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

[Ale88]

The funny thing is that Cape Verde defender Logan Costa only made 2 appearances for Villarreal last season because he suffered a knee injury that ruled him out in most part of the season and he is even yet to feature for Cape Verde in the ongoing FIFA world cup but still his team are doing just fine because they follow among African teams that didn't lose a match in the group stages even after meeting prestigious teams like Spain and Uruguay. I don't know where Cape Verde got their strength and fighting spirit from, but their goalkeeper Vozinha is one of the major reasons why they advanced to the round of 32 after making several brave saves, the most was against Spain. If Logan Costa is fit, their coach should consider playing him in their round of 32 match against Argentina so that it can increase his market value.

Cape Verde Town was grouped alongside two strong teams, which everyone believes they can't make it to the next round of the World Cup but they defy every odds against them, they didn't only qualify to the round of 32 as the best loser but they qualified as the second team with the most point in group H, which also make me to wonder where they got their strength and fighting spirit from. Argentina is the favorite against Cape Verde in the round of 32, but I won't be surprised if Cape Verde triumph over Argentina.

Come on now, did you really write you wouldn't be surprised if Cape Verde beat Argentina? Cape Verde already did a miracle qualifying to the next round but they really struggle to score any goal. They only scored 2 against Uruguay and one was a free kick and the other a huge mistake by Uruguay's defense. I didn't watch all the full matches but their offensive phase is almost non-existent. They are a solid team in defense, that's for sure, but I can't imagine them beating Argentina.

[Mayor of ogba]

Which of the Argentina are you referring to? Because I don't understand, and the last time I checked the point difference is not really that convincing, fine the Real deal is there's no way they will play it that they won't make it to the next round, but the least I know is there's no way Argentina is going to bench their top players that Jordan will even get a draw from that game no way, I know this year FIFA world cup has been so mysterious this year but at least we should be able to know who can withstand a stunt and who can not.

Even though the odds the bookmarkers gave to Argentina to win Jordan is small and it's not worth betting on Argentina direct win, I think there are options people can still bet on Argentina to boost the odds of Argentina, and one of the options is betting Argentina to win Jordan in first half. The odds for Argentina to win Jordan in the first half is 1.43 odds, which I think is a nice odds for those that are willing to risk a fortune for Argentina to win in the first half.

[ILuckyGuyI]

Most of the qualified and eliminated teams have been decided so far. Tonight there are the last games for Group J,K and L to be played...

The odds for Austria vs Algeria are really interesting though. Both of them have odds of over 3.00 and Austria are slightly favoured. The fight for 2nd place will be a tough one! 

Portugal need to beat Colombia to finish as leader. England should easily secure the lead by a win. I'm not sure about Croatia as Ghana are defending really strongly...

[Stavri]

i feel genuinely sorry for iran. With an razor thin offside call, a missed penalty and shots hitting the woodwork, they drew a match they easily could have won. it’s the ultimate definition of bad luck and misfortune...

Yes and this is also highlighted by their captain Mehdi Taremi and he is critizing FIfa for all the unfair rules and also before that they had to face travel restictions and so on. He used the word ' Logical disaster' for all sorts of mismanagement. Speaking like this soon after the draw match today against Egypt doesn't look nice. By the way, Iran isn't out of the World Cup yet but still they need some luck to make it to the round of 32.

i think Iran is the most robbed team in this tournament. you need 4 points to qualify as a best third place team. Senegal will probably be the only team to go through in third place with just 3 points.

[Livingleged]

Come on now, did you really write you wouldn't be surprised if Cape Verde beat Argentina? Cape Verde already did a miracle qualifying to the next round but they really struggle to score any goal. They only scored 2 against Uruguay and one was a free kick and the other a huge mistake by Uruguay's defense. I didn't watch all the full matches but their offensive phase is almost non-existent. They are a solid team in defense, that's for sure, but I can't imagine them beating Argentina.

