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

[Sally9256]

Age will eventually take its toll, even though Ronaldo is still in great shape, takes care of his diet, follows a strict training routine, and maintains a professional lifestyle, age will inevitably affect his speed. As a result, younger players will eventually push him out of the team. By the next World Cup, if he still wants to be involved with the Portugal national team, he may need to consider joining the coaching staff. That is, if he does not decide to take a break after ending his playing career, relax, and enjoy the rewards of the tremendous work he has put in throughout his career.

I actually agree with you because we can already see that Ronaldo doesn't play like he use to and his body is already wearing out. Age doesn't lie, his performance has definitely dropped compared to few years back even though he still scores goals just fine.

It's really different playing in Europe so maybe Ronaldo will find wa bit difficult than in Saudi Arabia League. The only thing with Ronaldo is that he is unpredictable, he even seem to perform better when he is being underrated or criticized.

For now I don't see any young player taking the spot from him. Portugal hasn't even produce a young striker yet, the only one they did sadly past away (Diogo Jota) may he rest peacefully. Messi's performance might motivate Ronaldo to perform well in their game so I expect him to score at least a goal against Dr. Congo.

[Loyang]

Source: https://www.cnnindonesia.com/olahraga/20260617035251-142-1369804/hasil-piala-dunia-mbappe-cetak-gol-indah-prancis-hajar-senegal-3-1/amp
I was very happy to see Mbappe in action in today's match between France and Senegal. In this match, Mbappe scored two goals. He looked very happy and confident. Senegal was very unfortunate to have to accept defeat in this match with a score of 3-1. It is very unfortunate that in this match, Sadio Mane and his teammates had difficulty scoring many goals because France had a good attack and also a good defense. Bradley was also very good in today's match because he also contributed a goal for France. Now France has earned 3 points from Senegal, and this is certainly happy news for the French people. However, of course, there is still hope for Senegal to advance to the next stage, although it will not be easy.

Fortunately, in this match, I bet on France to win and ended up getting a profit. Did you also get a profit from betting on this match? I think there is great potential for Norway and France to advance to the next stage. What do you think?

France won the match against Senegal, but in the first half, Senegal looked much better—they attacked a lot, while the French were just chasing the ball. France was very lucky not to concede in the first half. After the break, the game changed completely; it seems Deschamps found the right words in the dressing room, and a completely different France team came out for the second half. Senegal could no longer play freely, and the French put pressure on the opponent's goal. Olise was named Man of the Match, which was very fair—he created a lot of danger near the opponent's goal, and it was his passes that set up Mbappe's goals. It was a very spectacular match. I think if the Olise-Mbappe partnership continues to develop, France will definitely be able to challenge for the World Cup title.

Sincerely i agree with you, Senegal were outstanding during the first half, they pulled through with so much confidence, I believe they didn't utilize their chances very well, else they would have scored a lot of goals that first. What helped the France team in the later part of the second half was individual brilliance they had, Olise and Mbappe stood out and made the difference, because it got to a point the French side were stocked and couldn't penetrate easily into the Senegalese defence. I still believe Senegal have the ability to pull through the group stage, they have the firepower.

It looked like the match was going to be really great at the beginning and it was until the first half. When Senegal conceded the first goal and they immediately tried to score again but were caught offside. Aulise and Mbappe played a big role in this match. Because in this match Aulise and Mbappe were able to break down Senegal's defense very easily. When the first goal was scored, I was thinking about how Mbappe broke down the defense. I watched the video of the goal several times and I watched it several times after the match. If France can maintain their strong position, it seems like they can win.

[babo]

It looked like the match was going to be really great at the beginning and it was until the first half. When Senegal conceded the first goal and they immediately tried to score again but were caught offside. Aulise and Mbappe played a big role in this match. Because in this match Aulise and Mbappe were able to break down Senegal's defense very easily. When the first goal was scored, I was thinking about how Mbappe broke down the defense. I watched the video of the goal several times and I watched it several times after the match. If France can maintain their strong position, it seems like they can win.

I can tell you that the difference between the teams was too high
we are talking about France, one of the strongest nations in terms of football against Senegal who are participating in the World Cup for the third time
so it was not a foregone conclusion, but very likely that France would have defeated Senegal..

