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

[Altryist]

I don't think so, I believe that Argentina will have no difficulty in beating Cape Verde because realistically, overall strength is clearly Argentina is much stronger in all lines compared to Cape Verde, it's just that Cape Verde made some surprises so many people expect the same thing when they face Argentina later and I'm sure that won't happen because Argentina has so far continued to show its best performance.

Argentina are in excellent form and they have a significant advantage over Cape Verde in terms of squad strength, so I don't see any other outcome here but an Argentina victory. The odds for Argentina to win are too low, so I think it's even worth betting on Messi to score in this match, although I don't like betting on individual players. This evening, I'm thinking about betting on Egypt, I think they'll avoid defeat and score. Total over 1 on Egypt, odds of 1.88, so I'm thinking about making that bet.

[SatoPrincess]

Last night’s match was nerve wrecking, I didn’t place a bet on the match neither am I Portuguese but I was so invested in the match because it would be heartbreaking to see Ronaldo lose his last World Cup like this but then again I’m also a big fan of Modric. Croatia were incredible on the pitch, some fans may argue that they were robbed but I think they were just unlucky not to win the match.

[Smartvirus]

Portugal struggled for a win, England struggled for a win, and I am pretty sure Argentina will also struggle to win Cape Verde.

I am curious to see how Cape Verde would fair against Argentina tonight. Argentina is another strong side in the tournament and Cape Verde has being one team that continued to be defiant and have shown great progress against strong sides in this tournament. Could they be able to pull off another surprising qualifier against Argentina? Would they be the team that sends Argentina on their way home?
It would be a shocking result as at the time, the favorites to win is Argentina and the bookies have left them with a little above 1.15 odds to win while Cape Verde has over 24.40 odds on them.

[Cointikka]

Messi and Ronaldo have pushed each other to incredible Heights over the years there were seasons when Ronaldo stood out more and others when Messi was simply unstoppable . That's what made their rivalry so special. As for the world cup Messi has been outstanding , but football is unpredictable one player brilliance doesn't guarantee the trophy because is a club effort and strong sides like France and others can change everything .

Messi and Ronaldo are the current-age GOAT. I am still unable to comprehend that Ronaldo is a 41-year-old guy while Messi is only 39 years old. Considering their age, it is clear that Messi is better than Ronaldo, whereas it looks the opposite when I see them on the field. But in terms of technicality and skills, Messi is above anyone. I can confirm that it will be way harder for Portugal to reach the next stage than Argentina.

[Majestic-milf]

Last night’s match was nerve wrecking, I didn’t place a bet on the match neither am I Portuguese but I was so invested in the match because it would be heartbreaking to see Ronaldo lose his last World Cup like this but then again I’m also a big fan of Modric. Croatia were incredible on the pitch, some fans may argue that they were robbed but I think they were just unlucky not to win the match.

Yeah, they were robbed quite alright but that could have been avoided if they hadn't conceded tht penalty. I just wonder what got in that Croatian defender's head to feel it was proper to hold a player in the 18 yard box and eve though they became level, what stopped them from tightening their defense or going for more goals. For me, every Portugal player knew it was a goal to their opponents but I guess Lady luck was in a good mood last night.
 If the game had entered extra time, Portugal would have been eliminated cause they were all exhausted and wouldn't have posed much threat.

[SPIDERMAN008]

Portugal struggled for a win, England struggled for a win, and I am pretty sure Argentina will also struggle to win Cape Verde.

I am curious to see how Cape Verde would fair against Argentina tonight. Argentina is another strong side in the tournament and Cape Verde has being one team that continued to be defiant and have shown great progress against strong sides in this tournament. Could they be able to pull off another surprising qualifier against Argentina? Would they be the team that sends Argentina on their way home?
It would be a shocking result as at the time, the favorites to win is Argentina and the bookies have left them with a little above 1.15 odds to win while Cape Verde has over 24.40 odds on them.