In as far as it's almost  impossible  for the cape Verde team them to beat the Argentina team in the next round, we can't write them off. I still see the cape verde team to be stronger than the Saudia  Arabia team that defeated the same Argentina  team in the previous  world  cup that the Argentina  later won. Cape Verde  qualifications  from the tough  group  should  actually  be a wake up call to any team facing  them that they are not just any underdog  that should  be underated. I was really  surprise  at their qualifications  despite  being  In same group  with the almighty  spain and the Uruguay but they prove most people  wrong  as most people  never expect  them to proceed  to the next round, Argentina  should be at alert as anything  is possible  in the game of football and not allow the hype of defending champions  distract  them.

[red4slash]

To be honest, I was surprised by Cape Verde's performance. How did a team that was at the bottom of the rankings a few years ago improve so quickly? Especially when they competed against strong teams in their group and secured a place in the round of 32? Especially their goalkeeper showed great performance.
Yes, Argentina may be the favorite against them, but since it's football, anything can happen in 90 minutes. It so happened that Cape Verde scored against Argentina early on and they played in a defensive mood the rest of the time.
But whatever it is, Cape Verde will probably be satisfied that they can compete with the current defending champions in the World Cup.

They even created a different situation for this world cup as they managed to qualify without a single win as all their matches ended in a draw.
The unfortunate one in this group is Uruguay. From the beginning, their chances were very good because they were in a group that could be considered easy for the quality of players they have but instead they did not make any impact when their only rival was Spain but it was Cape Verde who gained good momentum with their draw.  Uruguay are unlikely to qualify because for the best club in 3rd place they are not possible now.

Today some interesting matches are happening especially for the group winners in groups K and L.
 

[Dump3er]

To be honest, I was surprised by Cape Verde's performance. How did a team that was at the bottom of the rankings a few years ago improve so quickly? Especially when they competed against strong teams in their group and secured a place in the round of 32? Especially their goalkeeper showed great performance.
Yes, Argentina may be the favorite against them, but since it's football, anything can happen in 90 minutes. It so happened that Cape Verde scored against Argentina early on and they played in a defensive mood the rest of the time.
But whatever it is, Cape Verde will probably be satisfied that they can compete with the current defending champions in the World Cup.

They even created a different situation for this world cup as they managed to qualify without a single win as all their matches ended in a draw.
The unfortunate one in this group is Uruguay. From the beginning, their chances were very good because they were in a group that could be considered easy for the quality of players they have but instead they did not make any impact when their only rival was Spain but it was Cape Verde who gained good momentum with their draw.  Uruguay are unlikely to qualify because for the best club in 3rd place they are not possible now.

Today some interesting matches are happening especially for the group winners in groups K and L.
 

But let's be honest though there were a couple of teams that everyone thought would not have the slightest chance and Cape Verde was one of them. These teams mostly added some serious defensive value to the World Cup. In some of the matches their defense was so solid that teams like Spain literally looked weak and dumb and couldn't find solutions to the problems these teams caused them to have.

DR Congo, Cape Verde, Curacao, and some other surprises. Many results were unexpectedly close because on paper I thought this must end with I don't know how many goals for the favorite, but no it didn't.

[Frankolala]

To be honest, I was surprised by Cape Verde's performance. How did a team that was at the bottom of the rankings a few years ago improve so quickly? Especially when they competed against strong teams in their group and secured a place in the round of 32? Especially their goalkeeper showed great performance.
Yes, Argentina may be the favorite against them, but since it's football, anything can happen in 90 minutes. It so happened that Cape Verde scored against Argentina early on and they played in a defensive mood the rest of the time.
But whatever it is, Cape Verde will probably be satisfied that they can compete with the current defending champions in the World Cup.

They even created a different situation for this world cup as they managed to qualify without a single win as all their matches ended in a draw.
The unfortunate one in this group is Uruguay. From the beginning, their chances were very good because they were in a group that could be considered easy for the quality of players they have but instead they did not make any impact when their only rival was Spain but it was Cape Verde who gained good momentum with their draw.  Uruguay are unlikely to qualify because for the best club in 3rd place they are not possible now.

Today some interesting matches are happening especially for the group winners in groups K and L.

Imagine coming to the world cup for the first time and made history for yourself based on how you qualified to the next round without any defeat or lose. They only scored two goals and conceded two goals. Their first and last match ended in a draw. Maybe, the round of 32 is the end of road for them.

