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

[snipie]

I know Cristiano Ronaldo fan are just on wish for World Cup like they think that for GOAT Cristiano Ronaldo only need a world cup...

Cristiano Ronaldo will conclude his career soon so the more achievements he does, the more he will be recognisable for the future generations.
For me, I think that reaching 1k goal record is something he can be proud of since it will remain unbreakable for a long time.

However, if we talked about the World Cup winner then probably I would never pick Portugal as winner because they didn't have the winning capacity. I know twgy have very good team but for me their possibilities is lower than other like Argentina, France, Brasil, Spain etc.

I agree with this. Portugal is not favourite to win the World Cup. They have to be super lucky to play against the weakest teams or teams that are exhausted, not their day...to be able to reach finals and win by penalties. I mean this scenario could be possible after all for many nations.

[Joca97]

I know Cristiano Ronaldo fan are just on wish for World Cup like they think that for GOAT Cristiano Ronaldo only need a world cup...

Cristiano Ronaldo will conclude his career soon so the more achievements he does, the more he will be recognisable for the future generations.
For me, I think that reaching 1k goal record is something he can be proud of since it will remain unbreakable for a long time.

However, if we talked about the World Cup winner then probably I would never pick Portugal as winner because they didn't have the winning capacity. I know twgy have very good team but for me their possibilities is lower than other like Argentina, France, Brasil, Spain etc.

I agree with this. Portugal is not favourite to win the World Cup. They have to be super lucky to play against the weakest teams or teams that are exhausted, not their day...to be able to reach finals and win by penalties. I mean this scenario could be possible after all for many nations.

Cristianos main goal is to reach the 1000 goals and after that i think he will probobly retire from football. It will probobly take him one or two seasons more but he will reach it for sure. This is also his last world cup and it would be good if he could crown his career with this trophy but i think it will be hard.

Portugal is in the top 4 teams to win the world cup but it will take a lot of luck to beat other teams and win the title but this is his last chance and he will try everything to win it

[mikel_012]

Cristianos main goal is to reach the 1000 goals and after that i think he will probobly retire from football. It will probobly take him one or two seasons more but he will reach it for sure. This is also his last world cup and it would be good if he could crown his career with this trophy but i think it will be hard.

Portugal is in the top 4 teams to win the world cup but it will take a lot of luck to beat other teams and win the title but this is his last chance and he will try everything to win it

Many world star players are in the last world cup, with the last chance to win the trophy in their career

We have Cristiano in his last world cup trying to win the world cup for Portugal, and we have Neymar in his last world cup, almost uncertain if he will play, trying to win the world cup for Brazil, being the savior and one of the best players in Brazil history if he does it

Messi won the last world cup so he is safe from this weight, same with Mbappe that already won in 2018. Now we have Cristiano and Neymar missing from the top shelf and only one of them can win, and if only

[laspol65]

Cristianos main goal is to reach the 1000 goals and after that i think he will probobly retire from football. It will probobly take him one or two seasons more but he will reach it for sure. This is also his last world cup and it would be good if he could crown his career with this trophy but i think it will be hard.

Portugal is in the top 4 teams to win the world cup but it will take a lot of luck to beat other teams and win the title but this is his last chance and he will try everything to win it

Many world star players are in the last world cup, with the last chance to win the trophy in their career

We have Cristiano in his last world cup trying to win the world cup for Portugal, and we have Neymar in his last world cup, almost uncertain if he will play, trying to win the world cup for Brazil, being the savior and one of the best players in Brazil history if he does it

Messi won the last world cup so he is safe from this weight, same with Mbappe that already won in 2018. Now we have Cristiano and Neymar missing from the top shelf and only one of them can win, and if only

Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar are the two domestic players who are playing their last matches. Neymar can rely on his injury clinic here, because his career has been ruined by injuries. In that case, Neymar is most likely not to play in this World Cup, because his injury is still aggravating.
But Cristiano Ronaldo has not yet faced an injury, but his team is quite strong this time. The Portugal team is capable of performing well in both areas, including defense, attack and defense. So the possibility of Portugal performing better than Brazil is the most.

