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

[GiftedMAN]

 
https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1997109278646079701

I know that a lot of people want to see Neymar play in this world cup. But honestly and realistically I don't think it makes sense. Because he is a player who has been away from high level competition for a long time and for him the motivation is just not there anymore. If he was aiming for the world cup or at least playing in the world cup he would have made that clear and also played like that from at least 2 or 3 years ago. But for him to actually be in the Brazil world cup squad and do well in the competition is just the same as dreaming for a miracle to happen. And I also want to clarify that just because Neymar was able to show some good performance or get a few hat tricks with Santos does not mean he is ready for the world cup at this age.

Just like Lionel Messi is important to the Argentine fans and Cristiano Ronaldo is important to the Portuguese fans, Neymar Jr is Brazil fans' star player and that's why they're seriously calling for his inclusion in the national team's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That said, they must allow Carlo Ancelotti to make his decisions without any form of influence. I don't think the Brazilian fans are more interested in seeing Neymar play in next summer's World Cup than the Italian manager but the truth is he'll definitely make his final selection based on merit and not just about name or personality. The most important aim of every nation playing in the competition next year is to win the most coveted trophy in football history, not about who's included in the team or not.

[indah rezqi]

Just like Lionel Messi is important to the Argentine fans and Cristiano Ronaldo is important to the Portuguese fans, Neymar Jr is Brazil fans' star player and that's why they're seriously calling for his inclusion in the national team's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That said, they must allow Carlo Ancelotti to make his decisions without any form of influence. I don't think the Brazilian fans are more interested in seeing Neymar play in next summer's World Cup than the Italian manager but the truth is he'll definitely make his final selection based on merit and not just about name or personality. The most important aim of every nation playing in the competition next year is to win the most coveted trophy in football history, not about who's included in the team or not.

That’s true, Ancelotti will certainly try to make wise and fair decisions when selecting Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup. Regardless of the type of players he prefers, Ancelotti will surely consider each player’s current performance as the basis for calling them up. It’s undeniable that many fans are hoping Neymar will get his last chance to play in a World Cup, and personally I think that if Neymar is fully fit, Ancelotti will call him.

[mikel_012]

Argentina gets a cakewalk. They're the luckiest strong team after all by getting easy opponents during the draw. The good thing is that there is a chance for Argentina to meet Portugal in the quarter, which i hope it will be coming true. However, it seems total group feels diluted, and we're not seeing the group of death anymore.

No group of death is very good. You can have harder groups like Brazil with Marrocos which is a hard game, and easier groups like Argentina with no hard opponent.

But everything is more balanced which makes the later games more fun since you don't eliminate the good teams all at once with few survivors.

If he hadn't got injured, we could have witnessed better and more incredible moments.

Not only injured but if he had more focus on the treatment without too much partying and girls. He has a big issue with this and he is always in the news about being with girls even after he got a long term wife.

[Sithara007]

Argentina gets a cakewalk. They're the luckiest strong team after all by getting easy opponents during the draw. The good thing is that there is a chance for Argentina to meet Portugal in the quarter, which i hope it will be coming true. However, it seems total group feels diluted, and we're not seeing the group of death anymore.

No group of death is very good. You can have harder groups like Brazil with Marrocos which is a hard game, and easier groups like Argentina with no hard opponent.

But everything is more balanced which makes the later games more fun since you don't eliminate the good teams all at once with few survivors.

If he hadn't got injured, we could have witnessed better and more incredible moments.

Not only injured but if he had more focus on the treatment without too much partying and girls. He has a big issue with this and he is always in the news about being with girls even after he got a long term wife.

Along with Morocco, Brazil also need to face Scotland (who are quite famous for upsetting top ranked teams). BTW, the easiest group has to be Group G. Apart from Belgium, they have New Zealand, Egypt and Iran. Belgium is not in good form, and the other teams are relatively weak. Group H is just the opposite. It has Spain and Uruguay at the top, with Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde for company. Apart from Cape Verde, the other three teams are strong. France is also placed in a tough group along with Norway and Senegal. It will be difficult to follow all the matches, as for some days they have 4 group stage matches each.

[el kaka22]

The groups are mostly known, USA is not getting that much of a tough group, which is good for the host nation, while also Canada and Mexico will play but I doubt that would be a big deal, I think USA will be the main theme for this one, most will watch games there instead.

So, for them having weak group is important, they will play against Paraguay, Australia and a team from playoffs in qualifiers so a weak team for sure. That means they can definitely go up the group stage and depending on their luck, go far.

