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

[GiftedMAN]

Actually, Saudi Pro League has been rapidly growing by attracting global talent and using top coaches and fact that clubs such as Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr are able to maintain high standards of play is proof that quality of play is so high that even likes of Cristiano Ronaldo are not lost in action. Ronaldo is in great physical shape, and this time, he does not need to do everything alone and can focus on scoring, as his team is very talented in Portugal. Surprisingly, experience in playing in hot weather of Saudi Arabia could even help him in 2026 world cup in North America, where he would be used to hot weather which usually leaves players of cooler European leagues tired. Such physical edge would provide him with huge advantage during last minutes of game when other players are beginning to tire.

It has grown a lot, absolutely true and fair, but it still can't cover the costs.
In my opinion, they are spending a lot of money, too much.

I don't understand in my mind what plan they have to cover the enormous costs of player and coach salaries.
It's true that they have a lot of money, i don't know.

What they're spending in the Saudi Pro League is a form of investment for future gains. Before the clubs in the league started signing popular and quality players from Europe, little was known about the league in Europe but just after they started landing big European stars, the league became globally popular and as such, the revenue skyrocketed.
They might not be able to fully generate what's needed to fund the league and the players but they have the financial strength to do so as one of the wealthiest countries. In the nearest future, the Saudi Pro League will be ranked among some of the top leagues in Europe, in fact, they've started getting the recognition already.

[Volgastallion]

That is true, the biggest challenge for Ronaldo is his age, although it must be acknowledged that he can still have a significant impact on the Portugal national team. Many people certainly hope to see Ronaldo play at the 2026 World Cup, but I doubt he would be able to play full matches in every game. The competitive level of the World Cup will be very different from the Saudi Pro League, so at his current age, it will be very difficult to score goals.

On the other hand, it might be too selfish to rely on Ronaldo in every match, as the Portugal national team has many talented young players. Overall, all decisions will depend on the manager and how he chooses to manage Ronaldo in order to take Portugal further in the upcoming World Cup.

Be careful when you make these sort of statements. Have you ever watched any of the matches in the Saudi Professional League? If not, I don't think that you are qualified to make an opinion on this topic. SPL matches are extremely competitive, and personally I would rate the league at the same level as some of the European leagues such as Bundesliga or the Eredivisie. And Ronaldo had participated in almost all of Portugal's qualifier matches, including tough ones against teams like Ireland. Therefore I don't think that he will face any difficulty during the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Na man Saudi league is only "competitive" because of the ammount of european players playing there right now, but is real competitive or is only competitive for a few years?
I mean are saudi players having real chances of playing and having the years to start to develop a much higher level of footbal by themselves? That is the important question and not if right now the Saudi League games are competitive.

[$weetne$$]

Age is not a problem for Ronaldo when playing in a weaker football league like the Saudi football league, or in World Cup qualifiers against weaker opponents, I agree. However, the question is how competitive Ronaldo can be in games against the strongest football opponents in the World Cup. He is no longer as fast and explosive as he was when he was a younger player. It was already evident at the World Cup in Qatar that Ronaldo was powerless to help his team in the most important and decisive matches, such as the match against Morocco.

I think he can still make the difference and he can still do it at the highest level, even if he is a certain age the performances are still very high, certainly in very important games he is slipping away a bit but let's always remember that he is Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the best in the world

At club side Ronaldo is still doing fine even at his age and it is normal to expect same from him playing for his country but on a second taught, country games are absolutely different from the experience at club side, so do not be surprised if you see him perform any lesser there, also he may do better, either ways I am.not expecting same performance as that in club side from him. The country can take advantage of the influence his presence will command to get some victory in certain fixtures.

[Agbe]

The World Cup schedule has been set and cannot be postponed, so it will still be held in the three host countries. The US-Venezuela conflict will not impact the World Cup, especially when matches are played in the US. Therefore, the World Cup will proceed smoothly in the US without any security disruptions, as the US will implement strict security measures.

I think that football is good for them and sport unites people, that is its purpose and reason for existing, especially for football which is fundamental in countries like Latin America, i think it is fundamental, right now they have to pay attention only to safety

But things like what US Government did can cause grudges among Nations. But Venezuela is not in the World Cup list. So there is no much worry on that issue. But US has to tighten their security outfit to monitor every move of uncertainty. What US did can cause enmity between the two Nations. But the World Cup can never be postponed because of that act. There is a diplomatic discussion on that issue.

