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

[Oluwa-btc]

People are still newly getting over the end of local leagues I guess. Besides there is still a Champions League final match ahead. People are mostly locked in for that tomorrow.

But I really can't wait for the World Cup to start. Because it is really special for Turkish people this time. Turkey have joined the tournament after 24 years.

Just as we became the 3rd in 2002 World Cup I hope we reach at least quarter finals this time.

With the Champions League competition decided already, we can now switch all focus to the FIFA World Cup Competition.

I have also being keeping tabs on Turkish national team because Arda Güler is a player I love to watch. With Paraguay, USA and Australia in your group, I believe your nation finishes at the top with 7 points or 9.
Your first game comes up on the 14th 9f June against Australia, a game to ace because you have previously done just the same on different occasions.

[MarjorieZimmermanGinger]

Although Cristiano Ronaldo is Portugal’s captain and, in some respects, can still be decisive, particularly when it comes to motivating his teammates, I think it’s only right to take his age into account. Portugal can also count on players who are developing very well in his position, so it will be natural, after the World Cup, to move on from Cristiano Ronaldo and build a team that can carry on without him, giving others the responsibility to step up.

Cristiano Ronaldo still plays a significant role for the Portuguese national team. His experience and maturity will help the team improve, and his presence in the team can also pose a threat to other national teams. For this World Cup, I believe Cristiano Ronaldo is still needed and if the Portuguese national team wants to emerge from his shadow and build a more optimal squad, it can do so after the World Cup. The Portuguese national team doesn't lack quality players and even the young players they have are quite good, but in terms of experience, Cristiano Ronaldo's presence is still very much needed.

[StarenseN]

Ronaldo playing in the 2030 World Cup? Roberto Martinez might be right because Ronaldo is still in good form at 41years. The player takes good care of his body through adequate training and an appropriate diet. But I think it is too early to start marking such predictions. Most football fans are closely watching how the World Cup this year will turn out for two of the greatest players, Ronaldo and Messi. Portugal has a very good side but they are not my favorite to win the competition.

You’re kind of right if we look at it from a perspective that ronaldo “must play” and have to win. Ronaldo can be fit to play but he gets the spot in portugal’s team now that’s not guranteed. In the 2022 worldcup ronaldo was benched so now think of it from that POV that will he even be selected for portugal national team at the age of 45 in the 2030 world cup though he was benched in 2022 ??. Well his selection also depends on hi performance in this World cup but I don’t think he will perform moreover it’s even hard for him to start every match in the WC.

What Ronaldo has as advantage in Portugal is that, there are no pure strikers that came out in the last years that could bench him. Not like they had Mbappe level of player and they still preferred Ronaldo, they just do not have any.

The only other player that plays the same position as Ronaldo is Goncalo Ramos, and they do play him sometimes, not like he never gets minutes, but to be fair, even a 41 year old Ronaldo as good as him, so there isn't a clear better player in his position at Portugal.

[allthebitandbobs]

Ronaldo playing in the 2030 World Cup? Roberto Martinez might be right because Ronaldo is still in good form at 41years. The player takes good care of his body through adequate training and an appropriate diet. But I think it is too early to start marking such predictions. Most football fans are closely watching how the World Cup this year will turn out for two of the greatest players, Ronaldo and Messi. Portugal has a very good side but they are not my favorite to win the competition.

Ronaldo's fitness is still quite good. But the  possibility that he will play in the next world cup is very small. And if Ronaldo plays in the next World Cup, it will be a new record. No 45 year old forward has ever played in a world cup. The oldest player on the list was Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary. He played in the 2018 world cup. He was  45 years and 5 months old. In second place is colombia goalkeeper Faryd mondragon. He was 43 years old. Ronaldo is probably in fourth place on the list of the oldest players in the world cup of all time.

Cristiano Ronaldo is currently 41 years old, and he is now waiting to complete 1000 goals. This could be a big milestone. After this, he is going to retire from soccer. There is nothing to wait for another World Cup because this could be the last for him, and he can achieve things that he needs to do before retirement.

Even though there are things to talk about, still, this could be the last chapter of his career, where he will perform and try to end his career with a win in the FIFA World Cup for his country, Portugal. His body and fitness are amazing; this could be motivation for millions in the future because it has never been easy to keep things on level at this age as a sportsman.

