's impressive victory over Denmark.
Only one goal was scored in the first half, but Scotland scored three more in the second. Despite Denmark scoring two goals and Kristensen receiving a second yellow card, the five goals in the second half made for a very tense match.

[m4r1o]

Half of today's matches ended in draws. There were no major shifts in the 1st/2nd places except for Wales who defeated North Macedonia 7-1, which gave them the 2nd place and put them through to the play-offs.

I expected more moves, but all these draws basically didn't change anything.
The only good thing was the different bets i placed per game and thanks to these draws i guessed right, making several wins.
The Wales one lost inexorably but no one expected all these goals i bet.

[execijutiere]

In Group J, both matches saw over 6 goals scored. Both Belgium and Wales managed to score 7 goals against their opponents. Both teams advanced from the group after these victories. I already thought Belgium would definitely win, and it had to be a high-scoring game, which it was. What surprised me was that Wales managed to score 7 goals against their opponent. There usually aren't that many goals in Wales' matches, and Harry Wilson really had an incredible game. Wales didn't give their opponent a chance.

[Fuso.hp]

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.

It was not an important match for Spain. Spain qualified for the World Cup first. So it is already assumed that they will not give much importance in the last match. Still I would say Spain played very well and managed to draw the match. More importantly, we saw the dominance of Spain in the match. But there is no denying that the performance of Turkiye's players was also good enough. Turkiye players managed to make a total of 10 shots, 7 of which were on target. Group E is topped by Spain and Turkey in second place.

Spain did not win against Turkey, so it cannot be said that Spain did not try to win. I assume that Spain's victory or defeat in this match will not have any impact on their qualification for the World Cup, so a team would never want to lose on its own or a team would not want to draw on its own. Spain performed well, but I liked Turkey's performance as well as Spain. Turkey defended well and they tried to attack several times, due to which the game ended in a draw. Spain took the lead against Turkey by scoring a goal at the beginning and at that time it seemed that Spain would secure a big victory, but from that time until the beginning of the second half, Turkey played well and they were able to score two goals in a row, Spain came back with Oyarzabal's goal, but no team could score after that, resulting in the match ending in 2-2.

[giorgione]

From the start of the match, Scotland was very enthusiastic about beating Denmark. McTominay's goal in the 3rd minute convinced the Scottish public at Hampden Park that their support team would win the match and go to the World Cup.
Denmark is also a strong team from Scandinavia, they were less fortunate in qualifying for the World Cup this time.

Norway also may not be able to go far in the World Cup even though this is their first World Cup after not participating in a long time.
We can only see what surprises will happen later.

McTominay is showing the world that they can do great things and that's why Italy is so afraid of taking them in the playoffs and they know very well that it's a team that never gives up and in fact as an Italian I would definitely avoid them and I hope they don't have any against us

[iamsange]

Spain did not win against Turkey, so it cannot be said that Spain did not try to win. I assume that Spain's victory or defeat in this match will not have any impact on their qualification for the World Cup, so a team would never want to lose on its own or a team would not want to draw on its own. Spain performed well, but I liked Turkey's performance as well as Spain. Turkey defended well and they tried to attack several times, due to which the game ended in a draw. Spain took the lead against Turkey by scoring a goal at the beginning and at that time it seemed that Spain would secure a big victory, but from that time until the beginning of the second half, Turkey played well and they were able to score two goals in a row, Spain came back with Oyarzabal's goal, but no team could score after that, resulting in the match ending in 2-2.

Of course, the result of the match had different meanings for both teams. As you said, no team doesn't aim for victory in a match, even if the results sometimes don't go as expected. Spain dominated the group and played without any pressure. Meanwhile, Turkey's efforts deserve praise, even though it was quite difficult to get all three points, but they still worked hard in that match. Therefore, Turkey must face a Play-Off match to secure a World Cup ticket. It certainly won't be easy, but with fighting spirit, their chances are still very much there. Hopefully, Turkey will qualify for the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

[Phoenix Anka]

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.

yes, in fact the change that took place was a particular rotation that makes available the players who have not played much in these qualifiers precisely to maintain and not waste the others.
Now I don't know what he wanted to do but Turkey was committed while Spain was so-so

Turkey's squad also consisted of rotational players. Many players were new to me as a Turk. For example, Deniz Gül, who scored the goal. Mustafa Eskihellaç, who came on as a substitute, was a player I'd search to see whose team he was on. Our most valuable players, such as Arda Güler, Kenan Yıldız, and Hakan Çalhanoğlu, weren't on the pitch. The Spain match was nothing more than a formality for us; what matters now is our opponent in the playoffs. We played a good game; we would have loved to have beaten Spain, but we conceded two goals due to individual errors. This match once again showed that the defense needs to be a bit better. Our defense is prone to making mistakes, and if they repeat this in the playoffs, we might not qualify for the World Cup.

