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

[blue Snow]

Cristiano Ronaldo keeps downplaying Portugal's chances for the World Cup. But honestly, I think they have the best squad out there really. Just look at the three key guys who literally carried their team to the Champions League trophy recently. they're all in this lineup.
To me, it's just a massive ego trip. He’s already making excuses so he can blame the weak squad if they get knocked out. He’s basically just covering his own back.

Cristiano Ronaldo truly has a huge ego and feels his team wouldn't have won without his contribution. Just look at Portugal's failure in the last World Cup, he blamed the coach and was ultimately fired because he considered the failure in the World Cup due to Cristiano Ronaldo's influence. Portugal does have the best squad, and the reason Cristiano Ronaldo underestimated Portugal's chances in the World Cup was because he felt he wouldn't play in important matches in the World Cup, and as you said, if Portugal were eliminated, he would blame his team.

[$weetne$$]

Tuchel is a serious coach and demands a lot from his players. England certainly has the capacity to achieve a major result, but whether they have what it takes to win remains to be seen. It is still a golden generation, and expectations are still high, but we cannot forget that there are many strong teams at the world cup, and no one will take this competition lightly ...

England won the first and only World Cup in 1966. Since then, they have struggled to make an an impact in the competition, not because they don't have quality players.  Some people say that they are not just lucky. Thomas Tuchel took over when the Three Lions was underperforming. He has done a good job considering the outcome of games in the qualifiers. Maybe they can conquer the world in the next edition because they have what it takes. 

Sometimes this is mostly the situation when you have a team choked up with young talents and probably the best you could find around, these players may mostly conflict their interest with the national interest and remember, they are coming from different clubs where they have been mostly used to, and they have just few weeks to train together, blend and and then play fornthe national team, it will only take some extraordinary coaching to get them good results enough to win the world cup and insee that tuchel is trying to get that done, I wish him the best and hopes it turns a reality for them.

[katanic97]

Tuchel is a serious coach and demands a lot from his players. England certainly has the capacity to achieve a major result, but whether they have what it takes to win remains to be seen. It is still a golden generation, and expectations are still high, but we cannot forget that there are many strong teams at the world cup, and no one will take this competition lightly ...

England won the first and only World Cup in 1966. Since then, they have struggled to make an an impact in the competition, not because they don't have quality players.  Some people say that they are not just lucky. Thomas Tuchel took over when the Three Lions was underperforming. He has done a good job considering the outcome of games in the qualifiers. Maybe they can conquer the world in the next edition because they have what it takes. 

Sometimes this is mostly the situation when you have a team choked up with young talents and probably the best you could find around, these players may mostly conflict their interest with the national interest and remember, they are coming from different clubs where they have been mostly used to, and they have just few weeks to train together, blend and and then play fornthe national team, it will only take some extraordinary coaching to get them good results enough to win the world cup and insee that tuchel is trying to get that done, I wish him the best and hopes it turns a reality for them.

Yes, they are mostly young players, but besides Tuchel, he must also have the support of experienced players such as Kane, Rashford, and Watkins. I think a better atmosphere needs to be created, individual qualities should be put aside, and the team should play collectively. Many times we have seen England when they play individually,it looks as if the players are meeting on the pitch for the first time. I believe Tuchel and his staff can achieve something at this tournament after all, Tuchel is an experienced coach

[Egii Nna]

Cristiano Ronaldo keeps downplaying Portugal's chances for the World Cup. But honestly, I think they have the best squad out there really. Just look at the three key guys who literally carried their team to the Champions League trophy recently. they're all in this lineup.
To me, it's just a massive ego trip. He’s already making excuses so he can blame the weak squad if they get knocked out. He’s basically just covering his own back.

Cristiano Ronaldo truly has a huge ego and feels his team wouldn't have won without his contribution. Just look at Portugal's failure in the last World Cup, he blamed the coach and was ultimately fired because he considered the failure in the World Cup due to Cristiano Ronaldo's influence. Portugal does have the best squad, and the reason Cristiano Ronaldo underestimated Portugal's chances in the World Cup was because he felt he wouldn't play in important matches in the World Cup, and as you said, if Portugal were eliminated, he would blame his team.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s ego has always been part of who he is, which  in most cases it’s also created tension, especially with Portugal. During the last World Cup, it felt like the focus shifted from the team to Ronaldo’s role, and once he was not guaranteed a central place, the narrative became uncomfortable. Whether intentional or not, his presence seemed to divide attention, and the fallout after the tournament, including the coach’s dismissal, reinforced the idea that Ronaldo’s influence weighed heavily on the squad.

