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

[MinoRaiola]

Adding Portugal to my parley was a very difficult decision but I knew that there is no way Portugal is going to miss the opportunity for them to qualify for the round 16 which is very vital for them. Croatia was a strong team which I knew that the match is not going to be easy at all for the two team. I am waiting for Argentina to win their matches and Ghana to play 0.5 so that I can have a boom ticket.
I know anything can happen in these matches and I have taken the risk which I know I can afford to lose.

Portugal musst play vs Spain now, and I dont think they can win. Ronaldo was substituted in the last game, and then comes some unrest.  Substituted and now everyone is talking about it, that is not fair for the other players. The coach makes the decisions, and every player has to understand that. I think Spain has better teamwork, and that will more valuable at this stage of the tournament. Argentina is a top favorite this year, you can see how strong they are. The team and their games are much better, and I think we see them in the semifinals.

[verdinio]

Hehe, this is truly odd. Lamine Yamal has a rating of 7.6, and Oyarzabal, who scored two goals, has a rating of 9.1... the award is truly biased.
In fact, we even saw his performance, but he didn't make a significant contribution. I don't know where FIFA ranked him, but it's clear that Oyarzabal deserved it.

To me, this player gives the impression of being the next Zidane.

[Shussainshah]

On paper, Portugal are stronger than Croatia, but in reality we saw two teams of equal strength, and in the end the luckier side won because Croatia hit the woodwork at least twice and had a goal disallowed for an imperceptible touch. If Croatia had Portugal’s players, with the drive and determination they possess, they could easily win a World Cup; unfortunately, they’re currently lacking a striker like Mandžukić was years ago.

A Tough Challenge for Portugal. Croatia was not an easy match for Cristiano they give Tough battle and try until the last whistle of the game but I couldn't understand the last goal of Croatia either it's was offside or not but the technology they use in the last moment of the game is something we never seen in football. But it all about football and Portugal through to the next round and the next match they played against Spain which is I think they last match of Cristiano and Portugal because everyone watch the Spain team they are so much favourite to win the worldcup so I think Portugal can be out in the next round

[aipercoin]

The team's results in previous World Cup are still a bad experience and I think the team is mature enough and the players have the confidence to do well because the team is made up of great players.

They are certainly more mature, as Didier Deschamps has also matured in the management of the team.
Among the various teams he coached, this was certainly the team that, in my opinion, gave him the most experience, even if it was slow and not immediate.

[emrecemsan]

Spain got a very comfortable victory yesterday. I thought Austria might be able to defend them well for a long time. We've seen Spain struggling a lot in some matches so far. 

Portugal's comeback was really nice! Ronaldo finally scored again but apart from the penalty he didn't perform well. And it was too easy for Switzerland. I was expecting some resistance by Algeria...

[kizilhare]

From what I’ve seen in the Round of 32 matches (though not all have concluded yet), France and Spain are playing excellent team football.
Many expect these two teams to reach the final, but they are set to meet in the semi-finals instead. If Argentina can make it all the way from the other side of the bracket, we might see a France-Argentina final—a rematch of the 2022 showdown.

[Yabani]

Algeria took the field as if they just wanted to get eliminated and go home; I didn't see any of their key players make an impact during the match.
Mahrez had a chance in the second half but struck the ball poorly. Had he scored in that situation, he would have become Algeria's all-time leading scorer at the World Cup, but it wasn't to be.
Manzambi once again stood out with his impressive performance.
Early in the second half, Algeria seemed determined to concede a goal to Switzerland, and eventually, they did.
Their attempts to clear the ball were amateurish and riddled with errors.
Switzerland won the match 2–0 and advanced to the Round of 16.

[fuguebtc]

Spain got a very comfortable victory yesterday. I thought Austria might be able to defend them well for a long time. We've seen Spain struggling a lot in some matches so far. 

Portugal's comeback was really nice! Ronaldo finally scored again but apart from the penalty he didn't perform well. And it was too easy for Switzerland. I was expecting some resistance by Algeria...

Austria was not a strong opponent. We saw the expected result in this match. Spain performed brilliantly. Their dominance was noticeable throughout the match. Austria's players could not make any strong attack. As a result, Spain's players were not under much pressure. And they got enough time and opportunity to attack.

On the other hand, Portugal played against Croatia. Croatia was not a weak opponent at all. It was very difficult for Portugal to win this match. Even then, they were able to secure the victory in the match. Portugal won 2-1 with Ramos' goal in the last minute of the match.

Switzerland beat Algeria I don't think anyone watched the match live. We were more interested in the first two matches. Switzerland will win against Algeria, it was an easy prediction.

