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

[Razmirraz]

After a journey full of challenges, surprises and heart-pounding spectators, now 8 countries remain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. France, Morocco, Spain, Belgium, Norway, England, Argentina and Switzerland will face off against each other to secure a place in the next round. Whoever manages to sweep all the remaining 3 matches (Quarter Finals, Semifinals, and Finals) will be confirmed as world champions.

1. Left Lane:
-France vs Morocco.
As one of the favorites in this tournament, France will face a tough test from Morocco, the team representing the African continent, a semifinalist in the 2022 World Cup and full of surprises.

-Spain vs Belgium.
These two European giants will fight each other for victory. Spain is known for its incredibly solid defensive record, while Belgium boasts a formidable attacking force ready to tear apart the Spanish defense.

2. Right Lane:
-Norway vs England.
The Norway vs England match is one of the most anticipated by football fans, this game brings together Haaland and Harry Kane. These two players are the mainstay of each team to tear apart the opponent's goal, their sharpness in scoring goals makes this game full of high intensity and thrilling attacks. Whoever wins this duel has the potential to be a strong favorite to become the champion.

-Argentina vs Switzerland.
As defending champions, Argentina is relying heavily on the magic of Lionel Messi to repeat their success in the 2022 edition. Argentina had to overcome a Switzerland side that played spartan and managed to beat Colombia on penalties.

This time European teams dominated the quarter-finals with six teams representing the eight remaining teams. The favorite teams must be wary of surprises from dark horse teams like Morocco and Switzerland, they have proven that high determination can defeat the top teams.
In your opinion, out of these 8 teams, who will sweep the remaining 3 matches to become world champions.?

[Bitcoin_people]

This is something that made me feel like crying, imagine the pressure especially when all hope is lost, there comes Messi w d his warriors fighting to stay alive in this FWC... Can't say much, I think this should put the debate to bed.
Egypt is the version 2 of Senegal, leading and losing the game. Can't say more on this guys (Egyptians) because they are the cause of their own eviction.

#Messi_Greatest-Of-All-Time

It was a superb game, and you must respect the Argentinians even more after this. To fight like they did and to come back from 0:2 in the 80th minute is something almost equal to the magic night in Istanbul with Liverpool—it definitely had those vibes for me. Respect to Argentina, now they need to go all the way.

It was certainly a superb performance by Argentina; there’s no doubt they gave it their all right to the very end. But the match was heavily influenced by the referee’s decisions, which, in my opinion, were highly questionable.
Egypt played a fantastic match until the 79th minute, then mysteriously lost their focus and paid dearly for it with defeat and elimination from the World Cup.

Yes, Argentina's performance and strong attack was great, although they attacked until the last minute of the game and won. However, the referee's issue is really questionable in everyone's mind because we noticed that there was a lot of one-sided judgment here, especially in the case of goal disallowance. When the Egyptian team conceded a goal in the last minute, their attitude to the game changed a lot, especially their confidence was broken a little. In the end, they played completely defensively and Argentina's strong attack, which they failed to prevent. However, if the game could have been played longer, the Egyptian team could have definitely defeated the Argentine team, but there were many wrong decisions by the referee, especially in the case of fouls, the Egyptian players appealed a lot but they were not accepted. However, in any case, the Egyptian team lost a lot of attention from the game, as a result of which the Argentine team scored a goal in that opportunity and confirmed its place in the quarter-finals.

[asriloni]

Ronaldo's showing how disrespect he's after he got knocked out. Instead of admitting how bad his team play, but he's saying Euro is in the same level as World Cup like what? For me, it's unacceptable to call Euro is in the same level as World Cup.

I guess he's just feel heartbroken with the result. If he's stop with his ego, so many people would respect him. It's hard not to call him as a lunatic narcissist.

It's also disgusting to see him to say that.

What is this guy talking about? Is he in his right mind when he says the Euro is on the same level as the World Cup? He’s made a fool of himself with his own words. No wonder the Portuguese players don’t respect him. His ego is huge, and he’s all about himself.