Furthermore, Portugal on paper, had one of the strongest squads in the tournament and did not need to revolve around a single player anymore. The issue was not all about lack of talent, but managing expectations and ego. When results didn’t go their way, blame followed, and Ronaldo has a history of distancing himself from failure. That mindset can undermine a team, especially when collective belief matters more than individual legacy.

[Mihaylovic]

Cristiano Ronaldo keeps downplaying Portugal's chances for the World Cup. But honestly, I think they have the best squad out there really. Just look at the three key guys who literally carried their team to the Champions League trophy recently. they're all in this lineup.
To me, it's just a massive ego trip. He’s already making excuses so he can blame the weak squad if they get knocked out. He’s basically just covering his own back.

That's the right thing to do if you ask me and am commending Christiano Ronaldo for displaying such a good sense of humour by down playing Portugal's chances in the forthcoming World Cup so as to keep the pressure off the team before the tournament officially kicks off next year. Nevertheless, Portugal is one of the favourites in my opinion, no doubt they are going to go far in the world though am not sure if they would turn out to win it but am guessing they might make it to the semis if luck smiles on them this time.

Cristiano Ronaldo is almost 41 but i’m sure he will score 1000 goals because he is physically very strong. Portugal has a great squad for the 2026 World Cup too. Ronaldo says world cup is not his priority but he is just saying that. He knows he needs that trophy to be the goat against Messi. Because of this he will push himself for the World Cup. But I think this might actually hurt the Portuguese national team. His obsession with the trophy could become a problem.

[Ale88]

Cristiano Ronaldo keeps downplaying Portugal's chances for the World Cup. But honestly, I think they have the best squad out there really. Just look at the three key guys who literally carried their team to the Champions League trophy recently. they're all in this lineup.
To me, it's just a massive ego trip. He’s already making excuses so he can blame the weak squad if they get knocked out. He’s basically just covering his own back.

He has a huge desire, but physically he can no longer keep up with the tempo that is being demanded. He wants to be the main man in the team, but at the moment there are many better players who are eager for their chance. Of course, Ronaldo is the captain and always will be, but let’s be honest , at 40 years old, it’s very difficult for him to contribute significantly to the team.In my opinion, Portugal is one of the main favorites to win the tournament, and i’m glad that Cristiano Ronaldo will be there. However, the opportunity should definitely be given to younger, faster players. Ronaldo can pass on his experience, which is the most important thing in competitions like this.

Everything you said makes total sense but the real question is: does Cristiano Ronaldo understand (and think) the same as you? Because I totally agree with you but, in my opinion, he still sees himself as one of the best players in the world and, no matter what, he must be in Portugal's line up for every single match. He has kind of overbearing presence, especially now that in Saudi Arabia he is treated like a god. Portugal have one of their best teams in history right now, I really hope for them that Ronaldo will understand that this is about a whole country, not himself.

[Uhde]

Everything you said makes total sense but the real question is: does Cristiano Ronaldo understand (and think) the same as you? Because I totally agree with you but, in my opinion, he still sees himself as one of the best players in the world and, no matter what, he must be in Portugal's line up for every single match. He has kind of overbearing presence, especially now that in Saudi Arabia he is treated like a god. Portugal have one of their best teams in history right now, I really hope for them that Ronaldo will understand that this is about a whole country, not himself.

Compared to Ronaldo, Ramos is much better at involving the players behind him. It’s no coincidence that two midfielders playing with Ramos ended up scoring hat tricks last month. This might actually be a good thing for Ronaldo in the World Cup. If he accepts a bench role as a rotation player his chances of winning the only trophy he's missing aren't low at all. But if he insists on playing every minute and demands everyone to play for him, it’s going to be very tough for Portugal.

