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

[retreat]

By the way I got curious when I first heard that Shakira made a song for this World Cup. But I didn't like it... It looks hard to sound even close to "Waka Waka". 

It's not even comparable, even though both songs are from the same artist, but this new one feels forced. But that's just a matter of taste, and some people might like it. But at least it's better than the previous one, which sounded like a Ford commercial, lol.

[hyudien]

Why not England? It look like you are only interested in the squad and not chances of possible winning from the country you don't expect. I don't know how this year world cup is going to play out but I know that country we all assume is going to win might not end up winning at all. Randomness can happen anytime making a different team to come out as winner.

England is good, of course, because they are not short of talents, in fact for now there are too many good players from English soil, but I feel that this English national team is like an Arsenal team, they seem to lack a winning mentality, I quite remember how they played in the last euro final, there was a clear lack of motivation in that match. And the fact is that England lack a great coach from that country, which we know in history they have used more coaches from English soil. Yes, hopefully this year's WC will be different because they are handled by Thomas Tuchel.

[Ale88]

I'm just getting more and more excited as there is only around a month left for the World Cup!    I'm looking forward to Turkey's matches as we are participating finally after 24 years...

The last time we did - which was 2002 World Cup - we finished the competition as the 3rd. I think we can qualify for at least quarter finals in this one. We have really solid talents and experienced players in our squad.

I'm not Turkish but I remember pretty well 2002 Turkey's World Cup, it was absolutely impressing. I even remember Rivaldo faking and tricking the referee. Then there was Hakan Sukur's goal against South Korea in the match for the third place which, I think, still nowadays is the quickest goal ever in a World Cup match. And there was Hasan Sas, great player but too crazy

Honestly it's quite interesting how time flies and also more interesting to know that 2002 was the last time a good team like Turkey last participated in the FIFA World Cup despite having so many great players in their national team. From 2002 till date, I have watch them participated in several European cup events yet I couldn't comprehend how they got left out of several World Cup events for over two decades. In 2002 they finished in third position winning the bronze medal, let's see how well they would perform this time haven missed out of the event in a long while.

I would say that it's also a proof of how hard European qualifications are compared to other parts of the world. In Europe we have teams like Italy, the Nederlands, Turkey, Denmark, Poland, Sweden... And if we go back to 1994 we have also France and England.
In South America there is no way Brazil and Argentina may fail a qualification. Same with Australia, Japan and South Korea in Asia.

[MarjorieZimmermanGinger]

England is good, of course, because they are not short of talents, in fact for now there are too many good players from English soil, but I feel that this English national team is like an Arsenal team, they seem to lack a winning mentality, I quite remember how they played in the last euro final, there was a clear lack of motivation in that match. And the fact is that England lack a great coach from that country, which we know in history they have used more coaches from English soil. Yes, hopefully this year's WC will be different because they are handled by Thomas Tuchel.

But unfortunately they have always failed to achieve the desired results, even though considering the quality of the players, the England national team should be able to do much better, as they have a number of quite good talents. I think the English national team's weakness lies in the coach's ability to maximize their players, making it difficult for them to achieve much better results than they did in previous World Cups and European Championships. We hope Thomas Tuchel can deliver much better results in this World Cup and hopefully England can reach the final.

[Sithara007]

By the way I got curious when I first heard that Shakira made a song for this World Cup. But I didn't like it... It looks hard to sound even close to "Waka Waka". 

It's not even comparable, even though both songs are from the same artist, but this new one feels forced. But that's just a matter of taste, and some people might like it. But at least it's better than the previous one, which sounded like a Ford commercial, lol.

Asking the same artist to perform again for the same tournament reduces the curiosity. Waka Waka created a lot of waves back in 2010, and some of my friends play the song frequently even now. For me, the best World Cup song ever was "The Cup of Life" by Ricky Martin for the 1994 edition. Nothing else can beat the popularity of that song. And I have a feeling that all the other artists tried to match his song in the succeeding tournaments. I listened to the song from Shakira for the 2026 edition, and it actually sounded weird, and not suitable for a mega tournament such as the FIFA World Cup 2026.

[paco92x]

Can you believe that I forgot we didn't play in South Africa? I'm a little bit ashamed right now .

Given all our success, its easy to forgot that we actually managed to miss one world cup.