[blockman]

Cristiano Ronaldo will conclude his career soon so the more achievements he does, the more he will be recognisable for the future generations.
For me, I think that reaching 1k goal record is something he can be proud of since it will remain unbreakable for a long time.

He's already recognized and popular but that is a personal achievement that he would love to reach soon. There will be not that much players who would reach that for their entire career of 1k goals in total in official games. Some have included the practices and unofficial games to count to that 1k goals for their achievement. So, it will truly be a remarkable achievement for himself if he reaches that. Not for fame or whatnot but for personal satisfaction because he concludes his career.

[Ale88]

Spain happens to be the favorite for me in this world cup and I'd also love to see them in the finals. They have so many good goalkeepers and they have all been good at their various clubs. Unai Simón, Joan Garcia and David Raya, these guys are on the picture above but only 1 need to start, which will you prefer?

I feel Unai Simon is our of the debate as I don't really fancy especially when compared to the other player's, the bug debate is between Joan Garcia and David Raya. Blankly I would alot of people will definitely pick Raya of the crazy numbers and season he has had but seeing as he has one of the most terrific defensive line I feel Garcia was the most expose since Barcelona's defense is literally non existence, this put Joan in more precarious situations with lots of tricky saves

I agree with everything you said. Unai Simon is there just as a third goalkeeper, that is clear. Regarding Joan Garcia and David Raya I think the Barcelona player is going to be the first choice but let's not forget one thing: the goalkeeper is a unique role, sometimes the best goalkeepers aren't those who make a ton of saves but those who are not too busy but then, all of a sudden, they make a save that is worth like a goal.

[Sithara007]

I think Germany may also be underestimated, just like Argentina. Overall though I agree with this ranking in the sense that Spain and France are among the biggest favorites in the tournament. For some reason, I feel that one of them could end up winning it. Spain has always been very strong, while France tends to go through ups and downs from time to time. It's hard to say about Brazil as well,they can be considered among the favorites because they have won the World Cup many times. Bookmakers also tend to rank them as favorites because bettors are often more willing to place bets on them.

In case of Germany, I can agree with you. They also need to be right there along with England and France. But Brazil's position doesn't make sense. We saw how they performed during FIFA World Cup of 2022. And the current situation seems to be even worse. A team that is constantly losing matches against fellow CONMEBOL teams is now considered as one of the tournament favorites? That too ahead of the defending champions? For me this is not logical and I would say that everyone is underestimating Argentina, and doing the exact opposite regarding the Brazilian team.

[mikel_012]

Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar are the two domestic players who are playing their last matches. Neymar can rely on his injury clinic here, because his career has been ruined by injuries. In that case, Neymar is most likely not to play in this World Cup, because his injury is still aggravating.
But Cristiano Ronaldo has not yet faced an injury, but his team is quite strong this time. The Portugal team is capable of performing well in both areas, including defense, attack and defense. So the possibility of Portugal performing better than Brazil is the most.

But be real, do you think Cristiano will start or play many minutes? He is old and sometime his team needs a faster paced player that is much younger and can do much

Cristiano also does not score goals like before where he did magic. He is still a very good player and above the average but the age already plays a huge part in the role of making he miss some plays or not being able to run and keep up with other players

For Portugal we need to focus on the other players. For Brazil even with a risk of injury, Neymar is still the best play maker that can create plays and finally score goals.

[MarjorieZimmermanGinger]

He's already recognized and popular but that is a personal achievement that he would love to reach soon. There will be not that much players who would reach that for their entire career of 1k goals in total in official games. Some have included the practices and unofficial games to count to that 1k goals for their achievement. So, it will truly be a remarkable achievement for himself if he reaches that. Not for fame or whatnot but for personal satisfaction because he concludes his career.