[abhiseshakana]

I'm not up to date with both of their players, but in paper Spain is still the stronger one without the players you mentioned right? In paper they should be able to beat them. Then again, you get result like this every now and then, which is why the sport can be interesting at times. I don't think Spain would be satisfied with the result tbh. They definitely want and have to get more points and win their next games. It would be a huge twist if they failed to qualify after all.

Between the accounts done on paper, the forecasts and everything we think we imagine and reality, the difference is really a lot.
Spain's draw was expected by no one or perhaps almost no one, everyone thought the match was safe and instead it ended with a disappointing draw, certainly a lively match full of action by Spain but the result is what matters.

Many fans will criticize the Spanish players after hearing the result of the match but in reality they tried hard to win but the performance of the opposing team was more impressive than expected. The match seemed safe to bet on but the result was the opposite. Spain played great and at one point I thought they should have scored but the Cabo Verde team looked so mature it was unbelievable. The Spanish players had 23 shots of which 9 were on target but none of them were able to convert.

No one expected Spain to pick up  just one point in their opening match,  especially after seeing the result of the match between Germany and Curacao, I think many people were tipping Spain to secure a big win as well, but it turned out that reality didn’t live up to expectations . Spain certainly dominated the match, but they seemed to struggle to break down Cape Verde’s defence, which  played a low-block strategy. Furthermore, Cape Verde’s goalkeeper put in a brilliant performance , with Vozinha making seven superb saves, which prevented Spain from scoring.

This is certainly a wake up call for Spain , at least it’s still early days, so they can carry out an assessment straight away , particularly when they have to face another team playing a low block again

[Arenga pinnata]

Mbappe did very well in yesterday’s match he is a great player and no one can take that away from him, after a long insult he has received from some Real Madrid fans and opposite fans he proved he is a great player and will keep doing his best.
Senegal was actually doing very well in the first half but during the second half they lost form and they started performing poorly and that was the opportunity France had to score them and ended up winning the match.

Messi did very well also he scored a hat trick and I was not expecting him to do that at this age, Messi is actually the best of all time he has done everything in football and he still has this mentality of winning and doing better.
With this kind of performance he gave in the first match I believe his going to do more better and I believe Messi or Mbappe may actually be the highest goal scorer in this 2026 World Cup competition.
Portugal is playing today and a lot of people are expecting a lot from Ronaldo.

Mbappé has truly proven that he hasn’t lost his sharpness or speed. When he starts sprinting, I think it’s hard for any player to keep up with him. I hope Mbappé continues to maintain that level of performance.

I was also impressed by what Messi did in that match. not because he scored three goals, but because of the way he scored them. two goals came from a decent distance though not too far and for the third, he calmly rolled the ball slowly toward the opponent’s goal, outwitting the opposing goalkeeper. I think he’s back to his younger self.

Portugal is set to play today, and I hope Ronaldo can also perform well. Although I’ll understand if he doesn’t play as well as usual, after all, he’s 41 now.

[sergiorus]

Mbappe did very well in yesterday’s match he is a great player and no one can take that away from him, after a long insult he has received from some Real Madrid fans and opposite fans he proved he is a great player and will keep doing his best.
Senegal was actually doing very well in the first half but during the second half they lost form and they started performing poorly and that was the opportunity France had to score them and ended up winning the match.

Messi did very well also he scored a hat trick and I was not expecting him to do that at this age, Messi is actually the best of all time he has done everything in football and he still has this mentality of winning and doing better.
With this kind of performance he gave in the first match I believe his going to do more better and I believe Messi or Mbappe may actually be the highest goal scorer in this 2026 World Cup competition.
Portugal is playing today and a lot of people are expecting a lot from Ronaldo.

Portugal is set to play today, and I hope Ronaldo can also perform well. Although I’ll understand if he doesn’t play as well as usual, after all, he’s 41 now.

He will be just as good as ever imho.

Giggs played for Man United at 41 y.o. and Ronaldo is next level in terms of longevity and athleticism.

Maybe he will need to be subbed after like 60-70 minutes but within that period he will be world class.