[Floxynice]

Group H is proving to be incredibly tough and tightly contested, with the standings remaining undecided right up to the final match. Every nation still has a chance to advance to the next round, a situation that naturally leaves fans anxious about their team's fate. Can Cabo Verde pull off a surprise in their final match? Their opponent is Saudi Arabia, a team whose current footballing strength should not be underestimated. In their last match, Cabo Verde played with considerable boldness and confidence using a 4-1-2-3 formation hopefully, they do not let their guard down defensively. If Cabo Verde advances to the next stage, it will certainly make history for the nation.

I thought that Cape Verde has qualified for the next round. It is already making waves in the internet because I have seen several posts that a country of less than 500,000 people has qualified. It  was said that this is their first would cup.
Does it mean that the information was wrong and Cape Verde hasn't qualified yet?

I am trying my best to be interested in this competition as there are much trends about it. So, in conclusion, has Cape Verde really qualified for the next round or not?

[Distraction]

Ancelotti is trying to have a nicely working system in the rest of the World Cup. However I still don't believe in them that much like to qualify for the final or so. I won't be surprised if they get eliminated by a smaller team.

Germany are still not convincing to me after leaving their best times behind. They still struggle in the matches you don't expect. I didn't like Spain against Uruguay but I won't be sure of them yet as they are the last Euro champions.


All in all, France are my favourite to be champions. Argentina come 2nd to me and it's really hard to pick the 3rd one. Maybe England if they improve that effort against Ghana...

[Mayor of ogba]

Come on now, did you really write you wouldn't be surprised if Cape Verde beat Argentina? Cape Verde already did a miracle qualifying to the next round but they really struggle to score any goal. They only scored 2 against Uruguay and one was a free kick and the other a huge mistake by Uruguay's defense. I didn't watch all the full matches but their offensive phase is almost non-existent. They are a solid team in defense, that's for sure, but I can't imagine them beating Argentina.

I know that Cape Verde did a miracle qualifying to the next round of the World Cup, that was even the reason why I said that I wouldn't be surprised if they beat Argentina because for them to avoid defeat against Spain and Uruguay it means that they could win any team in this World Cup. Cape Verde would had won Uruguay and record their first ever World Cup win, but the referee denied them a chance to do that by not blowing their clear penalty.

[AYOBA]

To be honest, I was surprised by Cape Verde's performance. How did a team that was at the bottom of the rankings a few years ago improve so quickly? Especially when they competed against strong teams in their group and secured a place in the round of 32? Especially their goalkeeper showed great performance.
Yes, Argentina may be the favorite against them, but since it's football, anything can happen in 90 minutes. It so happened that Cape Verde scored against Argentina early on and they played in a defensive mood the rest of the time.
But whatever it is, Cape Verde will probably be satisfied that they can compete with the current defending champions in the World Cup.

Not only you mate: a lots of people was surprised with the way Cape Verde's performances strong in this FIFA World Cup nobody expected it. Because this is their first time in the FIFA world if tell me that they will scored one goal against Uruguay I won’t believe, but with their much efforts they where able to secure to goals and lead the match  a draw.

The same thing they did today against Saudi Arabia their performances was very impressive after winning a draw, their finally qualify for the round of 32, and with way this country are progressing gradually in this World Cup if care is not taken their going to surprise us at end of the season.

[Davidvictorson]

Yes and this is also highlighted by their captain Mehdi Taremi and he is critizing FIfa for all the unfair rules and also before that they had to face travel restictions and so on. He used the word ' Logical disaster' for all sorts of mismanagement. Speaking like this soon after the draw match today against Egypt doesn't look nice. By the way, Iran isn't out of the World Cup yet but still they need some luck to make it to the round of 32.

Iran played their hearts out in their game against Egypt.
In my estimation the game was fair - yellow cards were flying left and right to the Egyptians. I don’t know if they were scared of losing and wanted to ensure that they were going to go physical even if it meant their opponents didn’t win.
If the Iranians had not made the costly mistake in the opening minutes of the match to concede that goal and also the missed penalty which was weak, they would have easily won the game as they in my opinion were the stronger and better side.