[dezoel]

There is nothing unpredictable about them, they are a "decent" team but not enough to win the whole thing.

I can see that already, they do not have enough good quality players to win the world cup, they have enough to maybe get out of the group stage as expected instead of fail like last time, but that is about it, I can't see them going further and further into finals.

There are plenty of other great teams, Argentina, France, Spain, plenty of teams out there who are looking much stronger than Germany.

Few European countries lost their quality and consistency drastically in the last few years Germany is one of them. Their current squad is not having enough depth to go through and win this event. Even I am not sure about their top 8 spot because it's going to be challenging for them. Their preparations are good but they need to do work on their squad depth.

Their attack is also not like it was a few years back. Having good results is not looking easy for them, but this could be good for them if they are able to stay in good standing and have positive results in the long run. Few youngsters are capable of doing good in the future.

[Oluwa-btc]

Cristiano Ronaldo will retire after this World Cup if Portugal win it because he will be seen as a legend in his country but also in the World. Otherwise if Portugal fails early, he will continue playing international competitions like UEFA EURO, Nations Cup and it depends from what he thinks about his fitness, if Portugal succeed in winning something and he is tired, he will stop, otherwise he will try to continue as much as possible. I agree that the next World Cup is quite far for him.

I concur!

It is either he wins the FIFA World Cup Competition or completes 1000 career goals. These are the two reasons I think will lead him towards retirement. He is almost close towards achieving it for the 1000 goals but the World Cup Competition comes with a whole lot of hustle and bussle. I still prays he lifts it.
He has done too much for this nation, it is time for the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha and the rest to work hard, nothing is impossible!

[Minor Miner]

I have also being keeping tabs on Turkish national team because Arda Güler is a player I love to watch. With Paraguay, USA and Australia in your group, I believe your nation finishes at the top with 7 points or 9.
Your first game comes up on the 14th 9f June against Australia, a game to ace because you have previously done just the same on different occasions.

Although I am not a Real Madrid fan, I still like Arda Guler. This 21-year-old is slowly gaining experience. He has played quite well in the Madrid jersey. Arda Guler is a talented player, even if he is not very experienced. He is expected to play well in the Turkiye jersey in this World Cup.

Turkiye is in Group D. The other three opponents can not be considered very strong. Turkiye will play against USA, Paraguay and Australia. Even if the opponents are not very strong, if they do not play well, Turkiye will not be able to go to the next round. International matches are always unpredictable. We have seen many times the underdog team perform well and win.

[Danica22]

Cristiano Ronaldo still plays a significant role for the Portuguese national team. His experience and maturity will help the team improve, and his presence in the team can also pose a threat to other national teams. For this World Cup, I believe Cristiano Ronaldo is still needed and if the Portuguese national team wants to emerge from his shadow and build a more optimal squad, it can do so after the World Cup. The Portuguese national team doesn't lack quality players and even the young players they have are quite good, but in terms of experience, Cristiano Ronaldo's presence is still very much needed.

Ronaldo is 41 years old now. But he is still in great shape. Especially Ronaldo's fitness is still very good. He has scored a lot of goals in the Saudi Pro League this season. He is very experienced. And that is why he can help the Portugal team well. Also, this time the Portugal squad is also very strong. But the problem is that the relationship between the players of Portugal is not so good. If the situation in the dressing room of Portugal is good,and if  there is no internal conflict, then we will see Portugal at least in the semi-finals of this World Cup.

[Altryist]

Cristiano Ronaldo still plays a significant role for the Portuguese national team. His experience and maturity will help the team improve, and his presence in the team can also pose a threat to other national teams. For this World Cup, I believe Cristiano Ronaldo is still needed and if the Portuguese national team wants to emerge from his shadow and build a more optimal squad, it can do so after the World Cup. The Portuguese national team doesn't lack quality players and even the young players they have are quite good, but in terms of experience, Cristiano Ronaldo's presence is still very much needed.

There are other highly experienced players in the Portugal national team besides Cristiano Ronaldo, so I think his greatest value to the team should not be limited to his experience alone, but rather to his ability to score goals for Portugal. I think it will become clear after a few group stage matches how much the team can rely on him. If the younger players perform better than he does, then I believe preference should be given to those who are playing better and scoring goals. Ronaldo is an experienced player, but he is no longer young. I can easily imagine that, despite being in good form, he may not be ready to play all 90 minutes at full intensity and commitment.