[bitLeap]

From what I’ve seen in the Round of 32 matches (though not all have concluded yet), France and Spain are playing excellent team football.
Many expect these two teams to reach the final, but they are set to meet in the semi-finals instead. If Argentina can make it all the way from the other side of the bracket, we might see a France-Argentina final—a rematch of the 2022 showdown.

Argentina will of course have to face Brazil or England first, and I don't think this will be an easy match for Argentina to win. The problem is that most people are underestimating Cape Verde because Argentina standing is above everyone else. I'm just a little worried that a team like Cape Verde could pull off an unexpected upset. Cape Verde chances are slim, but I won't underestimate this team.

[mandown]

Algeria took the field as if they just wanted to get eliminated and go home; I didn't see any of their key players make an impact during the match.
Mahrez had a chance in the second half but struck the ball poorly. Had he scored in that situation, he would have become Algeria's all-time leading scorer at the World Cup, but it wasn't to be.
Manzambi once again stood out with his impressive performance.
Early in the second half, Algeria seemed determined to concede a goal to Switzerland, and eventually, they did.
Their attempts to clear the ball were amateurish and riddled with errors.
Switzerland won the match 2–0 and advanced to the Round of 16.

It wouldn't be possible for Switzerland to achieve such success if they relied solely on players native to the country. Much like France, the Swiss team is built around naturalized players; without players of Albanian or African descent, they wouldn't be this successful. Even though their domestic league isn't of high quality, the national team excels.
In this match, too, the goals were scored by Embolo and Ndoye. I took a look at the squad, and at least six of the eleven players are naturalized.

[Sammye3]

From what I’ve seen in the Round of 32 matches (though not all have concluded yet), France and Spain are playing excellent team football.
Many expect these two teams to reach the final, but they are set to meet in the semi-finals instead. If Argentina can make it all the way from the other side of the bracket, we might see a France-Argentina final—a rematch of the 2022 showdown.

France would be the most likely to carry the World Cup in my opinion, with the current squad it is slightly impossible. Also, judging from how solid their squad depth, who would doubt that France could be matched?

Spain play really good football and could be a good competition, but France should outplayed them. I was really rooting for Netherland but its unfortunate that they are out of the World Cup after a loss at penalties against Morroco.

My favorites should be France, Spain, Argentina and Portugal. What are your picks?

[virasog]

Luck was not on Croatia's side. They performed quite well. But the most unfortunate thing was that Portugal scored their second goal in injury time after 90 minutes. I thought  both teams would play an extra 30 minutes. Portugal's squad was very strong. Many star players in their squad. They should play better.

Last night, I think it was very bad luck for Croatia, they scored multiple goals but most of the time those were canceled due to the offside. And with that, it marks the end of Croatia's journey in the World Cup, now they wait another 4 years to make their place up. Already we have seen many big names get out by the small teams, the biggest example is of Germany, but still Croatia was not facing a noob team.

[blue Snow]

I’m glad Ronaldo finally scored a goal in the World Cup knockout stage because, prior to this, he had never scored a goal in that stage. Even though the goal came from a penalty kick, it’s enough to prove that Ronaldo’s presence and contribution are crucial for Portugal.

Portugal will face Spain in the Round of 16, and this is one of the biggest matches of this round, and certainly the one most eagerly anticipated by soccer fans. I hope Ronaldo scores again and that Portugal advances to the quarterfinals.

[Synchronice]

Argentina is a top favorite this year, you can see how strong they are. The team and their games are much better, and I think we see them in the semifinals.

I would say that France is a top favorite. They play too damn well. Probably, Argentina comes next but I don't know what to say, this is football, everything happens. It will be interesting to see how Argentina will perform against Cape Verde tonight. Argentina plays very well right now and how Messi performs in this match, will be very interesting. He performed extremely well in the last 3 matches, if it continues so and 4th match will be his match too, then I would probably rank Argentina higher than the France but honestly, I feel like the final will be Argentina VS France and it will be another very exciting match.

We also don't have to forget that Messi became the first player in the World Cup's history to score in seven straight games. If he scores in the upcoming one too, he will beat his own record and will become the first player to score in eight straight games

[AprilioMP]

Spain play really good football and could be a good competition, but France should outplayed them. I was really rooting for Netherland but its unfortunate that they are out of the World Cup after a loss at penalties against Morroco.

My favorites should be France, Spain, Argentina and Portugal. What are your picks?