[katanic97]

~snip

That is true, the biggest challenge for Ronaldo is his age, although it must be acknowledged that he can still have a significant impact on the Portugal national team. Many people certainly hope to see Ronaldo play at the 2026 World Cup, but I doubt he would be able to play full matches in every game. The competitive level of the World Cup will be very different from the Saudi Pro League, so at his current age, it will be very difficult to score goals.

On the other hand, it might be too selfish to rely on Ronaldo in every match, as the Portugal national team has many talented young players. Overall, all decisions will depend on the manager and how he chooses to manage Ronaldo in order to take Portugal further in the upcoming World Cup.

It would certainly be selfish to rely on Ronaldo, because one player does not make a team. Portugal, let’s be honest, can play very well even without him, as they have a solid squad capable of going far. At the same time, Ronaldo’s presence in the team would be a big boost for Portugal, because alongside the coach they would have a teammate with huge experience and a captain who carries real authority.
It is possible that he will come on in the second half to try to disrupt the opponent’s defense, but expecting him to play full matches at a high level would be very difficult

[barbara44]

Actually, Saudi Pro League has been rapidly growing by attracting global talent and using top coaches and fact that clubs such as Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr are able to maintain high standards of play is proof that quality of play is so high that even likes of Cristiano Ronaldo are not lost in action. Ronaldo is in great physical shape, and this time, he does not need to do everything alone and can focus on scoring, as his team is very talented in Portugal. Surprisingly, experience in playing in hot weather of Saudi Arabia could even help him in 2026 world cup in North America, where he would be used to hot weather which usually leaves players of cooler European leagues tired. Such physical edge would provide him with huge advantage during last minutes of game when other players are beginning to tire.

Most of the time people are not well aware about situation in Saudi Pro league, they are talking about on media basis which are not always true, Saudi Pro league is having very long strategy, they will have good in few things even this will take time, but they could be able to bring drastic changes.

Their step was having hosting FIFA World Cup rights which they have done for 2034, now they are working on to stay on good level and this could be also possible for them because they have enough sources, and they will be able to have good return on their investment even take time because now their main topic is having change into their culture which is also not easy. Last few years give them good success because now their fan base is increased and peoples are also talking about them which is good even many have their view they are now much better from few UEFA leagues this talk is going to be long in few years.

[Ale88]

The person didn't write anything controversial or provoking discussion, but for some reason you felt the need to write something obviously stupid because it was "morally correct."

I'm going to answer you for the last time because I'm tired to explain things: someone said Maduro was the president of Venezuela, and it's not like that, he took the power, that's different. Then you arrived and you began lying about simple facts: you said Maduro was the legit president and he was universally recognized by everyone but the US: false. He wasn't legit, he stole the election twice, and only Venezuela's allies recognized him as the legitimate president.

Are you still going with this? Maduro lost the election, twice, having the power doesn't automatically make you a legitimate president. If tomorrow I come at your house and I throw you out, does it make me the new owner? No, it just makes me someone who, using force, gained access to your house. That is what Maduro did.

How you can just brush off this saying "Politicians' opinions mean nothing"? Venezuelan people's opinion don't matter either? The fact that you are here defending a dictator that completely ruined one of the richest countries on Earth is mind-blowing.

What does this have to do with the fact that the US kidnapped the president (leader/powerful person/etc.) of a sovereign state, killing about 80 people and violating all international laws?
You wrote "arrested," but that's the dumbest nonsense one could write, since an arrest is a legal action that is carried out in accordance with the law, etc., and here we have a simple kidnapping.
I bet I won't see you in any thread correcting people who use the term "US President" instead of "international criminal/terrorist." Or will I? 

You can all it whatever you prefer, I don't care, you are saying Maduro was the legitimate president so... You keep your idea, I keep mine

Answer a very simple question: if Maduro was the legitimate president, what did he rig the elections twice in order to maintain the power?

Because this is how the internal struggle in the sovereign country of Venezuela has developed. Did you really want to know this, or is there some kind of catch for you?

So are you admitting he stole the election twice therefore he's not a legitimate president?

Yes, yes, I get it. Maduro is a bloody dictator, and Trump, who left the Venezuelan people under Maduro's dictatorship (or rather, his successors') simply redirected financial flows in favor of the United States, is a fine fellow.

Did I ever say I like or appreciate what Trump is doing? No. Here I'm talking about Maduro. It's been the US but it could have been Russia, China, I don't care, I have a bunch of Venezuelan friends and they are happy. For me that's enough.

To be honest I feel sorry for you because you care more about a dictator rather than the people who actually suffer but we're all different, I guess you have your reasons to support Maduro and no, I don't want to know them.

I won't be answering anymore about this matter now, as I said, I keep my ideas, you keep yours.