Ronaldo isn’t just heartbroken; he’s also set a dismal record as the only player to have appeared in six World Cups without ever winning the trophy........

It's also the reason why so many people are against his pointless statement to call winning euro same as winning world cup. I believe people would respect him more if he didn't deliver that disgusting statement.

The better he admitted that how hard winning world cup compared to the euro. It maybe the reason why he got cursen, and he's always unable to chase his final dream to lift world cup trophy. He should have down to earth.

[Luzin]

Many are Messi fans, and that's not wrong, it's fine, but they must admit that there were many factors that greatly helped Argentina. I like Argentinians very much; in fact, I have many friends from there, but I don't like favoritism. FIFA has always helped its favorite player, and the referees do what the FIFA president says. That goes beyond the spectacle of the sport; it's something that bothers me. I understand Egypt's indignation.

Congratulations Argentina, you made it to the next stage. Egypt must be disappointed, but protesting won't change the result. I personally think the referee didn't perform to the fullest, there were a few decisions where a better solution could have come from the ref. But matches will always make both sides happy and disappointed. 

The main issue I see is Messi. He played well, but seeing him miss a penalty, I think maybe the coach should be brave enough to pick someone else for penalties. Keep in mind Messi has already missed 2 penalties, against Austria and Mexico. Who would be suitable to replace Messi?

[giammangiato]

Yes, Argentina's performance and strong attack was great, although they attacked until the last minute of the game and won. However, the referee's issue is really questionable in everyone's mind because we noticed that there was a lot of one-sided judgment here, especially in the case of goal disallowance. When the Egyptian team conceded a goal in the last minute, their attitude to the game changed a lot, especially their confidence was broken a little. In the end, they played completely defensively and Argentina's strong attack, which they failed to prevent. However, if the game could have been played longer, the Egyptian team could have definitely defeated the Argentine team, but there were many wrong decisions by the referee, especially in the case of fouls, the Egyptian players appealed a lot but they were not accepted. However, in any case, the Egyptian team lost a lot of attention from the game, as a result of which the Argentine team scored a goal in that opportunity and confirmed its place in the quarter-finals.

If we talk about refereeing it makes you turn up your nose, if we say that with more time available Egypt would have managed to beat Argentina I don't know, maybe they would have played extra time and there the game would have revolved around psychological pressure.
But now it's gone this way, even those who claim that Argentina has already won the World Cup, for goodness sake they are a strong team, they had a favor from the referees in this match but that doesn't mean they are a corrupt team (at least I hope).
In any case, Egypt deserves the compliments and in front of the matches they played, no one can deny the evidence.

[eaLiTy]

It was a match that showed you always have to keep fighting. Argentina never gave up and after scoring, they believed they could score again. Even after the score was tied, they kept looking for a third goal and found it in extra time. It was a very sad and disappointing ending for Egypt. I'm sure Mohamed Salah is not happy with this result. They had come this far very successfully, but then Argentina managed to beat them by scoring three goals in a short time.

Many are Messi fans, and that's not wrong, it's fine, but they must admit that there were many factors that greatly helped Argentina. I like Argentinians very much; in fact, I have many friends from there, but I don't like favoritism. FIFA has always helped its favorite player, and the referees do what the FIFA president says. That goes beyond the spectacle of the sport; it's something that bothers me. I understand Egypt's indignation.

It is a fact that there were some unfair decisions from the referee. I would blame the referee, but blaming FIFA for these discrepancies in refereeing is not the right way. Social media is booming with controversy regarding the disallowed goal scored by Mostafa Ziko in the 58th minute, which was a huge mistake. Another blunder was the foul inside the penalty box against Mohamed Salah, where the referee did not even bother to check VAR.

There were four yellow cards given to Egypt, and none of the tackles from Argentina resulted in a card. The Egyptian Football Federation has filed a complaint to FIFA demanding an investigation against the referee, but I am not expecting any drastic decision from them.