[hd49728]

What Ronaldo has as advantage in Portugal is that, there are no pure strikers that came out in the last years that could bench him. Not like they had Mbappe level of player and they still preferred Ronaldo, they just do not have any.

The only other player that plays the same position as Ronaldo is Goncalo Ramos, and they do play him sometimes, not like he never gets minutes, but to be fair, even a 41 year old Ronaldo as good as him, so there isn't a clear better player in his position at Portugal.

He will be supported by very strong midfielders with Vittinha, Joao Neves, Bruno Fernandez and even Joao Felix as a forward. Ronaldo will have to prepare for substitutions during the World Cup and must feel comfortable with matches when he is substituted or start on bench, as his priority will be winning the World Cup title, not like playing more minutes, scoring more goals for his World Cup record.

Although I am not a Real Madrid fan, I still like Arda Guler. This 21-year-old is slowly gaining experience. He has played quite well in the Madrid jersey. Arda Guler is a talented player, even if he is not very experienced. He is expected to play well in the Turkiye jersey in this World Cup.

Turkiye is in Group D. The other three opponents can not be considered very strong. Turkiye will play against USA, Paraguay and Australia. Even if the opponents are not very strong, if they do not play well, Turkiye will not be able to go to the next round. International matches are always unpredictable. We have seen many times the underdog team perform well and win.

Turkiye not only have Arda Guler but they also have Kenan Yildiz and these players are rising star players recent years. They will be core players in Turkiye national team in World Cup 2026 and can try to repeat success in World Cup 2002. It's not easy but I believe Turkiye will create impression in this World Cup and can go quite far to some knock out matches. They will not go home too early with this talented player generation, which can be considered as a newest golden generation for their national team.

[BitBakerr1]

Cristiano Ronaldo still plays a significant role for the Portuguese national team. His experience and maturity will help the team improve, and his presence in the team can also pose a threat to other national teams. For this World Cup, I believe Cristiano Ronaldo is still needed and if the Portuguese national team wants to emerge from his shadow and build a more optimal squad, it can do so after the World Cup. The Portuguese national team doesn't lack quality players and even the young players they have are quite good, but in terms of experience, Cristiano Ronaldo's presence is still very much needed.

Ronaldo is 41 years old now. But he is still in great shape. Especially Ronaldo's fitness is still very good. He has scored a lot of goals in the Saudi Pro League this season. He is very experienced. And that is why he can help the Portugal team well. Also, this time the Portugal squad is also very strong. But the problem is that the relationship between the players of Portugal is not so good. If the situation in the dressing room of Portugal is good,and if  there is no internal conflict, then we will see Portugal at least in the semi-finals of this World Cup.

Ronaldo is a very good and talented player who has made history in football and his still doing very well look at the numbers of goals he has in Saudi league and the kind of free kick he scores till date, so age those not matter because is not affecting him for now, so he can still perform very well in this coming World Cup competition and he will score goals in this tournament.
I believe they have good relationship in Portugal team and since Ronaldo is still there leader his going to make sure hie coordinate the team very well and they are going to stand and play in unity.
Portugal has a chance to lift the World Cup because they have very good players and they will surely go far in the competition and may lift the cup.

[Ale88]

Cristiano Ronaldo will retire after this World Cup if Portugal win it because he will be seen as a legend in his country but also in the World. Otherwise if Portugal fails early, he will continue playing international competitions like UEFA EURO, Nations Cup and it depends from what he thinks about his fitness, if Portugal succeed in winning something and he is tired, he will stop, otherwise he will try to continue as much as possible. I agree that the next World Cup is quite far for him.

I concur!

It is either he wins the FIFA World Cup Competition or completes 1000 career goals. These are the two reasons I think will lead him towards retirement. He is almost close towards achieving it for the 1000 goals but the World Cup Competition comes with a whole lot of hustle and bussle. I still prays he lifts it.
He has done too much for this nation, it is time for the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha and the rest to work hard, nothing is impossible!

It doesn't matter whether he is going to win the World Cup or not for a simple reason: a bunch of players won the World Cup, he wouldn't be the first one nor the last one. But officially reaching the 1,000-goal mark? Nobody else even got close to that, so that is his real goal. Especially because he only need to score other 25-30 goals (I don't recall the exact number), so do you really think he is going to stop now? No way.