[letteredhub]

The World Cup schedule has been set and cannot be postponed, so it will still be held in the three host countries. The US-Venezuela conflict will not impact the World Cup, especially when matches are played in the US. Therefore, the World Cup will proceed smoothly in the US without any security disruptions, as the US will implement strict security measures.

I think that football is good for them and sport unites people, that is its purpose and reason for existing, especially for football which is fundamental in countries like Latin America, i think it is fundamental, right now they have to pay attention only to safety

But things like what US Government did can cause grudges among Nations. But Venezuela is not in the World Cup list. So there is no much worry on that issue. But US has to tighten their security outfit to monitor every move of uncertainty. What US did can cause enmity between the two Nations. But the World Cup can never be postponed because of that act. There is a diplomatic discussion on that issue.

I don't think the politics of the US would have any security issues when the world cup kicks off officially, adequate security will be put in place to a smooth running of both logistics and of lives and properties when the tournament gets on the way proper, I don't think there is anything to worry about especially since it is not only the US that is hosting the event, there Canada and also Mexico, all three countries would put head together with FIFA to ensure that everything goes according to plan when the time comes, I don't think there would be any security threats against the host nations hence there's nothing to worry about.

[KTChampions]

The person didn't write anything controversial or provoking discussion, but for some reason you felt the need to write something obviously stupid because it was "morally correct."

I'm going to answer you for the last time because I'm tired to explain things: someone said Maduro was the president of Venezuela, and it's not like that, he took the power, that's different. Then you arrived and you began lying about simple facts: you said Maduro was the legit president and he was universally recognized by everyone but the US: false. He wasn't legit, he stole the election twice, and only Venezuela's allies recognized him as the legitimate president.

You are tripping again.

Fact check:

~the USA did by kidnapping the Venezuelan president~

The USA didn't kidnap a president. They arrested a bloody dictator.~

Even if we put aside the title "president", you are simply lying about the "arrest", it is a kidnapping.

Your talk of legality is nonsense, nothing more. By the way, I didn't say he was "legal." On the contrary, I wrote that he was a dictator and all that, but he is the president. Saudi Arabia doesn't even have elections, yet for some reason the US has been protecting this regime for decades. And the Saudis are also covered in blood (just look at how they dismembered Jamal Khashoggi), but everyone is happy with everything, it's all "legal" 

You can all it whatever you prefer, I don't care, you are saying Maduro was the legitimate president so... You keep your idea, I keep mine
~

So you are keep tripping without any intention to touch reality. Ok.

Answer a very simple question: if Maduro was the legitimate president, what did he rig the elections twice in order to maintain the power?

Because this is how the internal struggle in the sovereign country of Venezuela has developed. Did you really want to know this, or is there some kind of catch for you?

So are you admitting he stole the election twice therefore he's not a legitimate president?

Whether triple or quadruple. Venezuelans fight among themselves, that's their business, as you write - it's been that way for hundreds of years. This doesn't allow the US to kidnap the president in violation of all international laws.

Yes, yes, I get it. Maduro is a bloody dictator, and Trump, who left the Venezuelan people under Maduro's dictatorship (or rather, his successors') simply redirected financial flows in favor of the United States, is a fine fellow.

Did I ever say I like or appreciate what Trump is doing? No. Here I'm talking about Maduro. It's been the US but it could have been Russia, China, I don't care, I have a bunch of Venezuelan friends and they are happy. For me that's enough.

To be honest I feel sorry for you because you care more about a dictator rather than the people who actually suffer but we're all different, I guess you have your reasons to support Maduro and no, I don't want to know them.

I won't be answering anymore about this matter now, as I said, I keep my ideas, you keep yours.

The biggest and most important thing you don't understand is that dictators arise because of idiots like you. When people don't care about the law and start supporting criminals because it benefits them for some reason. Laws and rules aside, the only thing that matters is what benefits me/pleases me - that's how dictators and other criminals think.

[Dump3er]

It is funny to see how the FIFA World Cup 2026 topic can get derailed.

Give me a chance to bring it back on track. Venezuela didn't only lose their president and they are not only going to lose their oil, but they also lost the playoffs against Columbia and will not participate in the World cup.

However, there will be many other teams at the World Cup with complex political backgrounds. It's a shame Iran wasn't in the group with the USA - that (as in previous editions) would have been the game with the largest media presence 

I am still impressed how posters here didn't get your point. I think it is not all that hard to understand what you were trying to explain.

Now that you bring up the political vector, it's almost "fun" to imagine what kind of groups could have been put together during the World Cup to really get some noise in the stadiums going.

