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

[martinom]

For Italy, the equation is very simple. They need to win two more matches, and if they can then they are in the world cup. They failed to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 editions, and it will be a great tragedy if the fate repeats in 2026. In around three months time, they will play against Northern Ireland. If they win this game, then they will take on the winners from Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina match. For me, it looks straight forward. The other three teams are weaker than Italy, at least on paper. But you never know. One upset is all it takes.

Winning two more matches seems very difficult for Italy given the situation of the players.
We are very strong in defense and quite good in midfield.
In goal we have one of the strongest goalkeepers in the world.

But in attack? We're in bad shape, we don't have any good attackers.

[RaltcoinsB]

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

When politics dominates the world of football, we see FIFA's unfairness in banning a country on the grounds of conflict. FIFA banned Russia because of the conflict in their country, but Israel was left unpunished, even though, compared to what happened in Russia, Israel's actions were even more brutal. As long as Gianni Infantino is FIFA president, don't expect Israel to be banned, as he has interests with Israel and the United States.

Actually, it's not logical to discuss FIFA's decisions here because this is a gambling discussion forum, these kinds of dialogues get political. However, considering they banned Russia, there are thousands of people expecting the same move for Israel. Of course, the final decision rests with FIFA.

Regarding the World Cup, the playoffs are in March, and the teams going from Europe will be determined. As Turkey, we want to go to the World Cup for the first time since 2002. The last tournament we went to was the 2002 World Cup, where we finished third. 23 years have passed, and many of our players didn't see that tournament because they weren't even born. Right now, we have a squad made up of young and talented players. We have players like Kenan Yıldız, Arda Güler, Can Uzun, our goalkeeper Berke, Merih Demiral, Yusuf Akçiçek, and Deniz Gül. Most of these players are in form, and we drew 2-2 with Spain in Spain. Led by Hakan Çalhanoğlu, we can be a team that leaves its mark on this World Cup. I hope that as Turkey, we will participate in this tournament and experience the excitement.

[mv1986]

When politics dominates the world of football, we see FIFA's unfairness in banning a country on the grounds of conflict. FIFA banned Russia because of the conflict in their country, but Israel was left unpunished, even though, compared to what happened in Russia, Israel's actions were even more brutal. As long as Gianni Infantino is FIFA president, don't expect Israel to be banned, as he has interests with Israel and the United States.

It's very true what you say, and I also think that this is due to the fact that when there are political interests everything is ruined, to think that once wars were paused for the Olympics, and now in 2025 it seems absurd to me that this thing continues like this

Then some of you are quite delusional... Tell me about a time when politics and football have been two separate things. It never was, very much like the Olympics. These events are weaponized in many different ways. The travel bans are of course a problem, but I doubt that Trump would cause a lot of harm here when in fact he recently received the so called "peace prize" from Infantino I guess this is more to make some noise for now, but they won't be at a disadvantage eventually.

[dollyamo]

It is no longer that simple. Nowadays, a lot of countries are backing out from hosting major sports events. The population is against spending such huge amounts on sporting extravaganzas, especially in Europe. Only the oil rich GCC nations, and a few others such as the United States have the capability to do so. Saudi Arabia will be hosting the event in 2034 (after Qatar's turn in 2022). And from what I have heard, there was hardly any competition to host the 2034 edition. If things go like this, then FIFA would face difficulty in finding enough hosts for the future editions of the World Cup.

I think that there is always a kind of prestige on the part of the host nations, this is certainly a source of pride and can bring a lot of economic advantages there, certainly you have to be very careful about security and prevent these kinds of problems but i think that Mexico and the USA are ready

[Volgastallion]

It is no longer that simple. Nowadays, a lot of countries are backing out from hosting major sports events. The population is against spending such huge amounts on sporting extravaganzas, especially in Europe. Only the oil rich GCC nations, and a few others such as the United States have the capability to do so. Saudi Arabia will be hosting the event in 2034 (after Qatar's turn in 2022). And from what I have heard, there was hardly any competition to host the 2034 edition. If things go like this, then FIFA would face difficulty in finding enough hosts for the future editions of the World Cup.

