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

[banana33]

Maybe he had high expectations for Portugal in the last World Cup and was disappointed when they crashed out of the tournament in the quarterfinals. I am also surprised that he is rating them low just because they lost in the quarterfinals. Even the defending champions, Argentina, lost to Saudi Arabia.

Portugal has been unlucky in the World Cup, yet the country can boast of some of the best players in the world. They also have a coach with a wealth of experience. Roberto Martínez has been able to manage the talents at his disposal. And working with top players like Ronaldo could be demanding.

expectations are very high for this team, they are clearly one of the favorite teams, and having someone like Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch, even if he is old, in my opinion always makes the difference and those who say no don't understand much about football, the experience he has is a gift for other young people who are in the team!

[changaa]

Now most of the top sports organizations are having the same policies they never care about players or their lives. They love to have money for their own things; it is getting worse day by day, but there is no change coming because they understand no one can stand against them. They are in power, and they are controlling all things. FIFA has its own policies because they are controlled by people who are powerful and understand how to have influence.

This World Cup is going to bring a lot of changes, and even mostly they are not acceptable, but still they are going to work in the future as well. Ticket prices are going to be big issues, but no one cares about this because they want only rich people to be entertained, and they are having enough influence to bring them and enjoy this game on their own.

sports organizations don't give a damn about anything, they look after their own interests and when it comes to supporting players or teams or people who are fans, they don't care and continue to ask for money, more and more, this is their purpose and that of whoever manages them, as it always has been and as it always will be, there must be a radical change there is no doubt about this

[Franctoshi]

People will like to watch C. Ronaldo performance on the pitch in this World Cup but I don't think he will be playing like before again. And as you said he will not play full time but probably he can run like 30 to 40 minutes of the first half and will be substituted. And C. Ronaldo will like to be celebrated so he will like to score goals.

Scoring goals is one of his missions to reach 1k, it was already his plan for the last world cup he had...
As for playing time, it won't be long, it won't be like it was in the previous world cup, with his current physique and declining form, he can only play for a short time, 40 minutes is great in my opinion.
What's interesting is that his ambition has not been extinguished to be the best of the best, so he wants to make history by forcing his age to keep playing.

Currently Ronaldo's form has declined so badly that he can't do more than what he has done in the previous years, except for a reason of luck; he and the entire team showcased a quality display in the World Cup. In terms of scoring goals, Ronaldo is well known for his goal-scoring skills and definitely will have a good moment with that if he's being given more play time in the World Cup. I don't know how possible it will be for him to cap 1000 career goals.

[Agbe]

Scoring goals is one of his missions to reach 1k, it was already his plan for the last world cup he had...
As for playing time, it won't be long, it won't be like it was in the previous world cup, with his current physique and declining form, he can only play for a short time, 40 minutes is great in my opinion.
What's interesting is that his ambition has not been extinguished to be the best of the best, so he wants to make history by forcing his age to keep playing.

He will be playing a gentle man game and will not be rough as before again base on his age but with very skillful dribbling which the opponents might understand the movement for him to score. He will not run fast like others but will be skillful. Any chance giving to him will be utilized. And he will be skip in some of the matches to gather strength for the important matches.

[Zlantann]

at the 2026 world cup, players who are making their tournament debut will wear the following special 'debut' patch on their jerseys
after the game, the patch will be removed from the jersey and incorporated into a Fanatics collectible card to create a collectible item
this means that whenever a player takes the pitch for the first time at this world cup, his jersey will feature this extra detail
as a result, there will be entire nations participating in the wc for the first time, where all the players will be equipped with this patch

This is another business idea from FIFA. These match-worn memorabilia would be traded when Fanatics starts the deal with FIFA in 2031. Since there would be many debutants, many badges would be collected which would be good business for those involved. Fans, players and even the government of these nations would want to buy these collectibles.  It's not a new idea in football since the Debut Patch is popularly used in American sports leagues.

[giammangiato]

at the 2026 world cup, players who are making their tournament debut will wear the following special 'debut' patch on their jerseys
after the game, the patch will be removed from the jersey and incorporated into a Fanatics collectible card to create a collectible item
this means that whenever a player takes the pitch for the first time at this world cup, his jersey will feature this extra detail
as a result, there will be entire nations participating in the wc for the first time, where all the players will be equipped with this patch

This is another business idea from FIFA. These match-worn memorabilia would be traded when Fanatics starts the deal with FIFA in 2031. Since there would be many debutants, many badges would be collected which would be good business for those involved. Fans, players and even the government of these nations would want to buy these collectibles.  It's not a new idea in football since the Debut Patch is popularly used in American sports leagues.