USA
Venezuela
Iran
Colombia (if Trump carries out his threat)

It is a bizarre world. Do you think they would allow for these group constellations if they had theoretically been possible? Or do you think they would have intervened in the background?

[jaberwock]

Could Ronaldo still do something at age 42 (is he 42 during WC?) on the biggest stage ever? I highly doubt it, but there are 10 other people in Portugal playing in these games and that means they can still do something about it. Doesn't have to be something that will take time to see, but if other players are great then Ronaldo will be great, he will not be the reason why they lose, if others are good enough then he will be good enough.

The problem with Ronaldo is that, at his age, when others are bad, it makes him look very bad too, he isn't shining as a light when all around him is bad, because he is a pure finishing striker, if others on his team is bad, he looks awful as well, only shines when others are good too.

[Sithara007]

I don't know why many people have bad opinion about Saudi Pro League competition most of them underestimate with the competitive of SPL but favorable the MLS League the competition without relegation yet every season. Several Saudi Pro League club signed top players on the top performance with Europe club and signing many top manager from Simione Inzhagi success becoming top head coach for Al Hilal. I don't have ideas why many people still blame with the Saudi Pro League competitive because they have many top players and top manager.

Cristiano Ronaldo since leaving Manchester United and joining Al Nassr still become important players for Portugal teams, looks how many time become top scorer from UEFA Europe qualifier and World Cup 2026 qualifier. So still doubt with reputation and competitive of Saudi Pro League?

It's mostly a cultural thing. Some people think that quality football can't exist outside EU/US. The Major League Soccer (MLS) is fine, because it is a North American League. Saudi Professional League doesn't have that advantage, as it is in the middle east. I am sure that most of the people who criticize SPL hasn't ever watched any of the matches in that league. Obviously we can't compare the SPL with the English Premier League, but it is stupid to say that SPL is of a much lower quality when compared to the average European leagues such as Eredivisie and Süper Lig.

[BigTarget]

About the upcoming world cup in the US --- I think this country can handle attacks from anywhere because we know the US has the resources for it, so with this news however the world cup will still be held in the US without being disturbed in the slightest.

The World Cup schedule has been set and cannot be postponed, so it will still be held in the three host countries. The US-Venezuela conflict will not impact the World Cup, especially when matches are played in the US. Therefore, the World Cup will proceed smoothly in the US without any security disruptions, as the US will implement strict security measures.

Mega sporting events always have extraordinary security arrangements because all aware about importance of these events and try their best for having all needed protocols this time FIFA World Cup is having some extra excitement for many countries because due to 48 teams many are first time going to play.

As biggest host nation USA also well aware about their responsibility even they are creating serious chaos around them after Venezuela conflict with Trumps few other statements are also bringing problems for them but most chances no country will be tried to have anything problematic event could be set new standards for coming sports events around the world.

[jaberwock]

Politicians' "opinions" mean nothing. Have you ever heard of sovereignty? Maduro may be disliked by anyone in the US or their friends (and he may be a dictator), but he's the president of Venezuela. This is not a matter of discussion.

You wrote:

The USA didn't kidnap a president. They arrested a bloody dictator

Who signed the arrest warrant? Which jurisdiction (which covers both Venezuela and the US) issued it?
You are definitely tripping. Or how to explain that this ended up in your head.

The funny thing is, he CAN be a dictator, and the work is Venezuelans to do something about it, we can't just end up jailing everyone we feel like a dictator. By that logic, anyone who can jail any president because they are more powerful, could do this whenever they want. You think Kim Jung-Un isn't a dictator?

We all know he is, why is he not jailed? Why do you think USA did not put him in jail? Because even if they did, it wouldn't benefit them, there is no profit out of it, but if they do jail Maduro, there are oils that they can profit from, it's as simple as that, nothing to do with being a dictator.

[Daniel91]

Age is not a problem for Ronaldo when playing in a weaker football league like the Saudi football league, or in World Cup qualifiers against weaker opponents, I agree. However, the question is how competitive Ronaldo can be in games against the strongest football opponents in the World Cup. He is no longer as fast and explosive as he was when he was a younger player. It was already evident at the World Cup in Qatar that Ronaldo was powerless to help his team in the most important and decisive matches, such as the match against Morocco.

I think he can still make the difference and he can still do it at the highest level, even if he is a certain age the performances are still very high, certainly in very important games he is slipping away a bit but let's always remember that he is Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the best in the world

At club side Ronaldo is still doing fine even at his age and it is normal to expect same from him playing for his country but on a second taught, country games are absolutely different from the experience at club side, so do not be surprised if you see him perform any lesser there, also he may do better, either ways I am.not expecting same performance as that in club side from him. The country can take advantage of the influence his presence will command to get some victory in certain fixtures.

