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

[martinom]

This is the same old story: FIFA (and UEFA too) is strong with the small federations and countries and weak with the strong teams. Even those that have achieved very little but their politicians have strong connections and power because, just to make an example, it doesn't make any sense to ban Russia while you allow Israel to play. As always the law is not the same for everyone, and well, FIFA is so corrupted that unfortunately is no surprise.

In fact, i don't understand why in Israel everything is allowed while for Russia no, both at the Olympics and at the World Cup it seems to me something absurd and unfair, Loi Sport does not know flags and wars and must unite all the peoples of the whole world

[Alpha Marine]

These teams seem absurd to me that there is only the possibility that these teams play the World Cup and Italy does not, it seems really absurd to me, obviously everyone has the possibility of qualifying, but it doesn't seem right given the history of some national teams and the popularity they have

Here we go again with this Italy not qualifying stuff. Nobody is entitled to a spot in the World Cup, except the host country. Even Brazil, with the most World Cups in history, won't go to the tournament if they don't qualify. You cant feel entitled to it. That's why every nation needs to remain on its toes and keep working hard if it wants to qualify.

Italy was in a group with Norway, Israel, Estonia and Moldova, yet they still couldn't top the table with all their "history and popularity". They couldn't beat Norway over two legs. They couldn't even get a draw. Should that be rewarded simply because they have won the tournament 4 times?
So what are we talking about? It's not like they were paired against top European sides like Spain and Germany in the qualifiers. The highest rated country in the group is Norway in 29th position.
The tournament is for different countries in the world, not the best footballing countries in the world or the countries with the most history.   
They have a play-off with Northern Ireland, so they still have a chance to qualify. They better win the two matches in the play offs if they want to be in the World Cup next year.

In the last World Cup, Italy were in a group with Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Bulgaria and Lithuania, yet they still couldn't top the group to qualify.

[Ale88]

This is the same old story: FIFA (and UEFA too) is strong with the small federations and countries and weak with the strong teams. Even those that have achieved very little but their politicians have strong connections and power because, just to make an example, it doesn't make any sense to ban Russia while you allow Israel to play. As always the law is not the same for everyone, and well, FIFA is so corrupted that unfortunately is no surprise.

In fact, i don't understand why in Israel everything is allowed while for Russia no, both at the Olympics and at the World Cup it seems to me something absurd and unfair, Loi Sport does not know flags and wars and must unite all the peoples of the whole world

Sport and politics always had a strong connection. There have always been political interferences and there will always be simply because it's easy to corrupt a person. We can talk about the Olympics during the nazism or the when Argentina hosted the 1978 FIFA World Cup while it was ruled by a military dictatorship, and lately we had Qatar with a ton of workers who died to build stadiums. Why does it happen? Because sport is the perfect propaganda to present a positive image of a country to the rest of the world. In those weeks everything looks perfect, clean and safe. There are too many interests.

[Lida93]

For me this is injustice, there should be another way out or an alternative for the Surimane team after such an unforeseen situation that happened to the federation, FIFA should have come up with a plan to aid the Surimane football federation by providing financial assistance to them in preparation for the upcoming World Cup since such funds are always made available to teams that often qualify for the World cup rather than considering stripping them of their qualification status.

Just let them play. FIFA simply can't ban teams as per their whims and fancies. Suriname played really hard and their players deserve a chance in the playoff against Bolivia. FIFA should not come up with some stupid excuse to disqualify them.

If FIFA decides to stick to it's plan to strip the Surimane football federation of her qualification status in forth coming world then I guess this would bring a very serious damage to the world football governing body that would go down history lane as one of the greatest controversy to have rocked the organisation in the 21st century, now if this were to stand then which country is FIFA going to replace the Surimane national team with because there has to be a replacement to balance the number of teams and that's where we are going to have another controversy.

[Alex077]

https://x.com/i/status/2001721367771910606

After watching this for some reason I feel like he is actually not that interested in winning the world cup. If he really wanted to do well or maybe actually win the world cup he was supposed to be locked in. Like nothing else matters in the world. But now he is doing movies? I mean even if it is just a cameo, it will still take a lot of preparation and obviously it is going to divert his mind to other things. Even in the latest Piers Morgan interview it feels like he is not 100% concentrated on winning the world cup. For me it just doesn't make sense.

[Fiatless]

If FIFA decides to stick to it's plan to strip the Surimane football federation of her qualification status in forth coming world then I guess this would bring a very serious damage to the world football governing body that would go down history lane as one of the greatest controversy to have rocked the organisation in the 21st century, now if this were to stand then which country is FIFA going to replace the Surimane national team with because there has to be a replacement to balance the number of teams and that's where we are going to have another controversy.