[BitcoinHunt3r]

This time European teams dominated the quarter-finals with six teams representing the eight remaining teams. The favorite teams must be wary of surprises from dark horse teams like Morocco and Switzerland, they have proven that high determination can defeat the top teams.
In your opinion, out of these 8 teams, who will sweep the remaining 3 matches to become world champions.?

My attention is focused on 4 teams France, Spain, Norway and Argentina then next in France and Norway both of these teams will be in the final based on my hunch. Of course I'm not underestimating underdog teams like Morocco and Switzerland I know they have the ability but somehow my gut feeling ignored it. From Norway side, they will face England and then Argentina well from here I think they will take advantage of the weaknesses in England and Argentina defenses. Meanwhile, from the France side, they looked more aggressive than their opponents, as one of the teams that has never draw so far, it means that they can always make the most of the 90 minutes in a match.

[Arenga pinnata]

This time European teams dominated the quarter-finals with six teams representing the eight remaining teams. The favorite teams must be wary of surprises from dark horse teams like Morocco and Switzerland, they have proven that high determination can defeat the top teams.
In your opinion, out of these 8 teams, who will sweep the remaining 3 matches to become world champions.?

All the teams in the quarterfinals are top-tier. So it’s hard to predict which team will ultimately advance to the final and even win the championship, especially since there have already been quite a few match results that we didn’t see coming at all.

But at least three teams have really impressed me: Morocco, Spain, and Norway. I think the other teams are strong as well, but I’m particularly interested in these three. Spain, with their incredible young players; Morocco, with their aggressive style of play; and Norway, with the Viking spirit embodied by Haaland and his teammates.

I hope one of these three teams makes it to the final.

[Pumared]

After a journey full of challenges, surprises and heart-pounding spectators, now 8 countries remain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. France, Morocco, Spain, Belgium, Norway, England, Argentina and Switzerland will face off against each other to secure a place in the next round. Whoever manages to sweep all the remaining 3 matches (Quarter Finals, Semifinals, and Finals) will be confirmed as world champions.

1. Left Lane:
-France vs Morocco.
As one of the favorites in this tournament, France will face a tough test from Morocco, the team representing the African continent, a semifinalist in the 2022 World Cup and full of surprises.

-Spain vs Belgium.
These two European giants will fight each other for victory. Spain is known for its incredibly solid defensive record, while Belgium boasts a formidable attacking force ready to tear apart the Spanish defense.

2. Right Lane:
-Norway vs England.
The Norway vs England match is one of the most anticipated by football fans, this game brings together Haaland and Harry Kane. These two players are the mainstay of each team to tear apart the opponent's goal, their sharpness in scoring goals makes this game full of high intensity and thrilling attacks. Whoever wins this duel has the potential to be a strong favorite to become the champion.

-Argentina vs Switzerland.
As defending champions, Argentina is relying heavily on the magic of Lionel Messi to repeat their success in the 2022 edition. Argentina had to overcome a Switzerland side that played spartan and managed to beat Colombia on penalties.

This time European teams dominated the quarter-finals with six teams representing the eight remaining teams. The favorite teams must be wary of surprises from dark horse teams like Morocco and Switzerland, they have proven that high determination can defeat the top teams.
In your opinion, out of these 8 teams, who will sweep the remaining 3 matches to become world champions.?

What I'm hoping for is that Norway wins, along with Argentina, so we have Norway against Argentina. I'd like to see how Argentina's weak defense would handle Haaland and his teammates. They conceded three goals against Egypt, and one was disallowed for unbelievable reasons, so I'd like to see what would happen.

[bastisisca]

And now the argument have heated up and this all because of Ronaldo and we are all pained that Portugal lost the game and now people feel that messi is been favored more than Ronaldo I don't even know what to say to this, because there is nothing the fans can say when it comes to there favorite and even the Messi you think they are helping Argentinaam very sure that Argentina will not win the world cup because there is no way that they will escape face stronger opponents and we are going to see how they are going to be able to manage that same situation and some how Messi actually seems to be favored in way but it is what it is and there is nothing that can be done about it. Just that I am confident that they will not win the world cup.

never mind, the team doesn't exist and Cristiano Ronaldo CR7 has said he wants to participate in the next European Championships
he really doesn't want to give up his job, i think he should give up now, he's quite old

In my opinion, it is better to retire with honor than to continue in shame.