[X-ray]

Everything you said makes total sense but the real question is: does Cristiano Ronaldo understand (and think) the same as you? Because I totally agree with you but, in my opinion, he still sees himself as one of the best players in the world and, no matter what, he must be in Portugal's line up for every single match. He has kind of overbearing presence, especially now that in Saudi Arabia he is treated like a god. Portugal have one of their best teams in history right now, I really hope for them that Ronaldo will understand that this is about a whole country, not himself.

I'm sorry, but the debate whether good or not to bench ronaldo is totally non sense thing. Ronaldo has ever benched by Martinez during euro 2024 warm up. It's happened when Portugal faced croatia. It means he knows everyone in the squad is being treated the same. There's no superiority owned by the old player.

Martinez has also ever explained the decision to bench him to build a game time management. An old player like him also needs proper time management to ensure they won't miss him due to the injury.

[KTChampions]

In this era, England team has many top and star player from Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney, David Beckham until Paul Scholes and many other top players. But England can't talk more in World Cup and greatest achievement at edition World Cup 2018 when qualifying to semifinal round. Actually England team have many top players but lack experienced with the manager and many of them can't bring England reach to final of World Cup due the Premier League successful in producing world-class players.

World Cup 2026 new hope for England fans and wish football is coming home after the last winning World Cup 1966 and almost 50 years England failed in the World Cup event.

England almost always have a good team, but they fail not only at the World Cup but also at the European Championship. In the last two tournaments they reached the finals, but both times they only received silver. Whenever I look at England, I wonder when this bad luck will end. I remember Spain were once considered consistent losers, but then they experienced a golden era that began with their victory in 2008. I always think that the same thing could happen to England.

[banana33]

Yes, I think it's time for Ronaldo to give a chance to the current Portuguese generation. I mean, he should still participate in the World Cup but as a supporting player, not like in last year's Euros where he continued to be the main player which actually hindered him when facing important matches because he was no longer as fast as he was in his golden years, the older his movements will be slower, and the World Cup needs fast players. And it would be a shame if Portugal did not take advantage of the current generation where every line is filled with quality players.

He is not capable of trusting anyone but himself, with the ego he has he will never have the chance to say and admit that others can be good too.
True, he's someone who's always been very committed, who's worked a lot.
But he can't think he's the only one, he's not.

[BlackBaron]

In this era, England team has many top and star player from Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney, David Beckham until Paul Scholes and many other top players. But England can't talk more in World Cup and greatest achievement at edition World Cup 2018 when qualifying to semifinal round. Actually England team have many top players but lack experienced with the manager and many of them can't bring England reach to final of World Cup due the Premier League successful in producing world-class players.

World Cup 2026 new hope for England fans and wish football is coming home after the last winning World Cup 1966 and almost 50 years England failed in the World Cup event.

England almost always have a good team, but they fail not only at the World Cup but also at the European Championship. In the last two tournaments they reached the finals, but both times they only received silver. Whenever I look at England, I wonder when this bad luck will end. I remember Spain were once considered consistent losers, but then they experienced a golden era that began with their victory in 2008. I always think that the same thing could happen to England.

The chemistry between the players is still not well established, that's what I think is one of the reasons why England always struggles, and sometimes their egos are still high because they bring competition at the club to the national team which they shouldn't do.

Because when it comes to the quality of players who are always in the England squad, they never lack reliable players in each position. And I also can't blame the coach as long as the player still has a high ego. Maybe it is the coach's job to fix it, but it will also be difficult if it has become a hereditary thing.

[SatoPrincess]

Cristiano Ronaldo keeps downplaying Portugal's chances for the World Cup. But honestly, I think they have the best squad out there really. Just look at the three key guys who literally carried their team to the Champions League trophy recently. they're all in this lineup.
To me, it's just a massive ego trip. He’s already making excuses so he can blame the weak squad if they get knocked out. He’s basically just covering his own back.

I don’t buy this narrative that Christiano Ronaldo is holding Portugal back.  Portugal’s weakness has nothing to do with Ronaldo. Yes, they have talented players but so do England, Spain, France, Argentina and other teams. Individual brilliance cannot win the tournament, a huge part of their success will be dependent on the manager

[snipie]

Yes, I think it's time for Ronaldo to give a chance to the current Portuguese generation. I mean, he should still participate in the World Cup but as a supporting player, not like in last year's Euros where he continued to be the main player which actually hindered him when facing important matches because he was no longer as fast as he was in his golden years, the older his movements will be slower, and the World Cup needs fast players. And it would be a shame if Portugal did not take advantage of the current generation where every line is filled with quality players.