Suriname has not yet qualified for the World Cup.  They are supposed to play in the continental playoff with other participants like Jamaica, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bolivia, New Caledonia and Iraq. FIFA forbids external influence on the affairs of the national football association or body. If there are valid proofs that the Surinamese Football Federation election was rigged the country might lose its playoff slot. Another country from that continent might replace the country in the playoff.

[LUCKMCFLY]

Many fans will think twice before spending their money if ticket prices are too high, and it seems they would prefer to watch the World Cup from their own homes instead. I think FIFA may need to re-evaluate the ticket prices that have been set, because otherwise only middle to upper class fans will be able to afford watching matches live in the stadium. Expensive ticket prices will result in many empty seats at the 2026 World Cup matches.

Meanwhile, the restrictions imposed by the United States on several countries that are scheduled to participate in the 2026 World Cup will clearly be detrimental to certain national teams. It seems that FIFA still has a lot of homework to do. Time keeps moving, and there are only six months left to prepare everything more properly.

It's a shame because it shouldn't be like this. I understand that the USA is expensive, but they shouldn't charge such high prices for sports cars Regarding the restrictions in other countries, it's not fair because the fans of the teams will always be needed, and for a trip like this, you always need a lot of money.

[retreat]

-snip-

After watching this for some reason I feel like he is actually not that interested in winning the world cup. If he really wanted to do well or maybe actually win the world cup he was supposed to be locked in. Like nothing else matters in the world. But now he is doing movies? I mean even if it is just a cameo, it will still take a lot of preparation and obviously it is going to divert his mind to other things. Even in the latest Piers Morgan interview it feels like he is not 100% concentrated on winning the world cup. For me it just doesn't make sense.

When I first read the news, I thought it was fake news, but after doing some searching, it is true that Cristiano Ronaldo has a cameo in Fast X: Part 2. It's quite funny actually, because he is a professional footballer and is preparing for the 2026 World Cup, even though there is nothing stopping him from trying out the entertainment world, it still feels unusual and quite surprising that he accepted the offer. But he must have considered it carefully and made sure that his role in Fast X: Part 2 will not interfere with his performance on the field. You understand that sometimes a person can't be so focused on the World Cup, he also needs to relax, and maybe this acting world can be a way for him to refresh his mind and enjoy a different experience without negatively affecting his game.

[KTChampions]

https://x.com/i/status/2001721367771910606

After watching this for some reason I feel like he is actually not that interested in winning the world cup. If he really wanted to do well or maybe actually win the world cup he was supposed to be locked in. Like nothing else matters in the world. But now he is doing movies? I mean even if it is just a cameo, it will still take a lot of preparation and obviously it is going to divert his mind to other things. Even in the latest Piers Morgan interview it feels like he is not 100% concentrated on winning the world cup. For me it just doesn't make sense.

  Do you think he should concentrate and think only about the tournament (WC) six months before? I don't think it works that way. The Saudi Premier League is currently on hiatus, so Ronaldo has time to do some extra work. And I'm sure Ronaldo has planned his 2026 preparations to be at his peak for the World Cup. If you take any player now, they are more likely to think about national championships/Champions League than about the summer of 2026, in sports, there is no point in planning that far ahead.

[Alex077]

  Do you think he should concentrate and think only about the tournament (WC) six months before? I don't think it works that way. The Saudi Premier League is currently on hiatus, so Ronaldo has time to do some extra work. And I'm sure Ronaldo has planned his 2026 preparations to be at his peak for the World Cup. If you take any player now, they are more likely to think about national championships/Champions League than about the summer of 2026, in sports, there is no point in planning that far ahead.

Like it's not just a cameo, he seems to be very much imposed in this movie. And it is a movie from the fast and furious franchise. So usually the movie is going to be big with a very high budget. They even broke in Khabib Nurmagomedov. There is no way Cristiano Ronaldo is absolutely locked in for the world cup and still doing these movies on the side. Even a few months ago the world cup was the only thing for himself to change in his career. But I guess the big money from the fast and furious franchise made him change his mind.

[bastisisca]

Do you think he should concentrate and think only about the tournament (WC) six months before? I don't think it works that way. The Saudi Premier League is currently on hiatus, so Ronaldo has time to do some extra work. And I'm sure Ronaldo has planned his 2026 preparations to be at his peak for the World Cup. If you take any player now, they are more likely to think about national championships/Champions League than about the summer of 2026, in sports, there is no point in planning that far ahead.

He understood that his career was now heading towards the end and tried to find alternative solutions.
Even athletes like The Rock and Bautista, realizing that their careers were on the verge of collapse, dared to successfully throw themselves into acting.
They were very good and had the discipline of athletes.