[BlackBoss_]

All the teams in the quarterfinals are top-tier. So it’s hard to predict which team will ultimately advance to the final and even win the championship, especially since there have already been quite a few match results that we didn’t see coming at all.

But at least three teams have really impressed me: Morocco, Spain, and Norway. I think the other teams are strong as well, but I’m particularly interested in these three. Spain, with their incredible young players; Morocco, with their aggressive style of play; and Norway, with the Viking spirit embodied by Haaland and his teammates.

I hope one of these three teams makes it to the final.

Going to quarter finals, there are no weak teams even they have better or worse tradition in World Cup. Like Norway, they don't have good history in World Cup but this World Cup can change that, and they are really ready to beat another strong team, England and rewrite their national team history in World Cup. Norway don't have to aim at control the match, and they can use similar tactical approach like they did with Brazil. England are stronger and will try to play attacking proactively but it opens counter attack chances for Norway.

With a superb striker like Haaland at the front line, Norway can score goal anytime even with only one or two opportunities in a quarter final. England must learn the lesson of Brazil and prepare as well as perform carefully in the next match.

I see potential of Morocco to win World Cup, that means I see they have chance to beat France in quarter final.

[m4r1o]

In this match, again Yamal struggled when playing against Nuno Mendes and this fight reminds me about Cristiano Ronaldo and Ashley Cole about 2 decades ago.

As good a team as Portugal could have, Spain played a better game, they deserved to win.
Chances have certainly not been lacking, but it's not just the chance that's enough, an era ends for Ronaldo but i are sure he'll start a new one, he are not a guy who gives up, he never gives up.
If they gave him the chance in my opinion he wouldn't hold back from playing another World Cup despite his age.

[Taricoins]

It's also the reason why so many people are against his pointless statement to call winning euro same as winning world cup. I believe people would respect him more if he didn't deliver that disgusting statement.

The better he admitted that how hard winning world cup compared to the euro. It maybe the reason why he got cursen, and he's always unable to chase his final dream to lift world cup trophy. He should have down to earth.

Funny enough the painful reality is even as he says trash and ridiculous things like this, there are still some people who actually like him with this is attitude, that's how he said some years ago that the Saudi League is better than the Serie A and adding to this is statement makes lose the little respect I have for him as a person

[Ahli38]

Many are Messi fans, and that's not wrong, it's fine, but they must admit that there were many factors that greatly helped Argentina. I like Argentinians very much; in fact, I have many friends from there, but I don't like favoritism. FIFA has always helped its favorite player, and the referees do what the FIFA president says. That goes beyond the spectacle of the sport; it's something that bothers me. I understand Egypt's indignation.

Congratulations Argentina, you made it to the next stage. Egypt must be disappointed, but protesting won't change the result. I personally think the referee didn't perform to the fullest, there were a few decisions where a better solution could have come from the ref. But matches will always make both sides happy and disappointed. 

The main issue I see is Messi. He played well, but seeing him miss a penalty, I think maybe the coach should be brave enough to pick someone else for penalties. Keep in mind Messi has already missed 2 penalties, against Austria and Mexico. Who would be suitable to replace Messi?

Lionel Messi is actually the best player to take penalty kicks for the Argentine national team. And he is one of the players with the most goals scored from penalty kicks. But he lately seems too easy for opposing goalkeepers to read, where he failed to convert against Austria and even against Egypt. I personally think that Lionel Messi needs to improve his penalty-taking skills immediately or even that Lionel Scaloni should reassign the penalty taker so they can perform better in the next round. And I think it wouldn’t have been that difficult for Argentina to stage a comeback against Egypt last night if they had managed to equalize in the first half. But they were forced to fight very hard in the second half to turn the game around. However Argentina’s performance in this match was truly commendable given the outstanding effort they put forth. And Lionel Messi also deserves credit for his contribution of one goal and even one assist. I’m confident Messi will quickly address that shortcoming in the next match if he gets the chance to take a penalty kick. And I’m sure he won’t make the same mistake again considering he’s a top-tier player with plenty of experience to deliver his best performance.