[Bitcoin_Arena]

No one expected Spain to pick up  just one point in their opening match,  especially after seeing the result of the match between Germany and Curacao, I think many people were tipping Spain to secure a big win as well, but it turned out that reality didn’t live up to expectations . Spain certainly dominated the match, but they seemed to struggle to break down Cape Verde’s defence, which  played a low-block strategy. Furthermore, Cape Verde’s goalkeeper put in a brilliant performance , with Vozinha making seven superb saves, which prevented Spain from scoring.

This is certainly a wake up call for Spain , at least it’s still early days, so they can carry out an assessment straight away , particularly when they have to face another team playing a low block again

This always happens in any major tournament, especially the World Cup. In most cases the so-called underdogs tend to put up a strong fight. I expect more surprises as the tournament progresses on. Spain still has a chance to redeem themselves and even win the trophy.

Remember how Argentina lost points against Saudi Arabia through a defeat, only for them to progress all the way to the final to win the previous World Cup?

[knowngunman]

How could a foul like that not result in a red card? Messi stepped on the opponent’s calf and didn’t even receive a yellow card. The referee’s and VAR’s decisions were completely outrageous and terrible. For a foul like that, any player would have been shown a red card for that tackle. But Messi got away with it.

I believe any other player could have received a direct red card for that offence but Messi receives a special treatment from the FIFA and the match officials. This is FIFA competition and they can do whatever they like to favor who they want to. They turned a blind eye and flip the rules. Assuming it was Algerian player that tackled Messi that way, I'm sure they will definitely issue a straight red card without reviewing. I don't have anything against Messi or Argentina but every team and player deserve fair treatment and justice.

[Arenga pinnata]

Portugal is set to play today, and I hope Ronaldo can also perform well. Although I’ll understand if he doesn’t play as well as usual, after all, he’s 41 now.

He will be just as good as ever imho.

Giggs played for Man United at 41 y.o. and Ronaldo is next level in terms of longevity and athleticism.

Maybe he will need to be subbed after like 60-70 minutes but within that period he will be world class.

Actually, just seeing him still here at the World Cup is already truly remarkable. Because I remember that during the previous World Cup, many people were saying that it might be his last World Cup. But in reality, he’s still the same and is still playing for Portugal in the World Cup. In fact, there haven’t been any significant changes or visible decline in Cristiano Ronaldo’s performance when comparing his play from four years ago to now, except perhaps in terms of stamina. But as far as I recall, at Al-Nassr, he often played full matches.

I hope Portugal wins today’s match. Although the DR Congo shouldn’t be underestimated at all. I won’t take any team lightly in this World Cup anymore. Because we’ve seen how even some strong teams have been held to a draw by opponents who weren’t considered favorites.

[laspol65]

No one expected Spain to pick up  just one point in their opening match,  especially after seeing the result of the match between Germany and Curacao, I think many people were tipping Spain to secure a big win as well, but it turned out that reality didn’t live up to expectations . Spain certainly dominated the match, but they seemed to struggle to break down Cape Verde’s defence, which  played a low-block strategy. Furthermore, Cape Verde’s goalkeeper put in a brilliant performance , with Vozinha making seven superb saves, which prevented Spain from scoring.

This is certainly a wake up call for Spain , at least it’s still early days, so they can carry out an assessment straight away , particularly when they have to face another team playing a low block again

This always happens in any major tournament, especially the World Cup. In most cases the so-called underdogs tend to put up a strong fight. I expect more surprises as the tournament progresses on. Spain still has a chance to redeem themselves and even win the trophy.

Remember how Argentina lost points against Saudi Arabia through a defeat, only for them to progress all the way to the final to win the previous World Cup?

Argentina won the World Cup after losing to Saudi Arabia in the last World Cup, but the performance of each of their players was extraordinary. But this should not be expected in the case of the Spanish team, because the Spanish team has some weaknesses in the attack department. And the goalkeeper is also inattentive, because in the last match between the Spanish team and the Cape Verde team, the match was not very competitive.
Only the goalkeeper of the Cape Verde team was standing against the Spanish team, because of that the Spanish team was shaken and the game was drawn goalless. So the Spanish team has some weaknesses, if this weakness can be eliminated, they will definitely be able to surprise in this World Cup, and I think it is not possible for the Spanish team to surprise.