I think that there is always a kind of prestige on the part of the host nations, this is certainly a source of pride and can bring a lot of economic advantages there, certainly you have to be very careful about security and prevent these kinds of problems but i think that Mexico and the USA are ready

Yes left audience and press push a lot of time that narrative which is 50% true, in one hand is right some countries spend a lot of money for nothing but in the case of big and well manage countries they didnt spend so much and they recover it by the huge influx of money and people of this event, plus most of the infrastructure is well used after the tournament.

[Mandoy]

When politics dominates the world of football, we see FIFA's unfairness in banning a country on the grounds of conflict. FIFA banned Russia because of the conflict in their country, but Israel was left unpunished, even though, compared to what happened in Russia, Israel's actions were even more brutal. As long as Gianni Infantino is FIFA president, don't expect Israel to be banned, as he has interests with Israel and the United States.

It's very true what you say, and I also think that this is due to the fact that when there are political interests everything is ruined, to think that once wars were paused for the Olympics, and now in 2025 it seems absurd to me that this thing continues like this

Then some of you are quite delusional... Tell me about a time when politics and football have been two separate things. It never was, very much like the Olympics. These events are weaponized in many different ways. The travel bans are of course a problem, but I doubt that Trump would cause a lot of harm here when in fact he recently received the so called "peace prize" from Infantino I guess this is more to make some noise for now, but they won't be at a disadvantage eventually.

There is no distinct world of politics and football, and major tournaments never lacked any reference to the world relations of power. Decisions by FIFA tend to bring out the best of two sides particularly when cases are ruled differently, depending on political affiliations. Although travel bans and political pressure are justifiable issues in the future of the 2026 world cup, the history of FIFA indicates that it will give more concern to the commercial and organizational stability. Noise that we currently hear can be reduced as the tournament draws closer, and the affected teams would hardly experience actual competitive disadvantages.

[Merit.s]

There is no distinct world of politics and football, and major tournaments never lacked any reference to the world relations of power. Decisions by FIFA tend to bring out the best of two sides particularly when cases are ruled differently, depending on political affiliations. Although travel bans and political pressure are justifiable issues in the future of the 2026 world cup, the history of FIFA indicates that it will give more concern to the commercial and organizational stability. Noise that we currently hear can be reduced as the tournament draws closer, and the affected teams would hardly experience actual competitive disadvantages.

If Politics is not affecting football why is Russia not given the chance to play in next year world cup. In my country due to the corrupt political system, it has affected every ministry in the country.

In fact, my country football body NFF brings in politics to football and that has killed the performance of the players a lot international competitions. Politics is part of human nature, therefore, in football it's not exceptional.

[retreat]

For Italy, the equation is very simple. They need to win two more matches, and if they can then they are in the world cup. They failed to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 editions, and it will be a great tragedy if the fate repeats in 2026. In around three months time, they will play against Northern Ireland. If they win this game, then they will take on the winners from Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina match. For me, it looks straight forward. The other three teams are weaker than Italy, at least on paper. But you never know. One upset is all it takes.

This will be a very tough round for Italy as they will face two important matches: against Northern Ireland and against the winner of the match between Wales and Bosnia-Herzegovina. In the first match, Italy has a slight advantage because they will be playing at home, but it will not be an easy match because Northern Ireland also finished runners-up, so their desire to win is also very high. Therefore, Italy needs to ensure that they play with more confidence and not be burdened by their failure to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Hopefully Gattuso has the best strategy to be able to make the Italian national team qualify for this World Cup, because if not, this will be a painful blow for them.

[Ale88]

I completely agree with you, everything should be based on sports results on the field and not on past merits. 
I also remember the great Italian teams that were world champions in 1982 and 2006, but that is long ago. 
The Italian national team did not qualify for the last 2 World Cups, and that was a completely deserved failure. 
I hope they succeed this time, but I want it to be decided by the play on the field and not by some external factors.