[free-bit.co.in]

Turkiye not only have Arda Guler but they also have Kenan Yildiz and these players are rising star players recent years. They will be core players in Turkiye national team in World Cup 2026 and can try to repeat success in World Cup 2002. It's not easy but I believe Turkiye will create impression in this World Cup and can go quite far to some knock out matches. They will not go home too early with this talented player generation, which can be considered as a newest golden generation for their national team.

I checked the squad of turkiye. They have some talented players in their squad. Both Arda guler and Kenan in the attack are very talented and both are young. In the midfield is Hakan calhanglu. This midfielder has played quite well in the Inter Milan jersey this season. Also the defenders Ferdi and Celik are talented  players. turkiye have a pretty strong  squad. It shouldn't be difficult for them to get through the first round.

[WatChe]

Haha 2030  Technically it is possible, in form of to come on the field as a substitute for 5 minutes, but in practice, of course, we will not see this. Ronaldo is obsessed with football, but he's also obsessed with his image and he's a businessman. Therefore, he understands that such stunts will likely damage his image and business. He already has a huge number of incredible records, and now is the time to achieve the last one (1,000 goals) and retire from football (as a player, it seems he wants to become a club owner).

He is already 41 years and has done the hard work of keeping himself fit for this world cup. For Portugal to win their first ever world cup this time, Ronaldo has to perform exceptionally well throughout this tournament. This is last chance for Ronaldo to lift the trophy in Portugal jersey and he has the support of talented players in Portugal squad. If Portugal wins this time then it will be big achievement for Ronaldo which is even bigger then reaching 1000 goal mark.   

[Frankolala]

Haha 2030  Technically it is possible, in form of to come on the field as a substitute for 5 minutes, but in practice, of course, we will not see this. Ronaldo is obsessed with football, but he's also obsessed with his image and he's a businessman. Therefore, he understands that such stunts will likely damage his image and business. He already has a huge number of incredible records, and now is the time to achieve the last one (1,000 goals) and retire from football (as a player, it seems he wants to become a club owner).

He is already 41 years and has done the hard work of keeping himself fit for this world cup. For Portugal to win their first ever world cup this time, Ronaldo has to perform exceptionally well throughout this tournament. This is last chance for Ronaldo to lift the trophy in Portugal jersey and he has the support of talented players in Portugal squad. If Portugal wins this time then it will be big achievement for Ronaldo which is even bigger then reaching 1000 goal mark.   

Assuming,I can make it possible for Portugal to win the world cup, I'd have done it for the sake of Ronaldo because he deserves to win the biggest competition in football as a professional footballer. However, no one can be perfect to win it all because there are other players to compete with since football isn't an individual thing but a team.

[Iranus]

There are other highly experienced players in the Portugal national team besides Cristiano Ronaldo, so I think his greatest value to the team should not be limited to his experience alone, but rather to his ability to score goals for Portugal. I think it will become clear after a few group stage matches how much the team can rely on him. If the younger players perform better than he does, then I believe preference should be given to those who are playing better and scoring goals. Ronaldo is an experienced player, but he is no longer young. I can easily imagine that, despite being in good form, he may not be ready to play all 90 minutes at full intensity and commitment.

Portugal's squad is one of the strongest squads in this World Cup. They have talented and experienced players in all three positions,  midfield, defense and attack. Portugal does not need to rely on Ronaldo's performance. Dias, Cancelo and Mendis will be in defense. In midfield , vitinha, Neves, Bruno, Nunes and Silva are all very talented. In attack, apart from Ronaldo, there are talented attackers like Joao Felix, Pedro neto, Rafael leao and ramos. Portugal is going to the World Cup platform with a strong squad. Fans have high expectations from them in this world cup.

[abaeze]

Cristiano Ronaldo still plays a significant role for the Portuguese national team. His experience and maturity will help the team improve, and his presence in the team can also pose a threat to other national teams. For this World Cup, I believe Cristiano Ronaldo is still needed and if the Portuguese national team wants to emerge from his shadow and build a more optimal squad, it can do so after the World Cup. The Portuguese national team doesn't lack quality players and even the young players they have are quite good, but in terms of experience, Cristiano Ronaldo's presence is still very much needed.