Besides reaching 1,000 goals in competitive matches, Cristiano Ronaldo is also very ambitious about winning the World Cup to complete his footballing success. I believe this is his last chance at the World Cup. If Portugal fails again in this World Cup, it will be virtually impossible for Cristiano Ronaldo to achieve better results in the next one. The depth of Portugal's squad in this World Cup is also considered good, filled with great players who play for big clubs. It just depends on the coach to formulate the best strategy and hope for luck after preparing everything thoroughly.

[SquirrelJulietGarden]

Besides reaching 1,000 goals in competitive matches, Cristiano Ronaldo is also very ambitious about winning the World Cup to complete his footballing success. I believe this is his last chance at the World Cup. If Portugal fails again in this World Cup, it will be virtually impossible for Cristiano Ronaldo to achieve better results in the next one. The depth of Portugal's squad in this World Cup is also considered good, filled with great players who play for big clubs. It just depends on the coach to formulate the best strategy and hope for luck after preparing everything thoroughly.

He loves football, he is professional and ambitious so I believe that he will prolong his player career as longest as possible. With his ambition, winning World Cup title is certainly in his to do list, and at very last years of his player career, it becomes his first priority to complete. This World Cup can be assumed as his last World Cup, so he will be highly focused for this tournament with Portugal national team and try performing as best as he can to win it. He is lucky that Portugal national team currently have a very strong, competitive and balanced squad so that they can truly compete for World Cup title.

Ronaldo might continue his player career and play till 2030 but will he be able to do that, and will his performance quality be good enough in 2030 so that he will be called for World Cup 2030, it belongs to the future. So at the present, he must focus on this World Cup, and play like it is his last World Cup.

[katanic97]

He's already recognized and popular but that is a personal achievement that he would love to reach soon. There will be not that much players who would reach that for their entire career of 1k goals in total in official games. Some have included the practices and unofficial games to count to that 1k goals for their achievement. So, it will truly be a remarkable achievement for himself if he reaches that. Not for fame or whatnot but for personal satisfaction because he concludes his career.

Besides reaching 1,000 goals in competitive matches, Cristiano Ronaldo is also very ambitious about winning the World Cup to complete his footballing success. I believe this is his last chance at the World Cup. If Portugal fails again in this World Cup, it will be virtually impossible for Cristiano Ronaldo to achieve better results in the next one. The depth of Portugal's squad in this World Cup is also considered good, filled with great players who play for big clubs. It just depends on the coach to formulate the best strategy and hope for luck after preparing everything thoroughly.

Portugal definitely has a strong squad, but how much can Ronaldo still contribute? He's as ambitious as ever, but there's no doubt he's not in the same form he was a few years ago.Of course, he's earned the right to dream of winning the world cup, but it will be extremely difficult because the competition is stacked with top teams. In my opinion, the coach will have the biggest role to play, and a huge part of portugal's success will depend on his decisions. The tactics he chooses and the timing of his substitutions could end up being the key factors in how far Portugal goes in the tournament

[Italian Panic]

Portugal definitely has a strong squad, but how much can Ronaldo still contribute? He's as ambitious as ever, but there's no doubt he's not in the same form he was a few years ago.Of course, he's earned the right to dream of winning the world cup, but it will be extremely difficult because the competition is stacked with top teams. In my opinion, the coach will have the biggest role to play, and a huge part of portugal's success will depend on his decisions. The tactics he chooses and the timing of his substitutions could end up being the key factors in how far Portugal goes in the tournament

Cristiano Ronaldo is to Portugal what Neymar is to Brazil, but a bit more so. Whilst Neymar will be heading to the World Cup mainly to act as the national team’s mascot, Cristiano Ronaldo will be heading to the World Cup in excellent physical shape, albeit with the limitations that come with age. In fact, he will no longer be able to make 40 metre sprints at impressive speeds but will confine himself to hanging around the penalty area, trying to get on the end of the right ball.

[kennycryptoitalia]

Another thing is that national team coaches usually do not select players based on popularity. If there are no internal complications in the Portugal national team and Ronaldo's fitness and performance are in line with the rest of the team, then we can expect him to be in the starting XI.

