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

[Sithara007]

Türkiye has the best squad quality and the most expensive roster in the group. I don’t think they’ll struggle in this group and i think will easily advance from it. I don’t think the mistakes made in the qualifiers will be repeated in the tournament. Because during the qualifiers, the players were competing under the weight and stress of having been unable to participate in the tournament for years, but now the situation has changed. After many years, Türkiye is back in the World Cup, and just as it did in the 2002 World Cup, it will make a name for itself in the 2026 World Cup as well.

Türkiye is placed along with United States, Paraguay and Australia. And I won't be surprised if they finish at the bottom. First of all, Türkiye was unable to secure a qualification slot in the UEFA Round 1 Qualifier. They had to participate in the Round 2 Qualifier as a result. And look at the other teams. United States has the home advantage and also they are a strong team now. Paraguay is a CONMEBOL team and we should never underestimate teams from that confederation. And finally, Australia is one of the strongest teams from AFC and they have moved on from the Tim Cahill era.

[Die_empty]

I think the swiss are celebrating italy elimination right now because Bosnia has been drawn in their group. That group is now an easy one for them.
I can see some difficulties in group I too, there are two top teams in France and Norway, but senegal can hold their own because they have got physicality, pace and a few strong players. Belgium have a very easy group.

Maybe Italy underrated Bosnia and Herzegovina; that might be the reason why they lost. I am sure Switzerland would have learned lessons from the surprise defeat of Italy. 

Group F and I look like the most difficult for me. The Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia and Sweden in one group is highly competitive. While France, Senegal and Norway will have to fight hard to make it to the second round.

[broccolo9]

This just showed that you don't underrate any team in a football match.  I am very sure that the Italian fan must be very happy  when the realize they will be playing against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final to qualify for the world cup, but they must be very disappointed when they get knocked out by the same team. I don't really think that Italian national team deserves to be in the world cup, because I think they where very poor and they don't play to the standard we all expected.  On the other hand I think Bosnia where more courageous and determined to be in the world cup and they deserve to be in the world cup. Congratulations to them and I hope they can spring more surprises in the world cup.

We can only dream of the great Italian team of the past, and we'll never see it again! The current team plays poorly even in matches that should be easy and predictable, and struggles in the open play. So an elimination wouldn't surprise me, considering it wouldn't even be the first time! They need to completely overhaul their playing style, or the results will always be disappointing.

[8rch7]

I agree that this group seems well-balanced; Japan, the Netherlands, and Sweden really have strong and competitive teams, but Tunisia can't be ignored either. In the World Cup, surprises always happen, and sometimes a team considered an underdog ends up making things difficult for the favorites. I think it's going to be a very competitive group right up until the last round.

Group F seems balanced the team performance from Netherland, Sweden, Tunisia and Japan one most important to know Japan performed quite well during the friendly match and success defeating top national team from Brazil, Ghana and last friendly match success beating England. In my opinion, between Netherland and Japan has opportunity will qualify to next round without underestimate Sweden have great performance at qualifier match by eliminating Poland.
I thin Group F looks more competitive seeing the four team performance during qualifier match until last result of friendly match, I hope Japan can qualify to next round as Asian national team and this time can reach more higher round until quarter final as usually always stuck at round of 16.

[m4r1o]

Its pretty dissapointing that we dont see Nigeria in the World cup but some big other teams also have not qualified like Italy and this is the third time in a row they didnt qualify and they are one of the biggest football countries. On the other hand you see teams like cape verde or curucao qualifing and then i start questioning myself what is happening with the teams that qualify.

there are teams that absolutely had to participate, there are national teams that represent world football and that have made it great in the world, they certainly have to review the championship and the qualifiers, it is not possible that Nigeria, despite playing very well, did not qualify while Brazil for example, having lost 7, qualified.