Yes, Ronaldo has in a way become the face and promoter of the Saudi football league. Thanks to him, many well-known European footballers, in the later stages of their careers, have come to play in the Saudi league to finish their football careers and earn extra money. This has raised the prestige of the Saudi league, and it seems to me that Ronaldo's astronomical salary is partly justified due to these marketing results (and probably the main reason why Ronaldo was brought to Saudi Arabia).
Ronaldo was even part of the official Saudi delegation at a meeting with President Trump at the White House.
The sports or football level is even less important in this story.

[Fiatless]

Could Ronaldo still do something at age 42 (is he 42 during WC?) on the biggest stage ever? I highly doubt it, but there are 10 other people in Portugal playing in these games and that means they can still do something about it. Doesn't have to be something that will take time to see, but if other players are great then Ronaldo will be great, he will not be the reason why they lose, if others are good enough then he will be good enough.

The problem with Ronaldo is that, at his age, when others are bad, it makes him look very bad too, he isn't shining as a light when all around him is bad, because he is a pure finishing striker, if others on his team is bad, he looks awful as well, only shines when others are good too.

Ronaldo's advantage to the Portuguese team is mainly his experience and influence. He had played in several world-class competitions, which could be beneficial in some games. He could also be a good leader and an inspiration for young players. He would be a good mentor and motivator to the team. With his influence as a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, his influence is unquestionable. He could confront any match official and his observations would be listened to.

In the field of play, I am sorry to state that his age would limit his performance. Some Portuguese players will do better than Ronaldo. He is an asset, no doubt, but he might not be as effective as he was. Roberto Martínez should give him the last honour of featuring in the World Cup, but Ronaldo might contribute little.

[dollyamo]

But things like what US Government did can cause grudges among Nations. But Venezuela is not in the World Cup list. So there is no much worry on that issue. But US has to tighten their security outfit to monitor every move of uncertainty. What US did can cause enmity between the two Nations. But the World Cup can never be postponed because of that act. There is a diplomatic discussion on that issue.

Mmmm no, certainly not.

This is an event that brings a lot of happiness even to nations that aren't doing very well. Now they have to try to keep security high and make the event feel like a celebration. If that's the case, everything will go smoothly and there won't be many problems.

[martinom]

What they're spending in the Saudi Pro League is a form of investment for future gains. Before the clubs in the league started signing popular and quality players from Europe, little was known about the league in Europe but just after they started landing big European stars, the league became globally popular and as such, the revenue skyrocketed.
They might not be able to fully generate what's needed to fund the league and the players but they have the financial strength to do so as one of the wealthiest countries. In the nearest future, the Saudi Pro League will be ranked among some of the top leagues in Europe, in fact, they've started getting the recognition already.

You say it's a form of investment, and how they make money in the future, that's what i can't understand.
Spending all this money could make their competition prestigious, but at the moment i don't see anyone spending money to see this competition, so i can't understand their business model.

[verdinio]

Most of the time people are not well aware about situation in Saudi Pro league, they are talking about on media basis which are not always true, Saudi Pro league is having very long strategy, they will have good in few things even this will take time, but they could be able to bring drastic changes.

Their step was having hosting FIFA World Cup rights which they have done for 2034, now they are working on to stay on good level and this could be also possible for them because they have enough sources, and they will be able to have good return on their investment even take time because now their main topic is having change into their culture which is also not easy. Last few years give them good success because now their fan base is increased and peoples are also talking about them which is good even many have their view they are now much better from few UEFA leagues this talk is going to be long in few years.

These championships certainly have charm because of the great champions who play in that championship, the level has certainly risen, by hiring all these champions it was inevitable that the level would rise, it will certainly never be at European level but it has risen

[Misbah2002]

Saudi league is only "competitive" because of the ammount of european players playing there right now, but is real competitive or is only competitive for a few years?
I mean are saudi players having real chances of playing and having the years to start to develop a much higher level of footbal by themselves? That is the important question and not if right now the Saudi League games are competitive.

Most people have no idea how things are going to work in long run for hem because they are spending huge amount they are also bringing new changes into their sports culture now they are having the good number of local guys those are spending their time into academics and taking good training.

Their vision is having the good number of local players those will be able to give good company to their European and other players this will be big change and this is going to take time it's never been happening things like these in just few weeks or months usually these take years, and they are already working on this.