As you said Since the odds on Verde are more than 24.40, those who do not like Argentina much can take a risk with a small amount. Because even though this team seems weak, their defense is quite strong. If a team plays against Argentina that is strong and attacking, then there is a chance to score a goal through counter attack and even if the defense player is a little less, there is a chance to score a goal. But if everyone in a team plays defensively full time, then it is difficult for even a strong team to score a goal.

So if Argentina finds out the weaknesses of Cape Verde and arranges the game strategy in that way, then it will be easy for them to win and if they cannot do that, then it is also understood that Argentina will not be able to win so easily. Because those who are coming to round 32 have already secured a place at the top after seeing a good enough team. The result of the match will tell what will happen, now it's our turn to wait.

[Charcol]

For once I thought it was really going to extra time... Portugal conceded an uncalculated goal at first which made things really difficult for them. But still they got the deserved win for themselves.

I'm not saying that Croatia played badly of course. They were poor only in the first half but they improved a lot later on. What a dramatic ending for the game though as their equalizer was disallowed. 

I thought so too. Portugal was under pressure at the beginning after conceding a goal from Croatia. Ivan Perisic scored in the 53rd minute to give Croatia the lead and Portugal was sweating. But Ronaldo equalized in the 68th minute. And finally, Goncala Ramos scored after 90 minutes to secure Portugal's victory. Portugal was able to keep the ball in their possession from the beginning but they were not attacking very sharply at the beginning. And I could see during the game that the pressure of the Portuguese players was clearly visible after Ivan Perisic's goal. You are right that Croatia did not play badly but you know that this was a knockout match so even a small mistake could lose them.

[rdluffy]

...

They punished Portugal in midfield though. I still can not understand how the midfield trio of Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha and Neves finds it difficult to doninate games. Good and solid win most especially for the remembrance of Diogo Jota who died exactly this day last year.

What are you even saying?! Lol! You all seem to underestimate Portugal. They have won them before, although they're not all that in this competition, they could still beat them and I won't be stunned if it happens.
Na! Thry fvcked already. Portugal will beat Spain.

I do hope Portugal beats Spain
However, based on the games I’ve seen Portugal play, especially yesterday’s, which was the most important one, I didn’t like what I saw that much, and I didn’t feel very confident
I hope Portugal can be more effective against Spain and has a good game plan to repeat the victory it already had against Spain

In a lot of Portugal games I watch, it seems to me that when Ronaldo is playing, the team can't play naturally in the position he plays, and when they manage to get a pass to him, it doesn't look natural
Just look at Portugal's header goal, there wasn't a single long pass the entire game, and when Ronaldo came off, they made a great long pass 

[cande86]

Cucurella with each season is better and better andnis probobly one of the best left backs in the world. In Chelsea he was really good but for Spain is on another level.

ye i think that Spain can no longer do without these players, they have an incredible team but i think they can still always improve and this is what makes me really inclined to say that these are players who will win a lot in this or the next tournaments, the only one i don't like is Cucurella.

[$weetne$$]

Messi and Ronaldo are the current-age GOAT. I am still unable to comprehend that Ronaldo is a 41-year-old guy while Messi is only 39 years old. Considering their age, it is clear that Messi is better than Ronaldo, whereas it looks the opposite when I see them on the field. But in terms of technicality and skills, Messi is above anyone. I can confirm that it will be way harder for Portugal to reach the next stage than Argentina.

It is actually becoming uninteresting to me how we keep making this comparison on these two when we know both players are just at their very best and not really one been too better,  they both have their strength and weakness,  for a 41 year old man, ordinarily are we not suppose to expect a 39 year old to be more active? Why do we try so much to fit these two when all we are supposed to see is two good players at their best in their own ways, they play different positions,  of different ages and of different countries and leagues,  let us allow football be football.

[Accardo]

Spain has always been one of the best teams in this tournament, the World Cup could really be won by them, but by winning the match against Austria they will meet Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, which strikes me as a truly formidable team that is not afraid of anyone and is clearly strong.