It will almost certainly be the last World Cup, it's a question of mathematics, the only thing instead could be that in the next 5 years he will continue to play, physique permitting.
So he might even go so far as to make another one but it's an idea that's out of the ordinary, it could happen given the subject in question.
I don't think he'll be benched either, if he makes it onto the pitch why stop him? Why do you think it won't be effective in key matches? I think he will do better than many other players.

[Brizi5000]

Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar are the two domestic players who are playing their last matches. Neymar can rely on his injury clinic here, because his career has been ruined by injuries. In that case, Neymar is most likely not to play in this World Cup, because his injury is still aggravating.
But Cristiano Ronaldo has not yet faced an injury, but his team is quite strong this time. The Portugal team is capable of performing well in both areas, including defense, attack and defense. So the possibility of Portugal performing better than Brazil is the most.

But be real, do you think Cristiano will start or play many minutes? He is old and sometime his team needs a faster paced player that is much younger and can do much

Cristiano also does not score goals like before where he did magic. He is still a very good player and above the average but the age already plays a huge part in the role of making he miss some plays or not being able to run and keep up with other players

For Portugal we need to focus on the other players. For Brazil even with a risk of injury, Neymar is still the best play maker that can create plays and finally score goals.

Despite his age I think Cristiano Ronaldo still remains the best attacking player or perhaps the best striker in this Portugal squad heading into the World Cup. The stats are there as none of them have registered the number of goals he scored in the just concluded season although many will argue he was playing in the Saudi league which May seems to be a lower rank league but still the league is becoming competitive with so many big players both old and young now plying their trade in the Saudi pro league. He was instrumental to his team Al nassr winning the Saudi league trophy, he wanted to win that trophy so badly for his club and he was able to achieve that this season. The Portugal national team coach can’t afford to keep him on the sidelines when fully fit because even his teammates knows what he can offer on the pitch especially with the amount of midfield talents in this Portugal team now who can make some decisive passes to him and score because this is a player who loves to score goals and that should be the driving force for him to be selected to play if fully fit.

[Die_empty]

Cristiano Ronaldo is to Portugal what Neymar is to Brazil, but a bit more so. Whilst Neymar will be heading to the World Cup mainly to act as the national team’s mascot, Cristiano Ronaldo will be heading to the World Cup in excellent physical shape, albeit with the limitations that come with age. In fact, he will no longer be able to make 40 metre sprints at impressive speeds but will confine himself to hanging around the penalty area, trying to get on the end of the right ball.

Going to the World Cup as a mascot in a competition that needs the best players for me is a waste of playing slots. The World Cup is for players who will contribute positively to the club on the pitch and not just a symbol of identity. If this is the case it shows that it was because of public pressure that Carlo Ancelotti included his name in the squad. It thought Neymar was fit to play in the competition and not just a mascot. What fans expect to see is the dribbling and maneuvering skills of Neymar and not him sitting on the bench all through. It would have been better to allow João Pedro to be on the squad.

[bastisisca]

Cristiano Ronaldo is to Portugal what Neymar is to Brazil, but a bit more so. Whilst Neymar will be heading to the World Cup mainly to act as the national team's mascot, Cristiano Ronaldo will be heading to the World Cup in excellent physical shape, albeit with the limitations that come with age. In fact, he will no longer be able to make 40 metre sprints at impressive speeds but will confine himself to hanging around the penalty area, trying to get on the end of the right ball.

Clearly, Cristiano Ronaldo is an iconic player not only of Portugal but I believe of the world, one of the strongest players who has ever existed and one of the most serious professionals in the sector.
He has limitations due to his age but he has been able to adapt and transform his way of playing.

[$crypto$]

Cristiano Ronaldo is to Portugal what Neymar is to Brazil, but a bit more so. Whilst Neymar will be heading to the World Cup mainly to act as the national team’s mascot, Cristiano Ronaldo will be heading to the World Cup in excellent physical shape, albeit with the limitations that come with age. In fact, he will no longer be able to make 40 metre sprints at impressive speeds but will confine himself to hanging around the penalty area, trying to get on the end of the right ball.