[slapper]

 
https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1997109278646079701

I know that a lot of people want to see Neymar play in this world cup. But honestly and realistically I don't think it makes sense. Because he is a player who has been away from high level competition for a long time and for him the motivation is just not there anymore. If he was aiming for the world cup or at least playing in the world cup he would have made that clear and also played like that from at least 2 or 3 years ago. But for him to actually be in the Brazil world cup squad and do well in the competition is just the same as dreaming for a miracle to happen. And I also want to clarify that just because Neymar was able to show some good performance or get a few hat tricks with Santos does not mean he is ready for the world cup at this age.

Gonna disagree here. Not because Neymar's physically ready (he's not), but because you're missing the point of why this is even a conversation. He simply played 83 minutes on a knee that required surgery to save Santos from being relegated. That's a guy who still cares but still cares about the wrong things. The World Cup's obviously still haunting him though, otherwise why even consider going under the knife in December?

The real issue is that Brazil has no Plan B. Vinicius vanishes in national team. Paqueta's a workhorse but can't crack defenses. Rodrygo's inconsistent. Meanwhile, Neymar's still creating chances at a 99th percentile rate and hobbling around doing it. His body a broken but his brain is still working.

So what if he's a 30 minute weapon against weary defenses? Have him on at 60' when the Scottish sitting deep and all legs heavy. Suddenly his pace is not relevant and his vision is deadly.

[Not your key not your BTC]

The groups are mostly known, USA is not getting that much of a tough group, which is good for the host nation, while also Canada and Mexico will play but I doubt that would be a big deal, I think USA will be the main theme for this one, most will watch games there instead.

So, for them having weak group is important, they will play against Paraguay, Australia and a team from playoffs in qualifiers so a weak team for sure. That means they can definitely go up the group stage and depending on their luck, go far.

The US is in a strong group, as Paraguay and Australia are both strong teams, especially Australia, which has consistently advanced past the group stage in several World Cup editions. Furthermore, the US shouldn't underestimate Paraguay's strength. Therefore, the US must work hard in the upcoming World Cup, especially as the host nation, which will undoubtedly want to advance as far as possible.

[KTChampions]

Exactly as planned.
Thanks to this crap, all previous records will vanish, if not at this World Cup, then at the next one. Judging by his effectiveness in national team games, Haaland could break Klose's record right in the group stage   It's a sad state of affairs. It might be interesting when games end 7-1, 6-0, and so on, but that has nothing to do with the best-of-the-best competition that the World Cup should be.

Similar thoughts. For me World Cup used to be event where I tried to watch all games, no matter who is playing. But now with 48 teams I don't feel any excitement. I'm not going to get up at 5 AM to watch game like Scotland - Haiti. I'm looking at all groups and there is nothing what can be called as group of death - with more teams such things is just impossible.
When playoffs will begin, things will become exciting and interesting again, but whole group stage looks so meh. I still hhave little hope that one day FIFA will return to old  format with 32 teams...

EDIT
I also forgot that games can be stopped or postponed at any moments because of some thunder, what makes things even worse.

You unlocked that memory for me! I'd forgotten it happened because I haven't followed any tournament so closely in a long time, but your remark brought it back. And I also remembered that at work I have a colleague who takes time off from work during the World Cup to try to see all the games. He'll likely do the same next year, but he's unlikely to watch every game.
Extending games for three or more hours is utter nonsense - that's not football. Such force majeure events should happen once a year or less. If a tournament is held in a place where many games are suspended or postponed, then the tournament simply shouldn't held there.

[MArsland]

That’s true, Ancelotti will certainly try to make wise and fair decisions when selecting Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup. Regardless of the type of players he prefers, Ancelotti will surely consider each player’s current performance as the basis for calling them up. It’s undeniable that many fans are hoping Neymar will get his last chance to play in a World Cup, and personally I think that if Neymar is fully fit, Ancelotti will call him.

The bottom line is that what Ancelotti needs for Brazil is a stable squad, if it is full of star players it does not necessarily guarantee stability. We've seen Brazil's performances in a few matches and it's not very promising. There is still a lot of ego from each player. If Brazil want to make the most of the World Cup, then the solution is to ensure that their squad is filled as needed, not filled with stars who cannot work as a team.

Neymar is a quality player, but that was a few years ago, now he is unreliable due to his injury proneness. If Brazil is in a precarious state facing important matches, then trying to rely on an injury-prone Neymar would mess things up, wouldn't it?

[Sarah Azhari]

That’s true, Ancelotti will certainly try to make wise and fair decisions when selecting Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup. Regardless of the type of players he prefers, Ancelotti will surely consider each player’s current performance as the basis for calling them up. It’s undeniable that many fans are hoping Neymar will get his last chance to play in a World Cup, and personally I think that if Neymar is fully fit, Ancelotti will call him.