[Shadiq]

I believe any other player could have received a direct red card for that offence but Messi receives a special treatment from the FIFA and the match officials. This is FIFA competition and they can do whatever they like to favor who they want to. They turned a blind eye and flip the rules. Assuming it was Algerian player that tackled Messi that way, I'm sure they will definitely issue a straight red card without reviewing. I don't have anything against Messi or Argentina but every team and player deserve fair treatment and justice.

I think you should analyze the red card rule carefully. FIFA rules for red cards for fouls say-

Copied

• Serious Foul Play: Tackles or challenges that endanger the safety of an opponent.
• Violent Conduct: Aggressive acts (e.g., striking, biting, spitting) not directed as a challenge for the ball.
• Denying a Goal-Scoring Opportunity (DOGSO): Purposefully handling the ball to stop a goal or committing a professional foul to deny an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.

Can you tell me what kind of tackle Messi made? And whether any of these principles were violated. But I agree with you that the foul was worthy of a yellow card. But the foul did not reach the level that he could be given a red card.

[sergiorus]

Portugal is set to play today, and I hope Ronaldo can also perform well. Although I’ll understand if he doesn’t play as well as usual, after all, he’s 41 now.

He will be just as good as ever imho.

Giggs played for Man United at 41 y.o. and Ronaldo is next level in terms of longevity and athleticism.

Maybe he will need to be subbed after like 60-70 minutes but within that period he will be world class.

Actually, just seeing him still here at the World Cup is already truly remarkable. Because I remember that during the previous World Cup, many people were saying that it might be his last World Cup. But in reality, he’s still the same and is still playing for Portugal in the World Cup. In fact, there haven’t been any significant changes or visible decline in Cristiano Ronaldo’s performance when comparing his play from four years ago to now, except perhaps in terms of stamina. But as far as I recall, at Al-Nassr, he often played full matches.

Yeah, Saudi League doesn't have that kind of pace and intensity as World Cup games, of course, it is the most elite tournament in the game.

Besides, the couch's main objective is not to let him get injured. Not until the final, at least.

Honestly I'm very bullish on Portugal in this WC. This team is stronger, than the one that won the Euro Cup, and as you rightfully stated, Cristiano performs almost as well as ever.

[Roseline492]

Source: https://www.cnnindonesia.com/olahraga/20260617035251-142-1369804/hasil-piala-dunia-mbappe-cetak-gol-indah-prancis-hajar-senegal-3-1/amp
I was very happy to see Mbappe in action in today's match between France and Senegal. In this match, Mbappe scored two goals. He looked very happy and confident. Senegal was very unfortunate to have to accept defeat in this match with a score of 3-1. It is very unfortunate that in this match, Sadio Mane and his teammates had difficulty scoring many goals because France had a good attack and also a good defense.

In the world cup we wouldn't forget what Mbappe is to the France squad and he just nailed it on this match again by his two goals, he is a fast scorer and as the first pass came he just send it at ones and the evaluation of Edouard Mendy wasn't for mbappe to strike immediately so he couldn't save it. Luck was the problem of Senegal on the match because through Nicolas Jackson there are goals Senegal would have gotten, more especially his attempt that I still haven't forgotten how I thought Senegal had open the score of the match because the strike had escaped France goalkeeper but almost at the net before it got saved from the goalkeepers leg.

[bbigtart]

This always happens in any major tournament, especially the World Cup. In most cases the so-called underdogs tend to put up a strong fight. I expect more surprises as the tournament progresses on. Spain still has a chance to redeem themselves and even win the trophy.

Remember how Argentina lost points against Saudi Arabia through a defeat, only for them to progress all the way to the final to win the previous World Cup?

Argentina won the World Cup after losing to Saudi Arabia in the last World Cup, but the performance of each of their players was extraordinary. But this should not be expected in the case of the Spanish team, because the Spanish team has some weaknesses in the attack department. And the goalkeeper is also inattentive, because in the last match between the Spanish team and the Cape Verde team, the match was not very competitive.
Only the goalkeeper of the Cape Verde team was standing against the Spanish team, because of that the Spanish team was shaken and the game was drawn goalless. So the Spanish team has some weaknesses, if this weakness can be eliminated, they will definitely be able to surprise in this World Cup, and I think it is not possible for the Spanish team to surprise.