If I remember correctly, we were in the qualification group with England and Ukraine and somehow managed to finish only 3rd. But that's the thing with European qualifications, few bad games and you are out of World Cup. Unlike South American qualificiations where you can fuck around and still qualify comfortably.  

I think you’re right, and only England managed to go to the World Cup, as Ukraine managed to lose against Greece in the playoffs, if I remember correctly. It’s way, way harder to qualify than in the rest of the world.
In South America, half of the countries qualify — and now even more with the new expansion to 48 teams. European qualification is seriously underrated.

[Rikafip]

In Europe we have teams like Italy, the Nederlands, Turkey, Denmark, Poland, Sweden... And if we go back to 1994 we have also France and England.
In South America there is no way Brazil and Argentina may fail a qualification. Same with Australia, Japan and South Korea in Asia.

If Isreal (and some other non europeam countries) can play at Euro qualifications, maybe some of european ones should move into another confederation? 

I think you’re right, and only England managed to go to the World Cup, as Ukraine managed to lose against Greece in the playoffs, if I remember correctly. It’s way, way harder to qualify than in the rest of the world.

That part I don't remember, that Greece kicked out Ukraine at the playoffs. All I remember were damn vuvuzelas.

[chinhar]

Brazil are making a very bold move, they are signing Carlo Ancelotti to a long-term contract until 2030. This would allow Ancelotti to manage Brazil at two World Cups, with even the possibility of an extension afterward. It really looks like they see him as a long-term project for the national team.

Still, I think a lot will depend on how Brazil perform at the upcoming World Cup. But this move itself may already be a sign that Brazil truly trust Ancelotti and want to work with him over the long term.

They're putting a lot of faith in Ancelotti, and we hope this doesn't create too much pressure and difficulty for him. As for managing the team, he'll do great, but he needs to create stability for the World Cup, which they haven't won since 2002. In any case, such a long contract is certainly also designed to nurture new Brazilian talent.

[ITExpert]

I would say that it's also a proof of how hard European qualifications are compared to other parts of the world. In Europe we have teams like Italy, the Nederlands, Turkey, Denmark, Poland, Sweden... And if we go back to 1994 we have also France and England.
In South America there is no way Brazil and Argentina may fail a qualification. Same with Australia, Japan and South Korea in Asia.

Their power and struggle will be super and they participate in it every time but Europe also played FIFA cup and anyway there is a lot of demand for it in the German league. Although I have seen that some players put a lot of try and effort to join the European teams. I am more impressed by Turkey and Italy in Europe so I understand their performing and power more. Then England played their games with a lot of strength and that team worked the most. In 1994 the European team was ahead but Italy could not win this final by 1 goal. This year too we will see a strong team of FIFA cup with a nice performance and power which includes a lot of teams. This time we will see the best effort from each team and they will try their best to seize this opportunity.

[Lida93]

Honestly it's quite interesting how time flies and also more interesting to know that 2002 was the last time a good team like Turkey last participated in the FIFA World Cup despite having so many great players in their national team. From 2002 till date, I have watch them participated in several European cup events yet I couldn't comprehend how they got left out of several World Cup events for over two decades. In 2002 they finished in third position winning the bronze medal, let's see how well they would perform this time haven missed out of the event in a long while.

I would say that it's also a proof of how hard European qualifications are compared to other parts of the world. In Europe we have teams like Italy, the Nederlands, Turkey, Denmark, Poland, Sweden... And if we go back to 1994 we have also France and England.
In South America there is no way Brazil and Argentina may fail a qualification. Same with Australia, Japan and South Korea in Asia.

Yeah it's true about how tough the qualification stages for the European countries to the World Cup usually is but with some of the other continents you have mentioned you should also consider the number of countries in total that makes up the continent and how many of them there are really enthusiastic football nations just as we have them in Europe. However, I think it's right to say same thing about the African continent where football rules there as one of their top priorities sport and with many nations, a hard competition which has kept a football nation like Cameroon, and Nigeria particularly Nigeria out of the World Cup for straight 3 times including this year tournament.

[LUCKMCFLY]

They're putting a lot of faith in Ancelotti, and we hope this doesn't create too much pressure and difficulty for him. As for managing the team, he'll do great, but he needs to create stability for the World Cup, which they haven't won since 2002. In any case, such a long contract is certainly also designed to nurture new Brazilian talent.