He is not capable of trusting anyone but himself, with the ego he has he will never have the chance to say and admit that others can be good too.
True, he's someone who's always been very committed, who's worked a lot.
But he can't think he's the only one, he's not.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a top player and he has ego that we all are aware of, however with his current age, it is normal to see his role being less important than what used to be. What makes CR7 not adjusting his play with this is the fact that he has ambition to beat the record of 1k goals but also playing as long as possible locally and internationally. He is already the best scorer in the world and number 1 in Portugal but he still lacks that. Winning the World Cup is not a main objective for him in my opinion even if he said that.

[GbitG]

Cristiano Ronaldo keeps downplaying Portugal's chances for the World Cup. But honestly, I think they have the best squad out there really. Just look at the three key guys who literally carried their team to the Champions League trophy recently. they're all in this lineup.
To me, it's just a massive ego trip. He’s already making excuses so he can blame the weak squad if they get knocked out. He’s basically just covering his own back.

Cristiano Ronaldo truly has a huge ego and feels his team wouldn't have won without his contribution. Just look at Portugal's failure in the last World Cup, he blamed the coach and was ultimately fired because he considered the failure in the World Cup due to Cristiano Ronaldo's influence. Portugal does have the best squad, and the reason Cristiano Ronaldo underestimated Portugal's chances in the World Cup was because he felt he wouldn't play in important matches in the World Cup, and as you said, if Portugal were eliminated, he would blame his team.

Well, everyone is arguing that Cristiano Ronaldo can win the World Cup because he has very good team but here I will tell you that I don't think that Portugal can be the winner because for winning a World Cup team need a strong mentality, passion, unity etc. Despite Portugal is still trailing with lack of understanding like their players didn't have any good chemistry. So I think because of this Portugal can't win the World Cup....

Besides that, there is also many others team who still have capacity to compete for World Cup. Such Spain, Argentina, France, England etc. So these team will also try hard for big stages and I don't think that Portugal have that capacity to compete with them.

[katanic97]

Cristiano Ronaldo keeps downplaying Portugal's chances for the World Cup. But honestly, I think they have the best squad out there really. Just look at the three key guys who literally carried their team to the Champions League trophy recently. they're all in this lineup.
To me, it's just a massive ego trip. He’s already making excuses so he can blame the weak squad if they get knocked out. He’s basically just covering his own back.

He has a huge desire, but physically he can no longer keep up with the tempo that is being demanded. He wants to be the main man in the team, but at the moment there are many better players who are eager for their chance. Of course, Ronaldo is the captain and always will be, but let’s be honest , at 40 years old, it’s very difficult for him to contribute significantly to the team.In my opinion, Portugal is one of the main favorites to win the tournament, and i’m glad that Cristiano Ronaldo will be there. However, the opportunity should definitely be given to younger, faster players. Ronaldo can pass on his experience, which is the most important thing in competitions like this.

Everything you said makes total sense but the real question is: does Cristiano Ronaldo understand (and think) the same as you? Because I totally agree with you but, in my opinion, he still sees himself as one of the best players in the world and, no matter what, he must be in Portugal's line up for every single match. He has kind of overbearing presence, especially now that in Saudi Arabia he is treated like a god. Portugal have one of their best teams in history right now, I really hope for them that Ronaldo will understand that this is about a whole country, not himself.

I hope so too that he will understand it. First, he has to realize that he is playing in a league that is not as demanding and cannot be compared to the European leagues. Of course, i don’t mean anything negative about the Saudi Arabian league, but those are simply the facts. He still has the quality and desire for the ball, that’s not in question, and he can still give 100% of himself. However, when he realizes that his body no longer "works" the way it did 10 years ago, i think he will pause and look at things more realistically, because no one wants to slow the team down, right? I believe Ronaldo is realistic and that he will calm down and understand what you said , that this is about the whole country, not just him.