In the World Cup anything can happen. A poor start doesn't necessarily mean that subsequent matches will be similarly strong. In fact early performances can sometimes be good, allowing a team to continually evaluate their performance, as was the case with Argentina during the World Cup in Qatar. After a surprising loss to Saudi Arabia they continued to improve improving their performance and ultimately securing the title.

Similarly Spain early draw against Tanjung Varde didn't reflect poorly on them. In fact it was a positive step for the Argentine coach allowing him to continually evaluate their performance especially their ineffective attack. The coach also realized that benching players like Yamal, Nico and Olmo was a fatal mistake, making it difficult for them to penetrate the opposing defense. There are many things that the Spanish coach needs to fix to become better, for me even though they got a draw in the first match with a weak team like Tanjung Varde, Spain is still the favorite team in this World Cup.

[Smartprofit]

Portugal is set to play today, and I hope Ronaldo can also perform well. Although I’ll understand if he doesn’t play as well as usual, after all, he’s 41 now.

He will be just as good as ever imho.

Giggs played for Man United at 41 y.o. and Ronaldo is next level in terms of longevity and athleticism.

Maybe he will need to be subbed after like 60-70 minutes but within that period he will be world class.

Actually, just seeing him still here at the World Cup is already truly remarkable. Because I remember that during the previous World Cup, many people were saying that it might be his last World Cup. But in reality, he’s still the same and is still playing for Portugal in the World Cup. In fact, there haven’t been any significant changes or visible decline in Cristiano Ronaldo’s performance when comparing his play from four years ago to now, except perhaps in terms of stamina. But as far as I recall, at Al-Nassr, he often played full matches.

I hope Portugal wins today’s match. Although the DR Congo shouldn’t be underestimated at all. I won’t take any team lightly in this World Cup anymore. Because we’ve seen how even some strong teams have been held to a draw by opponents who weren’t considered favorites.

I'm currently closely following the Portugal vs. Congo match.🙋

I've analyzed the bookmakers' odds and concluded that Portugal's chances of winning are greatly overrated.🙋

Everyone expects Cristiano Ronaldo to emulate Messi's achievements, but that might not happen. Congo has a very solid defense. They can also surprise fans with unexpected attacks... Chancel Mbemba and Joane Vissa are excellent players. Portugal will have a hard time against them, especially considering that Ruben Dias's participation is highly questionable...

I'm planning to bet on Congo with a +2 handicap. I think it will be a very smart move. I'm curious to see what happens!💁

[meser#]

Jordan scored their first goal in the World Cup, and I think it's one of the most beautiful goals ever scored.
If Jordan had a good goalkeeper, we would be talking about very different things right now.
Despite falling 1-0 behind, Jordan didn't give up and launched effective attacks.

I would say that the worst goalkeeper so far has been the Iraqi goalkeeper, but the Jordanian goalkeeper was also very bad. I don't know if this is a situation specific to Middle Eastern countries, but their goalkeepers are very bad. Maybe it's because of the climate that the goalkeepers haven't developed here.

Austria won the match 3-1, but I don't think they put on a good performance. They played better football in the European Championship two years ago.
Stronger teams would easily beat Austria.

[knowngunman]

I believe any other player could have received a direct red card for that offence but Messi receives a special treatment from the FIFA and the match officials. This is FIFA competition and they can do whatever they like to favor who they want to. They turned a blind eye and flip the rules. Assuming it was Algerian player that tackled Messi that way, I'm sure they will definitely issue a straight red card without reviewing. I don't have anything against Messi or Argentina but every team and player deserve fair treatment and justice.

I think you should analyze the red card rule carefully. FIFA rules for red cards for fouls say-

Copied

• Serious Foul Play: Tackles or challenges that endanger the safety of an opponent.
• Violent Conduct: Aggressive acts (e.g., striking, biting, spitting) not directed as a challenge for the ball.
• Denying a Goal-Scoring Opportunity (DOGSO): Purposefully handling the ball to stop a goal or committing a professional foul to deny an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.

Can you tell me what kind of tackle Messi made? And whether any of these principles were violated. But I agree with you that the foul was worthy of a yellow card. But the foul did not reach the level that he could be given a red card.