Collectibles take time to gain value, and not everyone will get the desired result, but I won't deny that I would like one from even a less "important" player, even though I consider everyone important if they play in this competition.
I honestly wasn't aware of this, I'm not a professional collector, but I love these things, I always see them as a good investment not only financially, but also historically speaking.

[Italian Panic]

This is another business idea from FIFA. These match-worn memorabilia would be traded when Fanatics starts the deal with FIFA in 2031. Since there would be many debutants, many badges would be collected which would be good business for those involved. Fans, players and even the government of these nations would want to buy these collectibles.  It's not a new idea in football since the Debut Patch is popularly used in American sports leagues.

I can’t help thinking that FIFA is in a bit of a bind, having to resort to these collectables or memorabilia. To be honest, I don’t see much point in it other than generating the usual revenue; it would make more sense to give a unique patch to someone playing in their fourth or fifth World Cup, because that’s a remarkable achievement, or to the tournament’s top scorer, or to the man of the match in the next game.

[Ale88]

It makes me wonder what metrics you have used to exclude Portugal from top 10 nation team in the world.

I can answer you for him: the metrics used is called "not knowing anything about football". It's that simple. And I see that at least pretty much everybody agrees that 99% of his posts don't make any sense. I understand football, just like many thinks in life, can be subjective: you prefer a certain team/player, I prefer a different one. But excluding Portugal from the 10 best teams in the world doesn't make any sense unless you have no idea of what you are talking about. And I don't care at all about Portugal, I'm not Portuguese, I don't support any Portuguese team and I'm not even a Ronaldo fan. But I can't deny they have a very good team, probably the best they had since 2004-2006.

[Obim34]

He will be playing a gentle man game and will not be rough as before again base on his age but with very skillful dribbling which the opponents might understand the movement for him to score. He will not run fast like others but will be skillful. Any chance giving to him will be utilized. And he will be skip in some of the matches to gather strength for the important matches.

Last opportunity for Ronaldo in the World Cup, there is nothing there to play like a gentle man, if he truly wants to win a World Cup trophy before his final retirement, he needs to put more effort, going gentle will only cause the team lapses.

Age is always a big factor for him, he won’t play full time but when giving the opportunity, he should put in maximum effort, aside from him close to his retirement, there are other young stars in the club missing the opportunity to win the Cup for another for years, all players must use max efforts in every fixture.

[Lida93]

Maybe he had high expectations for Portugal in the last World Cup and was disappointed when they crashed out of the tournament in the quarterfinals. I am also surprised that he is rating them low just because they lost in the quarterfinals. Even the defending champions, Argentina, lost to Saudi Arabia.

Portugal has been unlucky in the World Cup, yet the country can boast of some of the best players in the world. They also have a coach with a wealth of experience. Roberto Martínez has been able to manage the talents at his disposal. And working with top players like Ronaldo could be demanding.

Yes, Portugal could boast of having some of the best players in the world but all that amounts to nothing when the team cannot also boast of winning the World Cup at any point in time even with the presence of these great players within their squad.
In this upcoming World Cup, they would stand another chance but I doubt it they could win it, they actually have all it takes but I still don't think they will win it, I think the French national team, the Argentines and the Brazilians are the three main teams to look out for.

[eaLiTy]

~
I beg to differ. In the Portugal national football team, there are several skilled players that also stand out in the team alongside Ronaldo. No doubt, Ronaldo is an amazing player and still pushing his boundaries but there are others in the squad that are as skilled and dangerous on the field.
I also don't think they solely depend on Ronaldo. We should note that he's their striker and an obvious threat when facing the goalie so it's only natural they'll pass along the ball to him for him to try and score.

Portugal have players like Bruno Fernandes who plays for Manchester United, Rúben Dias who plays for Manchester City, Vitinha who plays for PSG and they will miss Diogo Jota who passed away last year due to a tragic accident.