For Italy, the equation is very simple. They need to win two more matches, and if they can then they are in the world cup. They failed to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 editions, and it will be a great tragedy if the fate repeats in 2026. In around three months time, they will play against Northern Ireland. If they win this game, then they will take on the winners from Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina match. For me, it looks straight forward. The other three teams are weaker than Italy, at least on paper. But you never know. One upset is all it takes.

I am confident that this time we can actually make it. The past playoffs where a mix a bad performances but also a lot of bad luck because back in 2018 Sweden probably shot twice in 180 minutes and they scored one goal. Italy hit a couple of posts and the goalkeeper did some great saves. It's one of those matches that no matter how hard you try, to ball won't go in. It happens, it's football. But I also felt the group's chemistry wasn't there, I didn't like many of the players. This time the group is united, they are actually fighting. Let's see.

[Alpha Marine]

It is no longer that simple. Nowadays, a lot of countries are backing out from hosting major sports events. The population is against spending such huge amounts on sporting extravaganzas, especially in Europe. Only the oil rich GCC nations, and a few others such as the United States have the capability to do so. Saudi Arabia will be hosting the event in 2034 (after Qatar's turn in 2022). And from what I have heard, there was hardly any competition to host the 2034 edition.

This is not entirely true. Countries still want to host the World Cup. It is expensive, so it's something that requires planning. The hosting of the World Cup is done by a Continental Rotation Policy. This way, every World Cup is given to a particular region and the 2034 World Cup was given to Asia and Oceania.
Also, don't forget that from 2022 to 2034 is 12 years. Meaning two World Cups will pass before it gets to Asia again. It's not like they are just hosting it right after Qatar. North America would host next year, Europe and Africa (Spain, Portugal and Morocco) would host the next one, before Saudi Arabia.

If things go like this, then FIFA would face difficulty in finding enough hosts for the future editions of the World Cup.

I doubt it. There are always countries ready to host the World Cup; besides, FIFA supports a lot. The main things a country focuses on are infrastructure, and those are things that also benefit the citizens of the hosting countries.
Also, with this new trend of two or three neighbouring countries hosting the tournament, it's no longer as expensive as it used to be. The cost can be shared among three countries.

[sana54210]

But you people realised that Russia hosted the World Cup in 2018, right? And they were awarded as far back as 2010. So the "Western-controlled FIFA" narrative is not very accurate. China was at the forefront of hosting the 2030 World Cup during the bidding in 2019, but due to COVID, they backed out. Of course, I know that there is a lot of politics and corruption involved, but I feel you guys are overemphasising it.

As far back as 2018 or 2019, the host of the 2026 World Cup was confirmed. Four countries made a bid to host the World Cup: Canada, the US, Mexico and Morocco. The US, Canada and Morocco later came together and submitted as one bid. So it's not like so much politics was made so that Morocco doesn't host. In fact, Morocco will be one of three countries to host the World Cup in 2030.

All 211 FIFA member countries vote for the host of every World Cup, and the winner needs to have at least 50% of the votes. As I said, there is politics involved, and wherever there is politics, there is corruption, but you guys are overemphasising the level of corruption involved.

It is 100% guaranteed that there is corruption in FIFA, there is no doubt about it. Biggest example was Qatar, not because of democracy or dictators or anything like that, but because it wasn't a good world cup and had to be done middle of the winter just to appease the money lords they have.

When you bribe them that much, there is no way that you are going to lose. Russia, politically may not be liked, but at least has a football world and does good in the UEFA competitions time to time as well, not great, but they are fine. So it's clear that we may not like political decisions, but believe me, if you decide to shell out money, FIFA would be okay with anything and would accept you anywhere, doesn't matter if you are USA, or Russia or China or Saudi, it is not about who you are or your politics, it is about paying them.

[3meek]

I completely agree with you, everything should be based on sports results on the field and not on past merits. 
I also remember the great Italian teams that were world champions in 1982 and 2006, but that is long ago. 
The Italian national team did not qualify for the last 2 World Cups, and that was a completely deserved failure. 
I hope they succeed this time, but I want it to be decided by the play on the field and not by some external factors.