To get there, they'll need to do something fast about Yamal, he wasn't instrumental in the Austria's right flank yesterday, his choices of not giving out passes in the opposition's box drained the scoring opportunities of the Spanish side. He should play in unison with their fast football spirit to uplift the team's desire of dominating the tournament when they begin to meet or play against tough oppositions.

[ASloveapg]

It would be a shocking result as at the time, the favorites to win is Argentina and the bookies have left them with a little above 1.15 odds to win while Cape Verde has over 24.40 odds on them.

That's normal, do you think a team like Argentina will lose to Cabo Verde? That's never possible. Argentina will do everything to get to the final, and there's no way they'll lose to Cabo Verde in the round of 32. I'm 95% sure Argentina will definitely win this match, Cabo Verde will definitely perform well in their match, but in the end Cabo Verde will never be able to beat Argentina, Argentina is the last World Cup winner, so there's no way they'll be eliminated in the round of 32.

[JeffBrad12]

I am curious to see how Cape Verde would fair against Argentina tonight. Argentina is another strong side in the tournament and Cape Verde has being one team that continued to be defiant and have shown great progress against strong sides in this tournament. Could they be able to pull off another surprising qualifier against Argentina? Would they be the team that sends Argentina on their way home?
It would be a shocking result as at the time, the favorites to win is Argentina and the bookies have left them with a little above 1.15 odds to win while Cape Verde has over 24.40 odds on them.

I feel you. Cape seems unpredictable team. That's why you're also expecting them to create a surprise. It's unexpected to see them to hold Spain draw during the group stage. However, hold on tight, Argentina has messi there. He's the one who has a club how to break the line.
So i think it makes sense to expect them to be knocked out by Argentina. The scenario is that they will putting all of players behind the ball. So Argentina has to break it to score. I also remind you Argentina is a proven when against a low block team.

[SatoPrincess]

Portugal struggled for a win, England struggled for a win, and I am pretty sure Argentina will also struggle to win Cape Verde.

I am curious to see how Cape Verde would fair against Argentina tonight. Argentina is another strong side in the tournament and Cape Verde has being one team that continued to be defiant and have shown great progress against strong sides in this tournament. Could they be able to pull off another surprising qualifier against Argentina? Would they be the team that sends Argentina on their way home?
It would be a shocking result as at the time, the favorites to win is Argentina and the bookies have left them with a little above 1.15 odds to win while Cape Verde has over 24.40 odds on them.

It’s going to be an interesting match indeed. It’s fair to say that Cape Verde are the dark horse in the World Cup and I hope they can cause an upset tonight to stay in the World Cup. I don’t know what their strategy will be in this game, imo I think the best thing to do against a team like Argentina is to park the bus and try to take the game to penalties.

[Pumared]

Last night’s match was nerve wrecking, I didn’t place a bet on the match neither am I Portuguese but I was so invested in the match because it would be heartbreaking to see Ronaldo lose his last World Cup like this but then again I’m also a big fan of Modric. Croatia were incredible on the pitch, some fans may argue that they were robbed but I think they were just unlucky not to win the match.

The goal at the very end of the match was truly something surprising. This World Cup is very exciting and it's great to see Cristiano motivated and scoring, even if it was from a penalty. I hope they manage to get through to the next round.

[cxtreenal]

It would be a shocking result as at the time, the favorites to win is Argentina and the bookies have left them with a little above 1.15 odds to win while Cape Verde has over 24.40 odds on them.

That's normal, do you think a team like Argentina will lose to Cabo Verde? That's never possible. Argentina will do everything to get to the final, and there's no way they'll lose to Cabo Verde in the round of 32. I'm 95% sure Argentina will definitely win this match, Cabo Verde will definitely perform well in their match, but in the end Cabo Verde will never be able to beat Argentina, Argentina is the last World Cup winner, so there's no way they'll be eliminated in the round of 32.