[Volgastallion]

I still cant believe what i just saw yesterday in some of the games in this qualifier, first of all the Scotland Denmark game was a total crazyness , i cant believe how Denmark let it go and im happe to see again Scotland in a world cup after so much time.

The other big hit was on Concacaf qualification, Costa Rica and Honduras maybe the two bigest teams on that quali are out, and Curazao is in the next worlc up being the most little country ever to take part.

[Marvell1]

In Group J, both matches saw over 6 goals scored. Both Belgium and Wales managed to score 7 goals against their opponents. Both teams advanced from the group after these victories. I already thought Belgium would definitely win, and it had to be a high-scoring game, which it was. What surprised me was that Wales managed to score 7 goals against their opponent. There usually aren't that many goals in Wales' matches, and Harry Wilson really had an incredible game. Wales didn't give their opponent a chance.

Wales won their last match against North macedonia 7 -1. On the other hand , Belgium won against liechtenstein 7- 0. Both of these are strong teams in Group J.

Belgium has not lost any of their 8  matches. They   have won 5 matches and drawn 3 matches. On the other hand, Wales has won 5 matches but lost 2. As a result , they are 2 points behind Belgium. But we have seen a lot of scores from both teams.
Belgium has qualified for the World cup. On the other hand, Wales has confirmed its qualification for the play-offs. Wales is a strong team. I believe we will see this team in the 2026 World Cup.

[Lida93]

Europe should have the most places in the world cup because they have the most teams and the most teams with a lot of quality. For example i dont understand why south america has so much spots. They have 10 teams and o most 7 go to the world cup and o most every team goes. I think for me that is insane

After Brazil's dominance in 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, European nations dominated the tournament by winning it 4 consecutive times before Argentina won it in 2022, prior to this time it was Italy in 2006, Spain 2010, Germany 2014, and France 2018, and most of these finals were between European countries, this goes to prove how proactive the European nations have being in the World Cup and for over a decade and half, deeply  justifying the number of places they get in every world they participate in, and I don't see anything wrong with that.

[Adbitco]

Well I think FIFA need to really do something about this statement, because I don’t see how possibly Gatuso would say something this hilarious about a continent it’s totally unreasonable and it sounds racist

So all that think Europe deserves more spots at WC (I am also among of that opinion) spots are rascist? Cool story bro.

most of the countries in Europe aren’t footballing Nations, Belarus, Cyprus, Lithuania, San Marino, Gilbratar, Finland, Malta, Macedonia, numerous to mention so I don’t even understand why Europe should have so many slot right now 16, I think it’s even much compared to other continents.

Tell me that you don't know much about football without telling me that you don't know much about football.

So were exactly is the lie in his statement when he said most countries in Europe are not footballing nations. He went on to list some of the countries and you calin he doesn't know football! Face reality for once and stop this sentiment. We all know that these nations will not make it to the WC if they are paired with the real footballing nations of the continent.

[ZekiBeyy]

The FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers have been full of exciting developments. In particular, Scotland’s 4–2 victory over Denmark reflects the rise of Scottish football in recent years and symbolizes their return to the World Cup stage. The performances of players like McTominay and Ferguson showed how strong of an opponent Scotland can be.

[execijutiere]

Both matches played in Group B ended 1-1. Slovenia and Sweden had no chance of advancing from the group before their final matches, so it was essentially a meaningless formality, but the same cannot be said for the other match.
Kosovo failed to secure a victory against Switzerland and finished the group in second place. Neither team created many scoring opportunities during the match, and frankly, it was a rather dull encounter.

I was surprised to learn that Sweden still has a chance to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, as they are in the top 4 (according to some special rating system) in the Nations League, and they still have a chance to win a ticket. Therefore, this game was not important to them at all, even as a friendly (respect for their own fans was apparently also absent).
Denmark lost first place in their group to Scotland in dramatic fashion - it must have been a shame to lead the entire tournament and then miss out on a direct ticket in the final round.