[Iamgoat]

Come on now, did you really write you wouldn't be surprised if Cape Verde beat Argentina? Cape Verde already did a miracle qualifying to the next round but they really struggle to score any goal. They only scored 2 against Uruguay and one was a free kick and the other a huge mistake by Uruguay's defense. I didn't watch all the full matches but their offensive phase is almost non-existent. They are a solid team in defense, that's for sure, but I can't imagine them beating Argentina.

At this level any thing can happen to any team including Argentina although it will be difficult for Cape Verde to practically succeed over the Argentina team just like this. Argentina are giants right now as they are the defending champions and the winners of the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar where they finished the first and second half with a 3 - 3 draw and went on to win 4 - 2 in penalties. How will it be so easy or why won’t someone be surprised if a team like Cape Verde wins against Argentina in the match they have. It will definitely be surprising despite how strong the Cape Verde team becomes at the round of 32.

[Alpha Marine]

it ll be a match where neither side actually wants the win. that's because this group's third place team will face Switzerland, while the runner up gets Spain. Basically, both teams are aiming for third.

As it stands, Algeria are not among the teams to qualify among the 8 third-placed teams, so if they don't win or draw this game, they will be knocked out. If they win, then Austria will be knocked out because their 3 points might not be enough to secure qualification for them. This means both teams will be looking for the win. A draw will be a perfect result for both teams, but to be on the safe side, both teams will prefer to win. Playing for a draw and then conceding a dying-minute goal to knock you out of the tournament would be too painful.
And it's not certain that the third-placed team will face Switzerland. It's the best third-place team from group E, G, I or F that would face Switzerland.

[Unsoldier]

The funny thing is that Cape Verde defender Logan Costa only made 2 appearances for Villarreal last season because he suffered a knee injury that ruled him out in most part of the season and he is even yet to feature for Cape Verde in the ongoing FIFA world cup but still his team are doing just fine because they follow among African teams that didn't lose a match in the group stages even after meeting prestigious teams like Spain and Uruguay. I don't know where Cape Verde got their strength and fighting spirit from, but their goalkeeper Vozinha is one of the major reasons why they advanced to the round of 32 after making several brave saves, the most was against Spain. If Logan Costa is fit, their coach should consider playing him in their round of 32 match against Argentina so that it can increase his market value.

Cape Verde Town was grouped alongside two strong teams, which everyone believes they can't make it to the next round of the World Cup but they defy every odds against them, they didn't only qualify to the round of 32 as the best loser but they qualified as the second team with the most point in group H, which also make me to wonder where they got their strength and fighting spirit from. Argentina is the favorite against Cape Verde in the round of 32, but I won't be surprised if Cape Verde triumph over Argentina.

Come on now, did you really write you wouldn't be surprised if Cape Verde beat Argentina? Cape Verde already did a miracle qualifying to the next round but they really struggle to score any goal. They only scored 2 against Uruguay and one was a free kick and the other a huge mistake by Uruguay's defense. I didn't watch all the full matches but their offensive phase is almost non-existent. They are a solid team in defense, that's for sure, but I can't imagine them beating Argentina.

Of course, it’s hard to believe that Cape Verde can beat Argentina. But they still have a chance. I don't think a Cape Verde victory is likely. However, if Cape Verde plays tight in defense, stops Messi and company from scoring, and manages to drag the match to a penalty shootout, then they will have a shot—and maybe the Vozinha effect can kick in during penalties. Of course, Cape Verde has already punched above their weight by drawing with Spain and Uruguay and making it to the World Cup knockout stage, so I'm not sure a penalty shootout scenario is even possible. Most likely, Argentina will win by a convincing margin.

[ndutndut]

i feel genuinely sorry for iran. With an razor thin offside call, a missed penalty and shots hitting the woodwork, they drew a match they easily could have won. it’s the ultimate definition of bad luck and misfortune...

Yes and this is also highlighted by their captain Mehdi Taremi and he is critizing FIfa for all the unfair rules and also before that they had to face travel restictions and so on. He used the word ' Logical disaster' for all sorts of mismanagement. Speaking like this soon after the draw match today against Egypt doesn't look nice. By the way, Iran isn't out of the World Cup yet but still they need some luck to make it to the round of 32.