The bottom line is that what Ancelotti needs for Brazil is a stable squad, if it is full of star players it does not necessarily guarantee stability. We've seen Brazil's performances in a few matches and it's not very promising. There is still a lot of ego from each player. If Brazil want to make the most of the World Cup, then the solution is to ensure that their squad is filled as needed, not filled with stars who cannot work as a team.

Neymar is a quality player, but that was a few years ago, now he is unreliable due to his injury proneness. If Brazil is in a precarious state facing important matches, then trying to rely on an injury-prone Neymar would mess things up, wouldn't it?

For Ancelotti, team stability must be a top priority, not a big-name player, in order to maximize their chances at the World Cup. Neymar may be a big name, but with his injury-prone physical condition, it wouldn't be surprising if he wasn't called up to the national team. Ancelotti would make the most logical decision to maintain Brazil's stability, as what Brazil needs right now isn't just one big name, but a strong collective and a squad truly ready to perform at the highest level. So, in a competition as tough as the World Cup, relying on a single injury-prone player could backfire.

[VashaUdacha777]

Hi guys ) 

I totally agree with the forum members about the World Cup group stage. If two-thirds of the teams that finish third in their groups still make it to the playoffs, then what’s the point of having a group stage at all? Just so FIFA can make as much money as possible? Curaçao, Haiti, Panama — those games are pretty boring. The population of Curaçao is three times smaller than my city. And my city isn’t even a capital, just a regular provincial town. I feel like FIFA has gone too far with this. A money chase, greed, stinginess — or what do you think?

[Lucius]

~snip~
Also, its hard not to notice how all host countries got very easy groups. It must have been just pure luck and nothing else.

Nothing strange, the home team is always favored in every possible way and it will probably be the same when it comes to the referees. This whole draw is practically a setup and directing the teams into certain groups and also ensuring that the richest teams cannot meet in the early stages of the competition.

It is said that this championship Portugal will have a special status in the effort to have Ronaldo lift the cup - and considering that the same was said about Argentina at the last world championship, nobody should be surprised if Portugal becomes the world champion. I can already see DT stealing the show and trying to take the trophy from Ronaldo

[Rikafip]

I'm thinking about Italy of course, the playoff is more difficult than the World Cup group

Yep, if you manage to qualify for WC, you shouldn't have any issues qualifying to the next round, and probably neither rest of the teams in the playoffs. Which just tells you how hard it is to qualify for WC from Europe.

Nothing strange, the home team is always favored in every possible way and it will probably be the same when it comes to the referees.

Since imho none of the teams are strong enough to go deep into WC (except maybe Mexico), I don't expect referees to be able to help them too much.

It is said that this championship Portugal will have a special status in the effort to have Ronaldo lift the cup

Tbh, first time hearing this. But its no impossible, as seen at the previous WC. 6 penalties in 7 matches, no something you see often at the WC. 

[Creeper0]

For Ancelotti, team stability must be a top priority, not a big-name player, in order to maximize their chances at the World Cup. Neymar may be a big name, but with his injury-prone physical condition, it wouldn't be surprising if he wasn't called up to the national team. Ancelotti would make the most logical decision to maintain Brazil's stability, as what Brazil needs right now isn't just one big name, but a strong collective and a squad truly ready to perform at the highest level. So, in a competition as tough as the World Cup, relying on a single injury-prone player could backfire.

I don't see any player in Brazil who can do well in the World Cup, I don't see anyone other than Neymar. But his injury-prone nature has ruined his career, otherwise his career statistics would have been much better. The World Cup is a tournament where it is very difficult to win knockout matches and the matches are very stressful. In the last World Cup, we saw that no one from Brazil can perform well under pressure except Neymar. You are right that to win a title you don't need a big name, you need a team. Currently, Brazil has a problem with good teams, even though Brazilian players play well at club level, their names are not seen in the national team. The national team statistics of Vinicius Junior, Rafinha and Rodrygo are not very big.

[Nahl]

I wouldn't underestimate Brazil opponents in the group stage but i can says they are in the easy group because on the paper Brazil should be able to beat the opponents such as Morocco and Haiti but they should beware of Scotland because on qualofication stage Scotland have showing fantastic performance and directly went to world cup 2026 but regardless the squad condition which still required a lot of improvement i am confident under Ancelotti Brazil will be much better for the current world cup

[₿itcoin]

𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: There will be a World Cup final HALF-TIME show just like the Super-Bowl. 🎶
An absolutely DISGUSTING development.

Source: Footballtweet

If this is true, then I think it will all become a PR stunt in this World Cup. And I am pretty sure that this wouldn't have happened if the World Cup were not in America. I don't understand why FIFA is so much interested in money that they are willing to ignore the growth of football or actual places where people actually love football. And I really do not think that it was a good idea to have the World Cup in a country which doesn't even actually call football “football”. I mean, why are we having the World Cup in a country where they call a game ‘football’ in which they catch the ball with their hand and run,,, LOL..