Spain will face Portugal again in the next round. Portugal secured their place in the match after their victory over Croatia. The quality of Spain's performance will be tested by Portugal's strength.
This Portugal vs. Spain match will be a repeat of the 2018 World Cup, with Ronaldo scoring a hat trick.

This concludes the strength of the participating teams in this year's World Cup, having seen how strong each team is.

[banana33]

The USA win 2 - 0 against Bosnia minutes ago and it's unbelievable that all three host nations: USA, Mexico and Canada already won their matches and will all participate in a next round of World Cup 2026.

that's what i think too, England and Belgium had two difficult games, but they managed to find their composure and win the game, this is what great teams do, performances like these are tests of strength where the true qualities of the team are highlighted which are then the ones that move forward.

[changaa]

Definitely, no one will think England will be able to beat Mexico and make it to the quarterfinals. Mexico is not an easy opponent for them, and even if England is serious, the highest they could do is end the game in a draw. I don’t think that even with that, they will be able to achieve it. The best bet to make it to the quarterfinals is definitely Mexico, but things can change.

Clear, but this applies to all competitions, even more so for the World Cup where all the teams and players care a lot about the title. And the title is not the only prize, if they play very well they could increase in value and have better salaries.

[Sithara007]

I really don't understand you guys. Even before the World Cup began I read many users praising Ronaldo and expecting a bunch of goals from him. You do realize we are talking about a 41-year-old lad who has been playing in Saudi Arabia for the last years? How can he still compete at this level? He was an incredible player but he is old, he can't compete anymore at this stage. He is becoming a problem for Portugal.

I have been regularly watching the Al Nassr matches in Saudi Professional League ever since Ronaldo joined them in 2023. And he has scored at a rate of around 0.9 to 1.0 goals per match. And trust me, most of the teams in the SPL are quite strong. They have players from all around the world, such as Sadio Mané, João Félix, Predrag Rajković, Moussa Diaby, Ivan Toney, Édouard Mendy, Riyad Mahrez, Franck Kessié, Mateo Retegui, Julián Quiñones, Kalidou Koulibaly, Darwin Núñez, Rúben Neves and Yassine Bounou. He was scoring goals non-stop against these players. I don't know why that is happening when he play against the same players in the world cup.

[Zackz5000]

Adding Portugal to my parley was a very difficult decision but I knew that there is no way Portugal is going to miss the opportunity for them to qualify for the round 16 which is very vital for them. Croatia was a strong team which I knew that the match is not going to be easy at all for the two team. I am waiting for Argentina to win their matches and Ghana to play 0.5 so that I can have a boom ticket.
I know anything can happen in these matches and I have taken the risk which I know I can afford to lose.

Portugal musst play vs Spain now, and I dont think they can win. Ronaldo was substituted in the last game, and then comes some unrest.  Substituted and now everyone is talking about it, that is not fair for the other players. The coach makes the decisions, and every player has to understand that. I think Spain has better teamwork, and that will more valuable at this stage of the tournament. Argentina is a top favorite this year, you can see how strong they are. The team and their games are much better, and I think we see them in the semifinals.

What ever decision the Portugal coach made was good for him provided he won the game, there is always a battle after every victor until the final battle, we can't predict football there are several persons who predicted Croatia to eliminate Portugal but Portugal won from a goal down we all know that it's also going to be tough game even Spain team is not sure of the game Portugal team also is not sure if they can qualify but which ever way one of the team will be eliminated but I still see Portugal making it through.

[EarnOnVictor]

On paper, Portugal are stronger than Croatia, but in reality we saw two teams of equal strength, and in the end the luckier side won because Croatia hit the woodwork at least twice and had a goal disallowed for an imperceptible touch. If Croatia had Portugal’s players, with the drive and determination they possess, they could easily win a World Cup; unfortunately, they’re currently lacking a striker like Mandžukić was years ago.

Luck was not on Croatia's side. They performed quite well. But the most unfortunate thing was that Portugal scored their second goal in injury time after 90 minutes.

It's a good thing seeing Portugal win their match against Croatia, though they couldn't be bet upon, yet I fear for them being ousted out at this early stage. Portugal is simply a weak team compared to before, though many players and angles are doing well, but their attacking power is very weak now and C. Ronaldo is no more as he used to be. Now, about Croatia performing well, as you said, despite not scoring well and Croatia scoring the first goal, Portugal overpowered Croatia in that match, but their weakness remains the scoring firepower. Roberto Martínez needs to consider another formation, as C. Ronaldo is not getting younger. Gonçalo Ramos will be a very good partner as a striker, and switching to 4-4-2 might improve their scoring opportunity.