[Unsoldier]

Türkiye has the best squad quality and the most expensive roster in the group. I don’t think they’ll struggle in this group and i think will easily advance from it. I don’t think the mistakes made in the qualifiers will be repeated in the tournament. Because during the qualifiers, the players were competing under the weight and stress of having been unable to participate in the tournament for years, but now the situation has changed. After many years, Türkiye is back in the World Cup, and just as it did in the 2002 World Cup, it will make a name for itself in the 2026 World Cup as well.

Türkiye is placed along with United States, Paraguay and Australia. And I won't be surprised if they finish at the bottom. First of all, Türkiye was unable to secure a qualification slot in the UEFA Round 1 Qualifier. They had to participate in the Round 2 Qualifier as a result. And look at the other teams. United States has the home advantage and also they are a strong team now. Paraguay is a CONMEBOL team and we should never underestimate teams from that confederation. And finally, Australia is one of the strongest teams from AFC and they have moved on from the Tim Cahill era.

Turkey were in the same group as Spain. So, to say that Turkey should have qualified for the World Cup through the group stages rather than the play-offs is laughable. Spain is the strongest team in the world, and I think any other European side could have stumbled against the Spaniards. What can you even say about Turkey then? By the way, Turkey performed very well in their group, and if there had been another team instead of Spain, who knows, maybe the Turks would have taken first place.

[Razmirraz]

Snip.

We can only dream of the great Italian team of the past, and we'll never see it again! The current team plays poorly even in matches that should be easy and predictable, and struggles in the open play. So an elimination wouldn't surprise me, considering it wouldn't even be the first time! They need to completely overhaul their playing style, or the results will always be disappointing.

A few days ago, it was reported that the Italian players cheered when they learned that Bosnia would be their opponents in the final to secure a ticket to the World Cup. The joy has now turned into deep sadness as Italy was eliminated from the World Cup and they had to watch the World Cup from home, while Bosnia managed to return to the most prestigious event after 12 years.
In my opinion, Italy failure this time was not due to a weak squad, as they still had quality players. The main factor lay in the coach's ability to formulate strategies. In addition, Italy failure sent a message to other teams to never underestimate any opponent they face, as they might have hidden strengths ready to provide unexpected surprises.

[zykradon]

Despite finishing last in their group, Sweden's qualification for the World Cup via the Nations League quota, playing two matches (and winning both), seems absurd to me. In my opinion, Sweden shouldn't be in this tournament.

[Agbe]

there are teams that absolutely had to participate, there are national teams that represent world football and that have made it great in the world, they certainly have to review the championship and the qualifiers, it is not possible that Nigeria, despite playing very well, did not qualify while Brazil for example, having lost 7, qualified.

Football is not emotional but performance count on the field. Most of those teams which didn't qualify in the World are better than some of the teams that qualified. But that not withstanding, those teams which didn't qualify were not doing well at the beginning of the qualifiers stage. Some of them were having players injuries while some coach issues. Nigeria had coach issues and before the issue was resolved it was already gone. And Brazil had injury players issue. And others.

[verdinio]

I would love to see these teams. I don't see Bolivia doing well in the World Cup; for me, they're candidates to be eliminated in the first round. But I would like to see an Iraq team that could surprise everyone. In fact, I like the style of teams like Iraq and Uzbekistan; they're consistent, solid, and wellrounded, and I like how they play a style of football where you don't see any mistakes. It would be great to see them in the World Cup, well, just Iraq and DR Congo.

There are some teams that make me very curious and this year there are so many new ones. i like that there are some teams that are working so hard. The Democratic Republic of Congo also makes me very curious. i say that it will be a very different World Cup compared to the others.

[Sithara007]

Turkey were in the same group as Spain. So, to say that Turkey should have qualified for the World Cup through the group stages rather than the play-offs is laughable. Spain is the strongest team in the world, and I think any other European side could have stumbled against the Spaniards. What can you even say about Turkey then? By the way, Turkey performed very well in their group, and if there had been another team instead of Spain, who knows, maybe the Turks would have taken first place.