[imamusma]

𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: There will be a World Cup final HALF-TIME show just like the Super-Bowl. 🎶
An absolutely DISGUSTING development.

Source: Footballtweet

If this is true, then I think it will all become a PR stunt in this World Cup. And I am pretty sure that this wouldn't have happened if the World Cup were not in America. I don't understand why FIFA is so much interested in money that they are willing to ignore the growth of football or actual places where people actually love football. And I really do not think that it was a good idea to have the World Cup in a country which doesn't even actually call football “football”. I mean, why are we having the World Cup in a country where they call a game ‘football’ in which they catch the ball with their hand and run,,, LOL..

It’s undeniable that FIFA is very much driven by money. The purpose of the half-time show might be to attract more viewers, but it clearly strays too far from what the World Cup tradition really is. I think in the future, FIFA will spring more surprises. I just hope the 2026 World Cup is successful and remains entertaining, even though the format has changed.

[Slow death]

𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: There will be a World Cup final HALF-TIME show just like the Super-Bowl. 🎶
An absolutely DISGUSTING development.

Source: Footballtweet

If this is true, then I think it will all become a PR stunt in this World Cup. And I am pretty sure that this wouldn't have happened if the World Cup were not in America. I don't understand why FIFA is so much interested in money that they are willing to ignore the growth of football or actual places where people actually love football. And I really do not think that it was a good idea to have the World Cup in a country which doesn't even actually call football “football”. I mean, why are we having the World Cup in a country where they call a game ‘football’ in which they catch the ball with their hand and run,,, LOL..

It’s undeniable that FIFA is very much driven by money. The purpose of the half-time show might be to attract more viewers, but it clearly strays too far from what the World Cup tradition really is. I think in the future, FIFA will spring more surprises. I just hope the 2026 World Cup is successful and remains entertaining, even though the format has changed.

The reality is that the FIFA president is unable to assert himself against the US president, so he is giving in to everything. I'm not surprised by this decision and I won't be surprised by other decisions to come, because it's very clear that the US president will impose things and the FIFA president will give in. Since the games will be in the US, which is a very powerful country, FIFA will give in. This is a consequence of having a president who forces everyone to do what he wants and who sometimes goes too far.

[Daniel91]

Looking at the draws for the group stages of the world cup holding up next year, I can say some groups are pretty easy for some countries while some are hard. Group L is one group I fin highly difficult, England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama will face off with the last one the real underdogs.  Argentina and Portugal should be able to easily top their group. Cape Verde found themselves in a difficult one because they are between Spain and Uruguay which will be very difficult. I really can't wait for June.

I agree with you. England already has a lot of very bad experiences with Croatia, which knocked them out of EURO 2008 and in the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and Ghana is one of the best African teams. At the last World Cup, Morocco finished in fourth place, so African teams are very tough opponents. Argentina and Portugal are certainly favorites, but surprises are always possible. The group stage, due to the new rules that even third-placed teams in the group can advance, will certainly be passed by all the favorites, and then the real competition begins, the knockout stage.

[Spaceman1000$]

  
https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1997109278646079701

I know that a lot of people want to see Neymar play in this world cup. But honestly and realistically I don't think it makes sense. Because he is a player who has been away from high level competition for a long time and for him the motivation is just not there anymore. If he was aiming for the world cup or at least playing in the world cup he would have made that clear and also played like that from at least 2 or 3 years ago. But for him to actually be in the Brazil world cup squad and do well in the competition is just the same as dreaming for a miracle to happen. And I also want to clarify that just because Neymar was able to show some good performance or get a few hat tricks with Santos does not mean he is ready for the world cup at this age.

Just like Lionel Messi is important to the Argentine fans and Cristiano Ronaldo is important to the Portuguese fans, Neymar Jr is Brazil fans' star player and that's why they're seriously calling for his inclusion in the national team's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That said, they must allow Carlo Ancelotti to make his decisions without any form of influence. I don't think the Brazilian fans are more interested in seeing Neymar play in next summer's World Cup than the Italian manager but the truth is he'll definitely make his final selection based on merit and not just about name or personality. The most important aim of every nation playing in the competition next year is to win the most coveted trophy in football history, not about who's included in the team or not.

Although there is an "if" statement which is a conditional statement in Carlos ancelottis remark, but from all indications if you read in between the lines, there is a likelihood that Neymar will definitely go to the World cup come June next year. He Said "if he's well, if he's better or same as every other player, he will play the World cup". So the only thing stopping Neymar from not going to the world cup from  the statement of ancelotti is the fact that, if he's not fit or injured or nothing bad happens to him between now till the period of the World cup then he will go else he will not go.