~
People will like to watch C. Ronaldo performance on the pitch in this World Cup but I don't think he will be playing like before again. And as you said he will not play full time but probably he can run like 30 to 40 minutes of the first half and will be substituted. And C. Ronaldo will like to be celebrated so he will like to score goals.

As a football fan there was a time everyone used to watch and follow all the matches whenever Cristiano Ronaldo is on the field but he is 41 now and he will have his limitations but it is really amazing to see that he is still fully fit to lead the team and hopefully he remains injury free throughout the tournament.

[LUCKMCFLY]

Currently Ronaldo's form has declined so badly that he can't do more than what he has done in the previous years, except for a reason of luck; he and the entire team showcased a quality display in the World Cup. In terms of scoring goals, Ronaldo is well known for his goal-scoring skills and definitely will have a good moment with that if he's being given more play time in the World Cup. I don't know how possible it will be for him to cap 1000 career goals.

Many people see it that way, I don't. In fact, the way he's such an athlete puts him way ahead of many young players. However, I understand why they say that because of his age. I'm someone who really believes in what he does, and I hope he shines in the World Cup. I hope that's the case, and I think if he reaches 1000 goals, he'll win everything in Saudi Arabia. It would be a great way to end his career.

[Mate2237]

If Portugal wants to make it far in the world cup, then they should not rely on Ronaldo, he should come in only as a substitute this is because Ronaldo can't compete favorably with the rest of the players especially in the world cup were we have only the best of countries and players around the world. Ronaldo has past his prime and that is the fact I don't see anything spectacular that Ronaldo will be offering in this world cup.


Portugal has a lot of talents which I believe can perform very well, so Ronaldo should be given a lesser role to play in this Portuguese team, if the coach do the mistake of making Ronaldo the center of the team they may not go too far in the world cup.

[Jaycoinz]

Maybe he had high expectations for Portugal in the last World Cup and was disappointed when they crashed out of the tournament in the quarterfinals. I am also surprised that he is rating them low just because they lost in the quarterfinals. Even the defending champions, Argentina, lost to Saudi Arabia.

Portugal has been unlucky in the World Cup, yet the country can boast of some of the best players in the world. They also have a coach with a wealth of experience. Roberto Martínez has been able to manage the talents at his disposal. And working with top players like Ronaldo could be demanding.

Yes, Portugal could boast of having some of the best players in the world but all that amounts to nothing when the team cannot also boast of winning the World Cup at any point in time even with the presence of these great players within their squad.
In this upcoming World Cup, they would stand another chance but I doubt it they could win it, they actually have all it takes but I still don't think they will win it, I think the French national team, the Argentines and the Brazilians are the three main teams to look out for.

It's a big competition and it's not that easy too, but the least they can do is to try and keep trying even if Ronaldo leave the team and retire, with the kind of progress that is on the national team I believe it will get to a point where they might actually be able to lift the trophy because even teams that are bigger than Portugal find it hard to win that trophy so I think they have shown that they are not a small side and can compete but the trophy will be the final backup from all the critics in football.

[$crypto$]

The World Cup Sountrack has been leaked and it's called “Dai Dai” Shakira is back with her previous memorable song from the 2010 World Cup in Africa.

The song will be released on May 14.

If Portugal wants to make it far in the world cup, then they should not rely on Ronaldo, he should come in only as a substitute this is because Ronaldo can't compete favorably with the rest of the players especially in the world cup were we have only the best of countries and players around the world. Ronaldo has past his prime and that is the fact I don't see anything spectacular that Ronaldo will be offering in this world cup.

Let the coach take care of it.
But honestly Ronaldo has a big influence on Portugal, not just in terms of goal ambitions but he just wants to bring his team more and many other players are motivated.

[retreat]

Honestly, in Portugal, the only player who stands out is Cristiano Ronaldo, and to make Portugal a competitive team, you can't rely solely on one player! Which is what they do; just because you have Cristiano in the team doesn't mean the rest shouldn't be important. And that's precisely why they struggle in the World Cup.

It is natural that Cristiano Ronaldo stands out the most in the Portugal squad because even though the current Portugal national team is filled with golden generation players, no one has been able to match what Ronaldo has achieved, so he is respected in this team. Although his performance is currently not as sharp as it used to be, I think that he is still very worthy of competing at the World Cup level because his experience and winning mentality are still extraordinary. So right now it depends on Martinez how he is able to manage the players' egos, because that is also a key so that they are able to work together effectively on the pitch and can maximise the potential that they have.