He made a tackle, a dangerous one for that matter because normally an open stud is considered a bookable offence or sending off depending on the severity. And by the way, he was behind the player, so what exactly was his intention? To get the ball from behind? Now you also agreed that at least a Yellow card should have been given but the refree totally ignored it as if nothing happened. Perhaps, it's now accurate to conclude that Messi get preferential treatment in this competition. We watched South Africa match and we saw how the red card were given, it was same competition and same rules.

[Pandu Geddon]

Similarly Spain early draw against Tanjung Varde didn't reflect poorly on them. In fact it was a positive step for the Argentine coach allowing him to continually evaluate their performance especially their ineffective attack. The coach also realized that benching players like Yamal, Nico and Olmo was a fatal mistake, making it difficult for them to penetrate the opposing defense. There are many things that the Spanish coach needs to fix to become better, for me even though they got a draw in the first match with a weak team like Tanjung Varde, Spain is still the favorite team in this World Cup.

I think starting them on the bench at the beginning of the match was a mistake. Or maybe they were trying to gauge the strength of the opponent, who might have been underestimated. The result doesn't really reflect a poor performance, but we might see that teams from smaller countries also have the quality to compete in big tournaments. 
Some teams ended up drawing, which will make the next matches a tough competition. Especially those in groups B, G, and H.

[Akbarkoe]

It is interesting that the old player scored another hat trick in an important match like this world cup, it is indeed a natural talent, and this result will certainly be a personality comparison with Ronaldo's match results later, if he does not get a good result this will be a hot topic of conversation.
 
And about the card, we all know how the narrative about Messi as the golden boy of FIFA, but yes we seem to have to see it as objective in judging, so I pretend not to see and hear it.
Well Argentina did have a whale of a win today, Algeria couldn't do much and they had to accept defeat.

It's not only about goals he scored, a hat-trick he made hours ago, but also how he performed during the match, run, dribble, pass, and shot, he shown that he is still able to play at highest level with excellent performances. He is older, slower than in the past but his performance quality is still very good and with his playing style, Messi can prolong his career in more years.

If four years ago, after World Cup 2022, people talked about whether it was a last World Cup for Cristiano Ronaldo but now we have Cristiano in World Cup 2026, it is interesting to have similar question but this time, it's about Messi. Will Messi join World Cup 2030, next four years?

I believe that he will be able to do this, it's only whether he will continue playing till that year, and will he not retire his national career after this World Cup?

Although his performance has slowed down, his performance was satisfying enough to score 3 goals in this match, showing that his talent has not faded despite his old age.

2030? You can't imagine, that's too old, don't expect more than that about his career on the field, maybe after this world cup he can still play before completely retiring from the world of football, this is a logical reason, both legends are very rich now, they just need to enjoy their old age, I think Messi is like that, but ronaldo I don't know, he has a very big ambition, he could continue, afraid his coach won't want to invite him again in that time.

[Not your key not your BTC]

My question for coach Luis de la Fuente is what was the role of Mikel Oyarzabal and was he performing it all through the 30munites?

I was puzzled by Mikel Oyarzabal’s performance on the field. During the first 30 minutes of the match, he didn’t touch the ball at all, even though Spain dominated possession. Judging by the lineup, Oyarzabal was positioned as a false nine. But to me, regardless of the role Luis de la Fuente assigned to Oyarzabal, not touching the ball for 30 minutes is a sign that Oyarzabal is a disappointing player. I think Luis de la Fuente probably won’t start Oyarzabal in the next match.

It was surprising that Lamine Yamal did not make the starting lineup and was substituted at the 70' minutes of the second half. Though it is evident that Spain has a lot of talented players so I would want to believe that it was only a chance to give other players the opportunity to thrive as Cape Verde was seen to be an easy win.

It is the group stage of the World Cup so should be taken seriously, it was a really disappointing performance from the Spain team and I expect a better outcome from them on their next game.

Spain made a big mistake by underestimating Cape Verde, which is why they didn’t field their starting lineup. Spain should never underestimate any team because this is the World Cup, not a friendly match. Given this result, will Luis de la Fuente still rotate his players in the next match? I hope not. Luis de la Fuente must field his best players in the next match so that Spain can secure a victory and have a chance to advance from the group stage.