They should put their faith in the Brazilian players. Ancelotti only sets the strategies; the players are the ones who have to play and play well. Now they have Neymar, and for me, he's the best player in Brazil. If they have him, then things will go well. I don't see that as being too complicated. They're the best South American team, but it pains me to say it because I'm South American, but I think that right now Europe has a better team. Any of the big European countries has a great team, and the World Cup could stay in Europe.

[Obim34]

They're putting a lot of faith in Ancelotti, and we hope this doesn't create too much pressure and difficulty for him. As for managing the team, he'll do great, but he needs to create stability for the World Cup, which they haven't won since 2002. In any case, such a long contract is certainly also designed to nurture new Brazilian talent.

Pressure on Ancelotti, he is old enough in the game to withstand pressure. If the Brazilians can play his tactics very, I'm sure Brazil will go far in the tournament. Brazil has one of the best attacking force, Vini and Raphina put together, that is trouble for defenders.

Brazil don't look too favorable to win the World Cup, but they will make a strong name in the competition.

[Ale88]

Honestly it's quite interesting how time flies and also more interesting to know that 2002 was the last time a good team like Turkey last participated in the FIFA World Cup despite having so many great players in their national team. From 2002 till date, I have watch them participated in several European cup events yet I couldn't comprehend how they got left out of several World Cup events for over two decades. In 2002 they finished in third position winning the bronze medal, let's see how well they would perform this time haven missed out of the event in a long while.

I would say that it's also a proof of how hard European qualifications are compared to other parts of the world. In Europe we have teams like Italy, the Nederlands, Turkey, Denmark, Poland, Sweden... And if we go back to 1994 we have also France and England.
In South America there is no way Brazil and Argentina may fail a qualification. Same with Australia, Japan and South Korea in Asia.

Yeah it's true about how tough the qualification stages for the European countries to the World Cup usually is but with some of the other continents you have mentioned you should also consider the number of countries in total that makes up the continent and how many of them there are really enthusiastic football nations just as we have them in Europe. However, I think it's right to say same thing about the African continent where football rules there as one of their top priorities sport and with many nations, a hard competition which has kept a football nation like Cameroon, and Nigeria particularly Nigeria out of the World Cup for straight 3 times including this year tournament.

Africa is interesting because I see more, how can I call it, generational rotation? Growing up Nigeria and Camerun were the best teams in Africa, now they almost disappeared from the football map; in 2002 we had Senegal which was a huge surprise; then over the years we saw Ivory Coast, Ghana, Morocco... But I don't feel like we have really consistent teams over the years: maybe they produce a lot of good players for 5-10 years and then the level drops and somebody else replaces them. It's kind of a unique situation.

[paco92x]

Why not England? It look like you are only interested in the squad and not chances of possible winning from the country you don't expect. I don't know how this year world cup is going to play out but I know that country we all assume is going to win might not end up winning at all. Randomness can happen anytime making a different team to come out as winner.

England, as always, has a good team, but they are always too cocky for me — both the team and especially the fans — and I think that reflects on their karma. England has had even better teams in the past and still achieved nothing, in my opinion. The furthest they can go is the semifinals and then a battle for third place.

[Inwestour]

Pressure on Ancelotti, he is old enough in the game to withstand pressure. If the Brazilians can play his tactics very, I'm sure Brazil will go far in the tournament. Brazil has one of the best attacking force, Vini and Raphina put together, that is trouble for defenders.

Brazil don't look too favorable to win the World Cup, but they will make a strong name in the competition.

Brazil has many good players to build a very strong team. And Brazil believes in Carlo Ancelotti, that he will be able to do it and achieve very good results at the World Cup. He has proven himself many times with different clubs and achieved great success on the international stage. I think that if he is given enough time with Brazil, he will do the same there.

[shinratensei_]

Even though i am sad about Italy's failure to qualify for the World Cup, i think i will watch the World Cup carefully, because when it starts it is always very exciting and the teams are always very excited, i can't wait to see what Spain and France will do, honestly, two very strong teams.

I believe France can do well because all of their players are ready. Even Deschamps has called Kante back to the squad. So i think they still have their intensity to show excelent performance. Meanwhile, i'm doubting Spain to cook in the current WC. Both Yamal and Williams are still struggling with their injuries.
Without both of them in their squad. Spain is nothing. The problem is that their Spain’s depth on the wings is really poor right now. I also see none in their squad that can subs both of wingers when they're injuries.