[Daniel91]

These teams seem absurd to me that there is only the possibility that these teams play the World Cup and Italy does not, it seems really absurd to me, obviously everyone has the possibility of qualifying, but it doesn't seem right given the history of some national teams and the popularity they have

Here we go again with this Italy not qualifying stuff. Nobody is entitled to a spot in the World Cup, except the host country. Even Brazil, with the most World Cups in history, won't go to the tournament if they don't qualify. You cant feel entitled to it. That's why every nation needs to remain on its toes and keep working hard if it wants to qualify.

Italy was in a group with Norway, Israel, Estonia and Moldova, yet they still couldn't top the table with all their "history and popularity". They couldn't beat Norway over two legs. They couldn't even get a draw. Should that be rewarded simply because they have won the tournament 4 times?
So what are we talking about? It's not like they were paired against top European sides like Spain and Germany in the qualifiers. The highest rated country in the group is Norway in 29th position.
The tournament is for different countries in the world, not the best footballing countries in the world or the countries with the most history.   
They have a play-off with Northern Ireland, so they still have a chance to qualify. They better win the two matches in the play offs if they want to be in the World Cup next year.

In the last World Cup, Italy were in a group with Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Bulgaria and Lithuania, yet they still couldn't top the group to qualify.

This discussion reminds me of the Eurovision Song Contest, where some large and influential countries, like the UK, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and Spain, go directly to the final regardless of the quality of their songs and performances. 
Do some forum members really think the same should be done for football competitions? 
In that case, it would be best to abolish the qualifiers and let the FIFA office decide which national teams are 'eligible' to participate in the World Cup and which are not. 
It was precisely because of this kind of idea that the 'Super League' concept failed (a competition in which the richest clubs would have a guaranteed place regardless of the team's results), which was supposed to replace the Champions League in Europe, due to huge outrage from fans across Europe.

[SuperBitMan]

https://x.com/i/status/2001721367771910606

After watching this for some reason I feel like he is actually not that interested in winning the world cup. If he really wanted to do well or maybe actually win the world cup he was supposed to be locked in. Like nothing else matters in the world. But now he is doing movies? I mean even if it is just a cameo, it will still take a lot of preparation and obviously it is going to divert his mind to other things. Even in the latest Piers Morgan interview it feels like he is not 100% concentrated on winning the world cup. For me it just doesn't make sense.

Well for me I see nothing wrong in what his doing remember Cristiano Ronaldo has been playing football for a very long time and he has achieved a lot when it comes to football I believe before he's doing this he knows how already he is to play in the World Cup, locking yourself up and thinking about the world cup will not even help him win it, his already old and what Portugal needs in order to win the World Cup is a team work not from Cristiano Ronaldo alone.
One thing I want you to remember is that Ronaldo is a very hard working man and he can be acting this movie and also training very hard for the World Cup and again the world cup competition is still a little bit far and I believe he may finish acting his role this month they know already how busy he is.

[KTChampions]

Do you think he should concentrate and think only about the tournament (WC) six months before? I don't think it works that way. The Saudi Premier League is currently on hiatus, so Ronaldo has time to do some extra work. And I'm sure Ronaldo has planned his 2026 preparations to be at his peak for the World Cup. If you take any player now, they are more likely to think about national championships/Champions League than about the summer of 2026, in sports, there is no point in planning that far ahead.

He understood that his career was now heading towards the end and tried to find alternative solutions.
Even athletes like The Rock and Bautista, realizing that their careers were on the verge of collapse, dared to successfully throw themselves into acting.
They were very good and had the discipline of athletes.

I don't think this is a true career change for him, just a side hustle to maintain his popularity. He's already a billionaire, so I don't think a few tens of millions for a film will change anything for him. He's said that after retiring, he'd rather own a club than anything else, so one can only guess which club he's looking to buy. With his connections and his brand, he could easily raise the necessary funds to buy any expensive club. The main thing is that it is not United, which seems cursed, it is better not to touch it 

[Slow death]

This is the same old story: FIFA (and UEFA too) is strong with the small federations and countries and weak with the strong teams. Even those that have achieved very little but their politicians have strong connections and power because, just to make an example, it doesn't make any sense to ban Russia while you allow Israel to play. As always the law is not the same for everyone, and well, FIFA is so corrupted that unfortunately is no surprise.

In fact, i don't understand why in Israel everything is allowed while for Russia no, both at the Olympics and at the World Cup it seems to me something absurd and unfair, Loi Sport does not know flags and wars and must unite all the peoples of the whole world

The logic is very simple:

Israel = if it is never attacked by terrorists, they will never attack terrorists, and of course, when they do attack, they make mistakes and harm innocent people, which is condemnable.