[retreat]

Cristiano Ronaldo keeps downplaying Portugal's chances for the World Cup. But honestly, I think they have the best squad out there really. Just look at the three key guys who literally carried their team to the Champions League trophy recently. they're all in this lineup.
To me, it's just a massive ego trip. He’s already making excuses so he can blame the weak squad if they get knocked out. He’s basically just covering his own back.

They have several names of players who are very capable for them to be able to compete with other big teams, so I don't think that they are any less good than other teams. Even with a squad like that I'm sure that they can advance to the higher stages. But it's just that I'm not too sure about CR7 being able to carry the Portuguese national team, he's old and his performance is much less than he was in his golden age, so hoping that he can score more goals is just not possible. But he can be a captain who can unite the players, because the Portugal national team consists of players from various teams, so they need a leader who can build unity and provide enthusiasm, as well as being a motivator who can raise the spirit of the players.

[cande86]

They have several names of players who are very capable for them to be able to compete with other big teams, so I don't think that they are any less good than other teams. Even with a squad like that I'm sure that they can advance to the higher stages. But it's just that I'm not too sure about CR7 being able to carry the Portuguese national team, he's old and his performance is much less than he was in his golden age, so hoping that he can score more goals is just not possible. But he can be a captain who can unite the players, because the Portugal national team consists of players from various teams, so they need a leader who can build unity and provide enthusiasm, as well as being a motivator who can raise the spirit of the players.

In my opinion i think that the Portuguese national team should be more focused on stronger players and youngsters who want to give more interesting things to the club and not CR7 who is certainly the best of all but unfortunately he was and the years pass for everyone, so I have to say that they would do well to take younger players.

[Wakate]

In my opinion i think that the Portuguese national team should be more focused on stronger players and youngsters who want to give more interesting things to the club and not CR7 who is certainly the best of all but unfortunately he was and the years pass for everyone, so I have to say that they would do well to take younger players.

This the last opportunity for the Portuguese young players to play again with Ronaldo and learn some skills from him on how to stay committed ama focus on achieving their goals for their career. Ronaldo is one player I will never forget that is very committed and focus on getting greater achievements. He was able to build himself to get to the height he is now.

[Daniel91]

They have several names of players who are very capable for them to be able to compete with other big teams, so I don't think that they are any less good than other teams. Even with a squad like that I'm sure that they can advance to the higher stages. But it's just that I'm not too sure about CR7 being able to carry the Portuguese national team, he's old and his performance is much less than he was in his golden age, so hoping that he can score more goals is just not possible. But he can be a captain who can unite the players, because the Portugal national team consists of players from various teams, so they need a leader who can build unity and provide enthusiasm, as well as being a motivator who can raise the spirit of the players.

In my opinion i think that the Portuguese national team should be more focused on stronger players and youngsters who want to give more interesting things to the club and not CR7 who is certainly the best of all but unfortunately he was and the years pass for everyone, so I have to say that they would do well to take younger players.

That was my feeling during the last World Cup in Qatar, when it seemed to me that Portugal played better and more efficiently in attack without Ronaldo. In the match against Morocco, Ronaldo was completely powerless to turn the result and the game around and help his team. No matter how great a player Ronaldo is, age still affects his performance, his speed, and explosiveness, and his contribution to defense is very small. Of course, Ronaldo can still help young players with his experience.

[Frankolala]

Cristiano Ronaldo keeps downplaying Portugal's chances for the World Cup. But honestly, I think they have the best squad out there really. Just look at the three key guys who literally carried their team to the Champions League trophy recently. they're all in this lineup.
To me, it's just a massive ego trip. He’s already making excuses so he can blame the weak squad if they get knocked out. He’s basically just covering his own back.

Cristiano Ronaldo truly has a huge ego and feels his team wouldn't have won without his contribution. Just look at Portugal's failure in the last World Cup, he blamed the coach and was ultimately fired because he considered the failure in the World Cup due to Cristiano Ronaldo's influence. Portugal does have the best squad, and the reason Cristiano Ronaldo underestimated Portugal's chances in the World Cup was because he felt he wouldn't play in important matches in the World Cup, and as you said, if Portugal were eliminated, he would blame his team.

Ronaldo has been his team motivator ever since he became a popular figure in football. He's this kind of player that finds fault from someone after a defeat to put the blame on because he thinks that he's perfect enough not to be a problem. He's the richest and best in Portuguese national team what do you expect.