When Iran finished against Egypt the grief they felt was palpable. All the Iranian players collapsed to the ground in tears. They were on the verge of making history but unfortunately in the 93rd minute Iran thought they had scored a goal that would have sent them to the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time but VAR ruled it out for offside. According to the rules, it was an offside because the goalkeeper had advanced, so the last defender was considered the goalkeeper. But it still hurt because the offside was so narrow, and what was even more painful was that in the final minutes their chance hit the post.

But whatever the case, Iran performance deserves praise. They gave everything they had. They fought until the final seconds, created chances and pressured Egypt to the death. Many felt they deserved more from this match.

Iran currently finished third in the group and now must wait anxiously to find out if their three points are enough to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams. Iran still has a 75% chance of qualifying, but they will have to rely on other teams' matches. If Austria can beat Algeria and Uzbekistan can beat Congo by a narrow score, Iran will qualify for the round of 32.

[Jaycoinz]

Come on now, did you really write you wouldn't be surprised if Cape Verde beat Argentina? Cape Verde already did a miracle qualifying to the next round but they really struggle to score any goal. They only scored 2 against Uruguay and one was a free kick and the other a huge mistake by Uruguay's defense. I didn't watch all the full matches but their offensive phase is almost non-existent. They are a solid team in defense, that's for sure, but I can't imagine them beating Argentina.

At this level any thing can happen to any team including Argentina although it will be difficult for Cape Verde to practically succeed over the Argentina team just like this. Argentina are giants right now as they are the defending champions and the winners of the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar where they finished the first and second half with a 3 - 3 draw and went on to win 4 - 2 in penalties. How will it be so easy or why won’t someone be surprised if a team like Cape Verde wins against Argentina in the match they have. It will definitely be surprising despite how strong the Cape Verde team becomes at the round of 32.

This world cup has shown that no team is a minor as all the teams are playing with their heart so that they can make it to different stages and I won't be surprised if one of the big teams is knocked out of the early stages of the competition. This world cup is one that is filled with lots of expectations for the under dogs and I will be expecting something unique to happen that's why I can't and won't rule out any team even the ones with small chance at winning.

[Jewan420]

At this level any thing can happen to any team including Argentina although it will be difficult for Cape Verde to practically succeed over the Argentina team just like this. Argentina are giants right now as they are the defending champions and the winners of the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar where they finished the first and second half with a 3 - 3 draw and went on to win 4 - 2 in penalties. How will it be so easy or why won’t someone be surprised if a team like Cape Verde wins against Argentina in the match they have. It will definitely be surprising despite how strong the Cape Verde team becomes at the round of 32.

In the knockout stages, anything is possible and even small teams can beat big teams. But if Cabo Verde knocks out defending champions Argentina, it will not be a normal occurrence or an unexpected one, but it will not be easy to accept. Argentina has a strategy to beat any team. Cabo Verde has been able to reach the round of 32 mainly on their defense, and Scaloni knows the easy plan to break through that defense. I don't think Argentina will have much trouble beating Cabo Verde.

[mv1986]

Group H is proving to be incredibly tough and tightly contested, with the standings remaining undecided right up to the final match. Every nation still has a chance to advance to the next round, a situation that naturally leaves fans anxious about their team's fate. Can Cabo Verde pull off a surprise in their final match? Their opponent is Saudi Arabia, a team whose current footballing strength should not be underestimated. In their last match, Cabo Verde played with considerable boldness and confidence using a 4-1-2-3 formation hopefully, they do not let their guard down defensively. If Cabo Verde advances to the next stage, it will certainly make history for the nation.

I thought that Cape Verde has qualified for the next round. It is already making waves in the internet because I have seen several posts that a country of less than 500,000 people has qualified. It  was said that this is their first would cup.
Does it mean that the information was wrong and Cape Verde hasn't qualified yet?

I am trying my best to be interested in this competition as there are much trends about it. So, in conclusion, has Cape Verde really qualified for the next round or not?

If you just google the standings, you would find within seconds that Cape Verde has finished the group stage as second in their group, which means they will automatically advance to the next round. They did it with three draws and that is perfectly fine since it grants them second place. Interesting you are posting in a FIFA World Cup thread when you don't even know how to look up which teams have finished the group stage and which haven't. No need to follow a trend, just the hard facts and google spits it out within an instant if you type the right words, huh? ...