For Italy, the equation is very simple. They need to win two more matches, and if they can then they are in the world cup. They failed to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 editions, and it will be a great tragedy if the fate repeats in 2026. In around three months time, they will play against Northern Ireland. If they win this game, then they will take on the winners from Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina match. For me, it looks straight forward. The other three teams are weaker than Italy, at least on paper. But you never know. One upset is all it takes.

I am confident that this time we can actually make it. The past playoffs where a mix a bad performances but also a lot of bad luck because back in 2018 Sweden probably shot twice in 180 minutes and they scored one goal. Italy hit a couple of posts and the goalkeeper did some great saves. It's one of those matches that no matter how hard you try, to ball won't go in. It happens, it's football. But I also felt the group's chemistry wasn't there, I didn't like many of the players. This time the group is united, they are actually fighting. Let's see.

I remember how Italy lost their chance to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar after losing to North Macedonia in the play-off match... It was very disappointing for all the fans, but now the team is in much better shape and I am sure they can beat Northern Ireland and then Wales or Bosnia... However, I don't think Italy will be able to achieve much at the next World Cup...

[Sithara007]

Winning two more matches seems very difficult for Italy given the situation of the players.
We are very strong in defense and quite good in midfield.
In goal we have one of the strongest goalkeepers in the world.

But in attack? We're in bad shape, we don't have any good attackers.

Italy doesn't need the perfect team to defeat someone like Northern Ireland. This is what I was hinting in my previous post. Northern Ireland only managed to qualify for the second round through the Nations League route. They finished at the third place (out of a total of 4 teams) in Group A, behind Germany and Slovakia. BTW, the fourth team in the group was Luxembourg. Now compared to this, Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina may sound like stronger teams. But Wales no longer has Gareth Bale, and Edin Džeko of Bosnia-Herzegovina is now close to 40 years old.

[Die_empty]

Rules are rules and nothing can be done regarding this. One positive aspect is that Senegal has a sizable diaspora in the United States, numbering more than twenty thousand. I would expect lots of Senegalese Americans to attend their matches. That said, I have a feeling that media is making mountain out of a molehill. Trump maybe targeting applicants for immigrant visas from these countries. I don't think that properly vetted football fans will be denied visas to attend the world cup matches. And it is not just Senegal. Other countries such as Republic of the Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Haiti, Tanzania and Zambia.

How many of these Senegalese in the US can afford to buy the World Cup tickets to go and to support their home country?  Transportation,  hotel bills, and other logistics might make that trip unaffordable. But the formal national team fans are sponsored by the government. They are professionals who come with different music and instruments to support their team. Individuals cannot give the same quality of support that these formal fans will give.

National interest succeeds the World Cup. So, if the Trump travel ban is for the security and progress of the US, nobody or organisation has the right to oppose it. But there could be a waiver for these fans and adequate security checks should be done on each fan.

[Hewlet]

It is no longer that simple. Nowadays, a lot of countries are backing out from hosting major sports events. The population is against spending such huge amounts on sporting extravaganzas, especially in Europe. Only the oil rich GCC nations, and a few others such as the United States have the capability to do so. Saudi Arabia will be hosting the event in 2034 (after Qatar's turn in 2022). And from what I have heard, there was hardly any competition to host the 2034 edition. If things go like this, then FIFA would face difficulty in finding enough hosts for the future editions of the World Cup.

I think that there is always a kind of prestige on the part of the host nations, this is certainly a source of pride and can bring a lot of economic advantages there, certainly you have to be very careful about security and prevent these kinds of problems but i think that Mexico and the USA are ready

No nation is void of security uncertainty. Most times, what is being factor into is the overall capacity of a nation to host the world cup in terms of financialial viability, security and maybe the strength of the country in terms of availability of infrastructures and good stadiums with close proximity which are literally the basic things that determines the readiness and ability of a nation to hosting the world cup. Because most nations don't have all these things figured out, that's the reason why there's a joint effort by multiple nations such that the burden is being distributed and it doesn't affect a single nation too much.