[Oluwa-btc]

Why not England? It look like you are only interested in the squad and not chances of possible winning from the country you don't expect. I don't know how this year world cup is going to play out but I know that country we all assume is going to win might not end up winning at all. Randomness can happen anytime making a different team to come out as winner.

England, as always, has a good team, but they are always too cocky for me — both the team and especially the fans — and I think that reflects on their karma. England has had even better teams in the past and still achieved nothing, in my opinion. The furthest they can go is the semifinals and then a battle for third place.

And with the new guy Thomas Tuchel in charge,  I still do not deem them worthy champions in this upcoming FIFA world cup.

Harry Kane seems to be in a super great form though, if he gets good enough creativity from.the flanks, he'll sure produce goals. A good FIFA World Cup Competition will determine if he wins the Ballon d'Or next season. He did well.

[Noorooo]

Even though i am sad about Italy's failure to qualify for the World Cup, i think i will watch the World Cup carefully, because when it starts it is always very exciting and the teams are always very excited, i can't wait to see what Spain and France will do, honestly, two very strong teams.

I believe France can do well because all of their players are ready. Even Deschamps has called Kante back to the squad. So i think they still have their intensity to show excelent performance. Meanwhile, i'm doubting Spain to cook in the current WC. Both Yamal and Williams are still struggling with their injuries.
Without both of them in their squad. Spain is nothing. The problem is that their Spain’s depth on the wings is really poor right now. I also see none in their squad that can subs both of wingers when they're injuries.

I also have huge expectations from the France team and I m really excited to watch Kylian Mbappe as captain. I hope this time he will do something even more amazing because in the last World Cup final he surprised the whole football community with his incredible performance. France has a very strong squad again and they have a high chance of going far in the tournament. Many people including me believe that France will once again be one of the most dangerous teams in the World Cup.

[Mate2237]

Even though i am sad about Italy's failure to qualify for the World Cup, i think i will watch the World Cup carefully, because when it starts it is always very exciting and the teams are always very excited, i can't wait to see what Spain and France will do, honestly, two very strong teams.

I believe France can do well because all of their players are ready. Even Deschamps has called Kante back to the squad. So i think they still have their intensity to show excelent performance. Meanwhile, i'm doubting Spain to cook in the current WC. Both Yamal and Williams are still struggling with their injuries.
Without both of them in their squad. Spain is nothing. The problem is that their Spain’s depth on the wings is really poor right now. I also see none in their squad that can subs both of wingers when they're injuries.

With the current crop of players that France has , France is one of the favorite teams going into the world cup. France were not lucky in the last world cup as they lost in the finals of Messi Argentina. I believe that France can still make it to the finals in this edition too. Looking at the players in the France team even though the final list is not out France has talent in all the positions which can compete with any player in the world.


It will be a great achievement if France can make it to the world cup final again, that if be historic because, that is like setting a record for straight three times in a row. For player like mpape winning the world cup again will be a good one for their careers.

[Lida93]

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Yeah it's true about how tough the qualification stages for the European countries to the World Cup usually is but with some of the other continents you have mentioned you should also consider the number of countries in total that makes up the continent and how many of them there are really enthusiastic football nations just as we have them in Europe. However, I think it's right to say same thing about the African continent where football rules there as one of their top priorities sport and with many nations, a hard competition which has kept a football nation like Cameroon, and Nigeria particularly Nigeria out of the World Cup for straight 3 times including this year tournament.

Africa is interesting because I see more, how can I call it, generational rotation? Growing up Nigeria and Camerun were the best teams in Africa, now they almost disappeared from the football map; in 2002 we had Senegal which was a huge surprise; then over the years we saw Ivory Coast, Ghana, Morocco... But I don't feel like we have really consistent teams over the years: maybe they produce a lot of good players for 5-10 years and then the level drops and somebody else replaces them. It's kind of a unique situation.

Quite true, there has being some significant revolution in African football in the last two decades which has seen different countries in African football emerged in the world map, the likes of Senegal, the Ivorians, Nigeria, Ghana etc, but neither of these countries were consistent during their time of dominance which brings me to the topic of continuity which is something that is missing in African football, in the last 3 World Cup events. We have seen countries like Argentina and France played in two finals respectively due to vigorous investment in football but in Africa you never see that happening.