Russia = it wasn't attacked, yet it invaded another country, which is condemnable and should be punished with a ban from all competitions. What Russia does is unacceptable. Football has always been about politics, yes, if it wasn't, then why don't they hold the World Cup in Russia, Venezuela, or Iran? Because everyone knows that those countries have dictatorships, and if they organized the World Cup there, many players wouldn't return alive if it were held in those countries.

[giorgione]

Like it's not just a cameo, he seems to be very much imposed in this movie. And it is a movie from the fast and furious franchise. So usually the movie is going to be big with a very high budget. They even broke in Khabib Nurmagomedov. There is no way Cristiano Ronaldo is absolutely locked in for the world cup and still doing these movies on the side. Even a few months ago the world cup was the only thing for himself to change in his career. But I guess the big money from the fast and furious franchise made him change his mind.

but in fact he will never be blocked for the world cup, it is the last chance he has to win it and I think he will give his all, he and obviously other champions will want to try, obviously this thing will have a different weight if it is Cristiano Rnaldo who does it

[8rch7]

In fact, i don't understand why in Israel everything is allowed while for Russia no, both at the Olympics and at the World Cup it seems to me something absurd and unfair, Loi Sport does not know flags and wars and must unite all the peoples of the whole world

I don't have any ideas when talking about Israel, easily for that national team for participating all event from UEFA until FIFA without get suspended how the regulation have suspend for Russia national team and their club domestic league not play in Euro, World Cup until Russia club can't play in Champion League or Europe League.
UEFA and FIFA easily manage by Israel but get luckiness for World Cup 2026 that national team not qualify, I am waiting the decision from UEFA and FIFA will banned Israel after war invasion to Palestine how Russia national easily banned by FIFA and UEFA just few days after announcing war invasion to Ukraine. Better Russia get back to participants because they have higher level performance if comparison with Israel national teams.

[Frankolala]

https://x.com/i/status/2001721367771910606

After watching this for some reason I feel like he is actually not that interested in winning the world cup. If he really wanted to do well or maybe actually win the world cup he was supposed to be locked in. Like nothing else matters in the world. But now he is doing movies? I mean even if it is just a cameo, it will still take a lot of preparation and obviously it is going to divert his mind to other things. Even in the latest Piers Morgan interview it feels like he is not 100% concentrated on winning the world cup. For me it just doesn't make sense.

Well for me I see nothing wrong in what his doing remember Cristiano Ronaldo has been playing football for a very long time and he has achieved a lot when it comes to football I believe before he's doing this he knows how already he is to play in the World Cup, locking yourself up and thinking about the world cup will not even help him win it, his already old and what Portugal needs in order to win the World Cup is a team work not from Cristiano Ronaldo alone.
One thing I want you to remember is that Ronaldo is a very hard working man and he can be acting this movie and also training very hard for the World Cup and again the world cup competition is still a little bit far and I believe he may finish acting his role this month they know already how busy he is.

Maybe, he's thinking of quitting football and start acting movies. It will be nice to watch this movie and see how his performance is as an artist. He might have acted the movie before now therefore, he is focused on the world cup currently, and not on movies actiing. Ronaldo isn't lucky enough to win the world cup because he cannot do it alone.

[Ale88]

This is the same old story: FIFA (and UEFA too) is strong with the small federations and countries and weak with the strong teams. Even those that have achieved very little but their politicians have strong connections and power because, just to make an example, it doesn't make any sense to ban Russia while you allow Israel to play. As always the law is not the same for everyone, and well, FIFA is so corrupted that unfortunately is no surprise.

In fact, i don't understand why in Israel everything is allowed while for Russia no, both at the Olympics and at the World Cup it seems to me something absurd and unfair, Loi Sport does not know flags and wars and must unite all the peoples of the whole world

The logic is very simple:

Israel = if it is never attacked by terrorists, they will never attack terrorists, and of course, when they do attack, they make mistakes and harm innocent people, which is condemnable.

You're trolling, aren't you?

[Lida93]

Do you think he should concentrate and think only about the tournament (WC) six months before? I don't think it works that way. The Saudi Premier League is currently on hiatus, so Ronaldo has time to do some extra work. And I'm sure Ronaldo has planned his 2026 preparations to be at his peak for the World Cup. If you take any player now, they are more likely to think about national championships/Champions League than about the summer of 2026, in sports, there is no point in planning that far ahead.

Being proactive with his club Al Nasr in the Saudi professional league is also a form of preparation for Ronaldo in anticipation for the forth coming world cup and I don't see any other way through which the Portuguese captain could prepare for the world cup than being relevant for his club by being fit and also consistent in scoring goals and giving more assist for the Saudi giants, the world cup is still far, so whilst we wait for it Ronaldo has to continue working hard till then.