Can't agree with your statement. Spain was one of the strongest teams in Europe maybe a decade back. The golden generation retired and now they are much behind other strong teams in Europe such as England and France. I would say that they are not much better than Italy at the moment. If you label Spain as the strongest team in the world, then I have to say that the statement doesn't make much sense. Türkiye also has struggled in recent times. Anyway, now that they have qualified for the world cup they should put everything behind and focus on the group phase matches.

[Not your key not your BTC]

Türkiye has the best squad quality and the most expensive roster in the group. I don’t think they’ll struggle in this group and i think will easily advance from it. I don’t think the mistakes made in the qualifiers will be repeated in the tournament. Because during the qualifiers, the players were competing under the weight and stress of having been unable to participate in the tournament for years, but now the situation has changed. After many years, Türkiye is back in the World Cup, and just as it did in the 2002 World Cup, it will make a name for itself in the 2026 World Cup as well.

Yes, Turkey has the best squad quality among the teams in their group at the 2026 World Cup. I also think Turkey will qualify from the group stage because of the teams Turkey will face in the group stage, perhaps only Australia is a bit tough to beat. Regarding the mistakes in the qualifying round, it's not about the pressure of not participating in tournaments for years, but more about the physical condition of the players because almost all of the Turkish squad have busy schedules with their respective clubs and that affects their performance when playing for the Turkish national team. Maybe Turkey will go far in the 2026 World Cup, but it seems difficult to repeat the achievements of the 2002 World Cup because the teams competing in the 2026 World Cup are on average very strong.

[Pjcr7]

Sweden beat Poland 3:2 to get their world cup ticket, this is the same Swedish team that failed to win a single match during the world cup qualifying rounds. With two draws and six losses they are in the world cup. Twelve goals conceded and four goals scored, bottom of the group but they are in the world cup today. I really don't understand how they qualified for the world play offs with just two points. I'm suspecting it's through the Nations league because that's the only logical explanation as to why they qualified for the play offs.

[changaa]

I will be supporting Turkey in the World Cup because my homeboy Victor Osimhen plays in that country. He had received the support and love from Galastaray, and I cannot take it for granted. I am happy they qualified and hope that they will go far. Vincenzo Montella would have to go back to the drawing board to develop strategies for this competition. Turkey will have to be ready to face the best teams.

If you support the team just because Osimehn plays you are free to make your own choices, i support your choice on the player's skill, but in my opinion Turkey does not have much hope.
They managed to qualify with a lot of effort and gradually if they manage to move forward it will get harder and harder, maybe they won't be able to go far but at least they didn't make a fool of themselves like Italy.

[Pumared]

Snip.

We can only dream of the great Italian team of the past, and we'll never see it again! The current team plays poorly even in matches that should be easy and predictable, and struggles in the open play. So an elimination wouldn't surprise me, considering it wouldn't even be the first time! They need to completely overhaul their playing style, or the results will always be disappointing.

A few days ago, it was reported that the Italian players cheered when they learned that Bosnia would be their opponents in the final to secure a ticket to the World Cup. The joy has now turned into deep sadness as Italy was eliminated from the World Cup and they had to watch the World Cup from home, while Bosnia managed to return to the most prestigious event after 12 years.
In my opinion, Italy failure this time was not due to a weak squad, as they still had quality players. The main factor lay in the coach's ability to formulate strategies. In addition, Italy failure sent a message to other teams to never underestimate any opponent they face, as they might have hidden strengths ready to provide unexpected surprises.

They really messed up and thought they were going to win easily. Seeing their reaction, the Bosnian players must have been even angrier, and that led to this great game between the two. Italy should have celebrated only after the victory.

[Lucius]

If Gattuso doesn't fulfill his promise, he must be ashamed by himself. Even if Gravina prevented him, he should resign from being italy's head coach. He said that like a men, and it's embarrassing if he doesn't do that.