[katanic97]

Honestly, in Portugal, the only player who stands out is Cristiano Ronaldo, and to make Portugal a competitive team, you can't rely solely on one player! Which is what they do; just because you have Cristiano in the team doesn't mean the rest shouldn't be important. And that's precisely why they struggle in the World Cup.

It is natural that Cristiano Ronaldo stands out the most in the Portugal squad because even though the current Portugal national team is filled with golden generation players, no one has been able to match what Ronaldo has achieved, so he is respected in this team. Although his performance is currently not as sharp as it used to be, I think that he is still very worthy of competing at the World Cup level because his experience and winning mentality are still extraordinary. So right now it depends on Martinez how he is able to manage the players' egos, because that is also a key so that they are able to work together effectively on the pitch and can maximise the potential that they have.

I think Ronaldo could help Roberto Martinez more by coming off the bench and playing when he’s really needed, instead of pushing himself to play every single minute. He’s still a top level player, but he’s obviously not at the same level as before and he’s nowhere near as fast as he used to be.All of that affects the way Portugal plays, but this current squad really does look like a golden generation of players

[MarjorieZimmermanGinger]

It is natural that Cristiano Ronaldo stands out the most in the Portugal squad because even though the current Portugal national team is filled with golden generation players, no one has been able to match what Ronaldo has achieved, so he is respected in this team. Although his performance is currently not as sharp as it used to be, I think that he is still very worthy of competing at the World Cup level because his experience and winning mentality are still extraordinary. So right now it depends on Martinez how he is able to manage the players' egos, because that is also a key so that they are able to work together effectively on the pitch and can maximise the potential that they have.

He has reached the highest level and has considerable experience in the world of football, as his career has progressed remarkably well. It's natural that he's still needed because even though many of Portugal's other squads are filled with players from the golden generation, he remains a significant figure. Cristiano Ronaldo is a leader in the squad, so his presence is still very much needed by the team. Portugal could be the favorite to win this World Cup because I believe they have a golden generation and a number of quite complex players. Now it's up to Martinez to build this team to be more solid and capable of giving their best and managing player egos is crucial.

[STT]

If Portugal wants to make it far in the world cup, then they should not rely on Ronaldo, he should come in only as a substitute this is because Ronaldo can't compete favorably with the rest of the players especially in the world cup were we have only the best of countries and players around the world. Ronaldo has past his prime and that is the fact I don't see anything spectacular that Ronaldo will be offering in this world cup.


Portugal has a lot of talents which I believe can perform very well, so Ronaldo should be given a lesser role to play in this Portuguese team, if the coach do the mistake of making Ronaldo the center of the team they may not go too far in the world cup.

Reminds me way back of Beckham with the England team at the end of his career.  He was realistic in his role and came mostly as an aid to the coach bringing experience and some motivation for the rest of the players who may have less knowledge of international football.
  That might be the best role for Ronaldo now, what a great name to have on the sidelines as a threat.  You might bring Ronaldo on to score some amazing goal but not for the majority or entirety of the whole match played is more unlikely.

[Catenaccio]

Reminds me way back of Beckham with the England team at the end of his career.  He was realistic in his role and came mostly as an aid to the coach bringing experience and some motivation for the rest of the players who may have less knowledge of international football.
  That might be the best role for Ronaldo now, what a great name to have on the sidelines as a threat.  You might bring Ronaldo on to score some amazing goal but not for the majority or entirety of the whole match played is more unlikely.

Star players must realize their body changes with ageing that affect their fitness and performance quality, after that they will know what to do for the best of themselves and for their teams, either club team or national team. Football is a sport of team working, and a team win or lose matches, titles together so if old star players are aware of these things, as well as feel comfortable to take and adapt to their new roles, they will feel more comfortably and happily with what they do.

It will bring peace to their teams that can be foundation for better performances of a team, and together they might be able to achieve big things like winning titles together. Your example of David Beckham is very right, and Cristiano Ronaldo even he has very high ego and ambition, must realize his weakness now as well as how his teammates are very strong, so if they can work together well and peacefully, they can win World Cup 2026.