There are other highly experienced players in the Portugal national team besides Cristiano Ronaldo, so I think his greatest value to the team should not be limited to his experience alone, but rather to his ability to score goals for Portugal. I think it will become clear after a few group stage matches how much the team can rely on him. If the younger players perform better than he does, then I believe preference should be given to those who are playing better and scoring goals. Ronaldo is an experienced player, but he is no longer young. I can easily imagine that, despite being in good form, he may not be ready to play all 90 minutes at full intensity and commitment.

Cristiano Ronaldo's presence in the Portugal national team has now become a national issue. There was a complication with him in the last World Cup. Although it is not yet known where his position will be in this World Cup. If his performance and fitness are good, then he should be given one last chance in this World Cup. But of course on the basis of experience and goal scoring or performance. Cristiano Ronaldo is a player of pride for Portugal who is born every 100 years. Another thing is that if he cannot play 90 minutes on the field with full intensity and dedication due to his age, it is clear from the performance of the current Saudi league that he can survive with full intensity for 45 minutes on the field.

[Loyang]

Although Cristiano Ronaldo is Portugal’s captain and, in some respects, can still be decisive, particularly when it comes to motivating his teammates, I think it’s only right to take his age into account. Portugal can also count on players who are developing very well in his position, so it will be natural, after the World Cup, to move on from Cristiano Ronaldo and build a team that can carry on without him, giving others the responsibility to step up.

Cristiano Ronaldo still plays a significant role for the Portuguese national team. His experience and maturity will help the team improve, and his presence in the team can also pose a threat to other national teams. For this World Cup, I believe Cristiano Ronaldo is still needed and if the Portuguese national team wants to emerge from his shadow and build a more optimal squad, it can do so after the World Cup. The Portuguese national team doesn't lack quality players and even the young players they have are quite good, but in terms of experience, Cristiano Ronaldo's presence is still very much needed.

Yes, I completely agree with you. As we saw in the Saudi Pro League, when Cristiano Ronaldo is on the field, the confidence of every player in Al Nasr skyrockets. Although there may be many good players in the Portugal national team, but if Cristiano Ronaldo is in the team, the confidence of every player in the team will increase a lot. Cristiano Ronaldo is a talented player and his talent will play a very effective role on the field. However, I don't think there is a bigger star in the Portugal national team than Cristiano Ronaldo.

[Lida93]

[Thomas Tuchel is the head coach and he alone reserves the right to pick whomever he deems fit to be in the England squad for the upcoming World Cup final hence whatever emanates from it thereafter only the coach would be held responsible, it is Thomas Tuchel that knows the ability of all the players at the moment, I think the coach made his decisions based on the individual performances of the players this season which for me is quite justified because some of the omitted players were not in their best form and couldn't have being included in Worlds Cup list.

I don’t know why most English fans are angry with Thomas Tuchel for his choice of players called up to the World Cup. England in the past has heavily relied on big traditional names to make the list even though if they were not in form. They would rather go with them to big tournaments than giving players who are playing well and can deliver for them in those tournaments the opportunity to showcase themselves.

 This is what has kept England without any trophy for ages now. Tuchel has identified this pattern and has decided to break away from that tradition to give the three lions the chance of winning this World Cup and they are complaining. I support the choice of players he called up for the World Cup. They should trust the coach and see what his choices yield for the team.

From the first day the German man was appointed the head coach of the Three Lions of English national team there were series of criticisms about that decision by the FA, many England legends as I could remember at the time didn't support appointment. Therefore it's with no suprise to me that they don't think Thomas Tuchel choice of players to the World Cup are a right choice. I think no matter whoever he picks or drops he would still have these complains and criticisms being that he isn't loved by many of these critics. I only pray Tuchel could create amazing record in this World Cup with these players that's gonna shut lots of mouths.

[Oluwa-btc]

Turkiye is in Group D. The other three opponents can not be considered very strong. Turkiye will play against USA, Paraguay and Australia. Even if the opponents are not very strong, if they do not play well, Turkiye will not be able to go to the next round. International matches are always unpredictable. We have seen many times the underdog team perform well and win.

I trust them enough to say, they'll finish strong and right on top of their group. Most likely, the United States national team could come second place. I do not underate Australia and Paraguay, but Turkish and US national team are my favourites for now.
If there's an underdog team to stand by, I'd say it's Japanese national team and not Australia or Paraguay.