You can be 100% sure but the result will be based on performance. Cabo Verde have already achieved more than their expectations even though they are a new team in the World Cup and many considered them underdogs. In the first match between Cabo Verde and Spain I bet on Spain and I was 100% sure that they will win. You can be sure that Argentina will win but don't bet beyond your means because Cabo Verde is a very dangerous team and they have proven it in the past matches.

I am not ignoring your argument but overconfident teams do not come close to their expectations. We will have to wait a few hours to see which team will go to the round of 16.

[SOKO-DEKE]

It would be a shocking result as at the time, the favorites to win is Argentina and the bookies have left them with a little above 1.15 odds to win while Cape Verde has over 24.40 odds on them.

That's normal, do you think a team like Argentina will lose to Cabo Verde? That's never possible. Argentina will do everything to get to the final, and there's no way they'll lose to Cabo Verde in the round of 32. I'm 95% sure Argentina will definitely win this match, Cabo Verde will definitely perform well in their match, but in the end Cabo Verde will never be able to beat Argentina, Argentina is the last World Cup winner, so there's no way they'll be eliminated in the round of 32.

Despite believing that anything can happen in football, I would never have expected that Cabo Verde would defeat Argentina in this match. The highest they can achieve is a full time draw, but even that would be difficult for Cabo Verde, even if they defend throughout the match.One thing I also believe is that Argentina may have observed the defensive tactics that Cabo Verde have been using in this World Cup tournament. Because of that, Argentina should be able to find a solution against them.Cabo Verde were just lucky to draw against Spain. If they were to meet Spain again now, Spain would likely find a way to beat Cabo Verde. In fact, no team can remain so defensive when facing a side with a strong attack. The constant pressure from such a team will eventually lead to a goal.

[Arenga pinnata]

Argentina are in excellent form and they have a significant advantage over Cape Verde in terms of squad strength, so I don't see any other outcome here but an Argentina victory. The odds for Argentina to win are too low, so I think it's even worth betting on Messi to score in this match, although I don't like betting on individual players. This evening, I'm thinking about betting on Egypt, I think they'll avoid defeat and score. Total over 1 on Egypt, odds of 1.88, so I'm thinking about making that bet.

In fact, both teams are currently at the top of their game. However, in terms of quality and World Cup experience, we know that Argentina is clearly far superior to Cape Verde. Therefore, Argentina is clearly the heavy favorite in this match.

Cape Verde shouldn’t be underestimated, though. this team has even managed to hold other strong teams, like Spain, to a draw. So, Argentina might face a similar situation, which could send the match into extra time or even a penalty shootout.

But personally, I’m pretty confident there won’t be any surprises in this match. Argentina will win, likely with a score of 2-1.

[giorgione]

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 Mandžuki? was years ago.

Portugal won but i would have imagined that they would have done much more than they did, but it is still incredible to see how Cristiano Ronaldo is still playing so well, at this level, he is truly so consistent that at his age no one imagines it and instead he is always there to demonstrate his level.

[Nightwalker(NW)]

yeah.
imo Belgian coach deserves credit here as well. Subbing off De Bruyne, De Cuyper, De Ketelaere and Doku. and immediately bringing on impactful players like Lukaku, Raskin and Lukebakio turned the tide in their favor. With the opponent also wearing down, they managed to take the game to extra time with that final Meunier move.

As we are hailing the Belgium coach let's not also forget to blame the Senegal coach for what happened as well. 2:1 at 85 minutes and you concede an equaliser, it's understandable, I don't think there will be anyone to blame if it happens. But conceding two goals from that 85 minutes is something that needs to be looked into, what did the coach do wrong that led to this unpresidented errors which led to Senegal conceding two goals in that little time frame, Senegal was in control of the game untill few minutes to the first goal. The coach had a part to play in the elimination of his team, what were you doing that led to this, what wrong changes did he make that caused this errors.