I can't believe how Denmark actually lost the lead. They have a very good squad and, in my opinion, are even stronger than Scotland, but receiving a red card in this match must have ruined all their plans, as they struggled to be effective in front of goal from that moment on. In their first match at home against Scotland, perhaps because it was the group's opening game, they couldn't do much. In a match without a single goal, everything went Scotland's way. Even drawing 2-2 against Belarus was truly ridiculous. If they had won that match, a draw in this one would have been enough for them.

[hosemary]

Even drawing 2-2 against Belarus was truly ridiculous. If they had won that match, a draw in this one would have been enough for them.

A draw was still enough for Denmark to finish first in the group and qualify directly for the World Cup.
Before the last round, Denmark were in first place of Group C with 11 points and Scotland were in second place with 10 points.

[execijutiere]

In Group J, both matches saw over 6 goals scored. Both Belgium and Wales managed to score 7 goals against their opponents. Both teams advanced from the group after these victories. I already thought Belgium would definitely win, and it had to be a high-scoring game, which it was. What surprised me was that Wales managed to score 7 goals against their opponent. There usually aren't that many goals in Wales' matches, and Harry Wilson really had an incredible game. Wales didn't give their opponent a chance.

Wales won their last match against North macedonia 7 -1. On the other hand , Belgium won against liechtenstein 7- 0. Both of these are strong teams in Group J.

Belgium has not lost any of their 8  matches. They   have won 5 matches and drawn 3 matches. On the other hand, Wales has won 5 matches but lost 2. As a result , they are 2 points behind Belgium. But we have seen a lot of scores from both teams.
Belgium has qualified for the World cup. On the other hand, Wales has confirmed its qualification for the play-offs. Wales is a strong team. I believe we will see this team in the 2026 World Cup.

I believe Wales will defeat the team they face in the play-offs and qualify for the World Cup. The groups were genuinely balanced, and it was unclear until the final match which teams would top their groups and which would not. This kept the excitement of the tournament building, and the final matches were played yesterday. I honestly didn't expect Wales to score seven goals against North Macedonia. While I anticipated a more evenly matched contest, Wales practically bombarded their opponents with goals and comfortably secured victory, finishing the group in second place.

[Joca97]

Even drawing 2-2 against Belarus was truly ridiculous. If they had won that match, a draw in this one would have been enough for them.

A draw was still enough for Denmark to finish first in the group and qualify directly for the World Cup.
Before the last round, Denmark were in first place of Group C with 11 points and Scotland were in second place with 10 points.

I didnt expect that Scotland would win this match. Still they won 4-2 in the end scoring both goals in additional time to seal the world cup spot. I expected Denmark to pass this group easily but they couldnt even get a draw in this last match and they should be better on paper. But i think this is why we love football

[capokmerah]

I still cant believe what i just saw yesterday in some of the games in this qualifier, first of all the Scotland Denmark game was a total crazyness , i cant believe how Denmark let it go and im happe to see again Scotland in a world cup after so much time.

The other big hit was on Concacaf qualification, Costa Rica and Honduras maybe the two bigest teams on that quali are out, and Curazao is in the next worlc up being the most little country ever to take part.

The 2026 World Cup qualifiers were full of surprises that many, even analysts, hadn't anticipated. Scotland truly capitalized on the momentum of its golden generation, qualifying for the World Cup after a 28-year wait. Developing players like McTominay, Shankland, Tierney, and McLean could make a difference and lead their teammates in their quest to achieve their World Cup dreams.

The same goes for Norway. We weren't surprised by the performances of Haaland and Sorloth, but what about the others?

 It's worth waiting to see what their journey will be like at next year's World Cup.

[Loyang]

I still cant believe what i just saw yesterday in some of the games in this qualifier, first of all the Scotland Denmark game was a total crazyness , i cant believe how Denmark let it go and im happe to see again Scotland in a world cup after so much time.

The other big hit was on Concacaf qualification, Costa Rica and Honduras maybe the two bigest teams on that quali are out, and Curazao is in the next worlc up being the most little country ever to take part.

The result of the Scotland and Denmark match was really unexpected. Scotland scored 2 goals in the last 4 minutes which was really unexpected. I for one couldn't understand how Denmark's defense could play so badly. Because as soon as Scotland managed to get the ball inside Denmark's territory, they were very successful in attacking. The 2nd and 3rd goals were completely due to the weakness of Denmark's defense. Denmark was much ahead of Scotland but in the final stages, they conceded goals before they knew what was happening.