[pewboy]

I think that unfortunately there will be just this difficulty and it is normal given the distance and the average amount of money that people earn per month in those places, it seems to me a very expensive trip for some populations who unfortunately will never be able to attend a game of their national football team

Yes, i think so too, it's a very difficult thing for some people. i think that in countries where in certain areas there is a serious health and economic emergency, i think the last thing to do is go and watch a football match so far from home. They have so few, almost no, opportunities that i see it as impossible.

[Pulsar77]

I remember how Italy lost their chance to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar after losing to North Macedonia in the play-off match... It was very disappointing for all the fans, but now the team is in much better shape and I am sure they can beat Northern Ireland and then Wales or Bosnia... However, I don't think Italy will be able to achieve much at the next World Cup...

While the draw was live I really thought for once if North Macedonia would be down the same path as Italy again.    It would have been interesting if they had faced each other after a while.

When it comes to Path A I also see Italy through the playoffs this time. Northern Ireland isn't a big challenge. Wales or Bosnia both would be a bigger threat. Especially Wales I think. But I still believe Italy will make it even though they won't have home advantage in the final.

[UmerIdrees]

For Italy, the equation is very simple. They need to win two more matches, and if they can then they are in the world cup. They failed to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 editions, and it will be a great tragedy if the fate repeats in 2026. In around three months time, they will play against Northern Ireland. If they win this game, then they will take on the winners from Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina match. For me, it looks straight forward. The other three teams are weaker than Italy, at least on paper. But you never know. One upset is all it takes.

Winning two more matches seems very difficult for Italy given the situation of the players.
We are very strong in defense and quite good in midfield.
In goal we have one of the strongest goalkeepers in the world.

But in attack? We're in bad shape, we don't have any good attackers.

It was very unfortunate that Italy was unable to qualify for the Qatar World Cup in 2022. It is one of my favorite team and seeing them not playing in the World Cup was too much disappointing. Even in 2018, they could not qualify.

Four-time FIFA World Cup winners need to come back strongly. The last time they won the World Cup was in 2006, where they beat France in the finals. That was played in Germany where they won on penalties.

[m4r1o]

Then some of you are quite delusional... Tell me about a time when politics and football have been two separate things. It never was, very much like the Olympics. These events are weaponized in many different ways. The travel bans are of course a problem, but I doubt that Trump would cause a lot of harm here when in fact he recently received the so called "peace prize" from Infantino I guess this is more to make some noise for now, but they won't be at a disadvantage eventually.

How can i blame you? Unfortunately, when money is involved, it can ultimately corrupt and bend anyone.
The issue is not political in my opinion, but monetary.

There was a period in Italy of football corruption at the highest levels with a famous figure unfortunately like Moggi who manipulated everything

[Alpha Marine]

It is 100% guaranteed that there is corruption in FIFA, there is no doubt about it. Biggest example was Qatar, not because of democracy or dictators or anything like that, but because it wasn't a good world cup and had to be done middle of the winter just to appease the money lords they have.

Can you state why the World Cup in Qatar was not a good World Cup? What was wrong with the World Cup? The people who went did not enjoy themselves, or the matches weren't interesting, or the people were not safe. Because, as far as I know, the World Cup in Qatar was one of the best in recent history.

Why do you people feel like some countries do not have the right or shouldn't host the World Cup? There is no where that the World Cup would be hosted that you guys won't say it was corruption. It is hosted in the US, Canada and Mexico now, and you guys are saying it is corruption. It was hosted in Saudi Arabia previously, and you guys still say it's corruption. It was hosted in Russia before that, yet you guys still say it was corruption, so, where exactly should it be hosted?

FIFA is a very big and rich organisation, so of course, there is politics and corruption, but like I said earlier, it is overemphasised.
Countried that are in line with Western culture or countries that are big footballing countries are not entitled to hosting the world cup.