Going to the World Cup as a mascot in a competition that needs the best players for me is a waste of playing slots. The World Cup is for players who will contribute positively to the club on the pitch and not just a symbol of identity. If this is the case it shows that it was because of public pressure that Carlo Ancelotti included his name in the squad. It thought Neymar was fit to play in the competition and not just a mascot. What fans expect to see is the dribbling and maneuvering skills of Neymar and not him sitting on the bench all through. It would have been better to allow João Pedro to be on the squad.

Physically João Pedro is much better he is still young, his running speed is still high, sharpness on the front lines is still good it's just that his name is not as famous as Neymar, so he was not called up or there were other reasons from Ancelotti.

Every coach is always different from our thoughts, I mean some players who are not wanted are called up.
For example the England national team --- Thomas Tuchel who did not call some important players who I think are good, but what can make the coach have his own choices.

[Chilwell]

Cristiano Ronaldo will conclude his career soon so the more achievements he does, the more he will be recognisable for the future generations.
For me, I think that reaching 1k goal record is something he can be proud of since it will remain unbreakable for a long time.

He's already recognized and popular but that is a personal achievement that he would love to reach soon. There will be not that much players who would reach that for their entire career of 1k goals in total in official games. Some have included the practices and unofficial games to count to that 1k goals for their achievement. So, it will truly be a remarkable achievement for himself if he reaches that. Not for fame or whatnot but for personal satisfaction because he concludes his career.

Even without winning the World Cup Cristiano Ronaldo is a legend who have achieved more success through is entire career, and getting the World Cup too will also make things work well but if he could not be able to do it, that doesn't mean he's not a best player in the world.

In this 2026 World Cup only two players will you want to perform very well because they have never won it in the entire career, these two players are Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, most especially Neymar who has so plan to return to Europe but he's still injury kept him down, this World Cup remains his last hope because his performance here can determine many clubs queuing for him. Neymar is still very young to retire from football but I hope he return to Europe.

[Cyber_warrior]

Cristiano Ronaldo will conclude his career soon so the more achievements he does, the more he will be recognisable for the future generations.
For me, I think that reaching 1k goal record is something he can be proud of since it will remain unbreakable for a long time.

He's already recognized and popular but that is a personal achievement that he would love to reach soon. There will be not that much players who would reach that for their entire career of 1k goals in total in official games. Some have included the practices and unofficial games to count to that 1k goals for their achievement. So, it will truly be a remarkable achievement for himself if he reaches that. Not for fame or whatnot but for personal satisfaction because he concludes his career.

A thousand official goal have not yet been reached by any other player and that why he wants to be the first to get to that number. For sure it an individual award but a very remarkable one. It will be something that will be talked about for Almost for ever.
For now the biggest achievement for him will be to win the World Cup, for sure this will be his last Dance In this tournament, he needs to make the most use of it. He his still doing well with the numbers and I believe he will make a statement in this World Cup, the the objective will be to win the World Cup.

[giammangiato]

But be real, do you think Cristiano will start or play many minutes? He is old and sometime his team needs a faster paced player that is much younger and can do much

Cristiano also does not score goals like before where he did magic. He is still a very good player and above the average but the age already plays a huge part in the role of making he miss some plays or not being able to run and keep up with other players

For Portugal we need to focus on the other players. For Brazil even with a risk of injury, Neymar is still the best play maker that can create plays and finally score goals.

I think Ronaldo will play last World Cup as a player (or maybe not?) He still plays better than many young people, despite his age, do you want to see that this madman will shoot for another 5 or 6 years and still have a world championship as a player?
They won't put it aside in any other way they will give opportunities to make themselves useful (perhaps as a coach?) I honestly can't imagine it, but it could be.
A boy full of surprises and resources like him could continue to surprise us.