In my believe, if a big football nation unable to qualify for WC, it should be a criminal. that's why the coach deserves the sack along with its football federation president. Do you guys agree?

When you underestimate your opponent like that, it's not realistic to expect you to fulfill what you promised. He knows how to talk a lot, but as a football expert he still needs to learn a lot in order to achieve any kind of success.

How does Carlo Ancelotti feel today, considering that he was 100% convinced that Italy would be at the World Cup?

I wish Gennaro Gattuso the best of luck and I look forward to meeting him at the World Cup. They are 100 percent qualified, or rather 95 percent. Let's leave it to fate. One thing is for sure: Italy will be in a solid group, and Switzerland will be the only really difficult opponent," Carlo Ancelotti said in an interview with Corriere di Ticino.

[Iranus]

Türkiye is placed along with United States, Paraguay and Australia. And I won't be surprised if they finish at the bottom. First of all, Türkiye was unable to secure a qualification slot in the UEFA Round 1 Qualifier. They had to participate in the Round 2 Qualifier as a result. And look at the other teams. United States has the home advantage and also they are a strong team now. Paraguay is a CONMEBOL team and we should never underestimate teams from that confederation. And finally, Australia is one of the strongest teams from AFC and they have moved on from the Tim Cahill era.

I can not completely agree with you. I know that Turkey is not  very strong. But are the other three teams in the group very strong ? I can not consider Paraguay, australia and USA to be  very strong. The performance of these three teams is also quite inconsistent. So Turkey has a chance to get points. I think the four teams here are equally strong. Paraguay might be a bit stronger. But this team's performance is also  inconsistent. They lost to Morocco in the  last match too.

[paco92x]

Despite finishing last in their group, Sweden's qualification for the World Cup via the Nations League quota, playing two matches (and winning both), seems absurd to me. In my opinion, Sweden shouldn't be in this tournament.

Still, you need to win two matches to reach the World Cup, so it’s not that easy. For me, they should be saluted for making it to the World Cup just as much as the remaining three participants. It’s not like they played against San Marino and Trinidad & Tobago—it’s Poland and Ukraine we’re talking about, the toughest draw they could get. They managed to dominate strong countries and deservedly book their tickets to the USA 2026.

[cande86]

As a fan, I can understand your feelings, but I believe FIFA has conducted the qualifying process fairly by adding several countries to the World Cup through a regional competition system. Many of the countries that qualified this time may not be as good as the Nigerian national team in terms of player composition, but they came in as the best in their region. The World Cup is always exciting and exciting, full of surprises every year. A national team as big as Italy failed to qualify this time due to a dramatic loss to Bosnia, despite having one of the best competitions in the world, yet they failed to qualify. I think this FIFA World Cup will be one of the best, because many countries will make the tournament famous, despite their small stature. For our national teams that failed to qualify, we can still support other countries.

ye, in my opinion, this system is leaking on all sides and not because the Italian national football team did not qualify, but because teams that were not able to participate were favored and i believe that everything needs to be reformed, FIFA must decide what is right for excellent football and clean football

[banana33]

Of course, many of us did not expect Italy to fail in the match, and certainly with this series of failures, their football association will overhaul or evaluate thoroughly for the future to be much better. I think the mistakes made by A. Bastoni were the main cause of Italy defeat in the match, Italy was much more careful in terms of attack and tended to maintain their defense. Look at the final statistics of the match, Bosnia dominated Possession up to 59%. If Bastoni hadn't done that in this crucial match, the result would have been very different.

I didn't expect such a disappointment, both for the national team and for my bet, i was almost certain to get a win, but football is unpredictable and the Italian national team is apparently more unpredictable than usual, they had managed to qualify and now with a match that was on paper undemanding they have disappointed all the fans.
It's not the team it used to be, i don't even want to comment on the coach's choices.