[sergiorus]

Ronaldo's showing how disrespect he's after he got knocked out. Instead of admitting how bad his team play, but he's saying Euro is in the same level as World Cup like what? For me, it's unacceptable to call Euro is in the same level as World Cup.

I guess he's just feel heartbroken with the result. If he's stop with his ego, so many people would respect him. It's hard not to call him as a lunatic narcissist.

It's also disgusting to see him to say that.

What is this guy talking about? Is he in his right mind when he says the Euro is on the same level as the World Cup? He’s made a fool of himself with his own words. No wonder the Portuguese players don’t respect him. His ego is huge, and he’s all about himself.

Ronaldo isn’t just heartbroken; he’s also set a dismal record as the only player to have appeared in six World Cups without ever winning the trophy........

It's also the reason why so many people are against his pointless statement to call winning euro same as winning world cup. I believe people would respect him more if he didn't deliver that disgusting statement.

The better he admitted that how hard winning world cup compared to the euro. It maybe the reason why he got cursen, and he's always unable to chase his final dream to lift world cup trophy. He should have down to earth.

I mean he's not entirely wrong. As you can see, out of the 8 teams currently staying in the World Cup, 6 are from Europe.

Euro is very closely 2nd hardest national tournament to win and Portugal was nowhere near being the strongest European team in 2016, or basically ever.

Meanwhile Argentina would have still been among favourites in every tournament they played even without Messi.

[Chilwell]

In this match, again Yamal struggled when playing against Nuno Mendes and this fight reminds me about Cristiano Ronaldo and Ashley Cole about 2 decades ago.

As good a team as Portugal could have, Spain played a better game, they deserved to win.
Chances have certainly not been lacking, but it's not just the chance that's enough, an era ends for Ronaldo but i are sure he'll start a new one, he are not a guy who gives up, he never gives up.
If they gave him the chance in my opinion he wouldn't hold back from playing another World Cup despite his age.

I absolutely agree with you on this but I don't really know what is wrong with his colleagues because sometimes i Began to think that they are jealous of him, that is why they ignored him whenever they have any chances, bruno Fernandez is actually the cause of all this problem which is why I disrespected him since yesterday, Cristiano Ronaldo is a player that move a team because is presence alone create more tension for the opponent, but due to the jealousness of other players they lose the opportunity they have.

Ronaldo is a hero and also a legend for Portugal and I assured the rest of the players that they will missed him because he has contributed a lot to the team and is absent will reduce a lot of things. One thing that I hate is that they see him as the problem and now is gone then let's see how they will improve.

[Oluwa-btc]

After all the favouritism towards the Argentine side I honestly wish either France or England emerge as winners of this tournament.

We all saw the robbery right in front of us right?! I mean when the officials and VAR couldn't call back a foul which lead to goal for Argentine. If they can not have equal treatments, then the sports is gone and dead. I saw the English legend Alan Shearer also calling it what it is yesterday. The Egyptians where obviously robbed.

[Taricoins]

I mean he's not entirely wrong. As you can see, out of the 8 teams currently staying in the World Cup, 6 are from Europe.

Euro is very closely 2nd hardest national tournament to win and Portugal was nowhere near being the strongest European team in 2016, or basically ever.

Meanwhile Argentina would have still been among favourites in every tournament they played even without Messi.

I was vibing to the first part of the post which felt reasonable but coming to other parts just made me grinch alittle as saying Portugal team hasn't been stacked with top level players ever is just too wild. I understand how deficit they were in the 2016 Euros but years after the quality of the squad improved and this new gen players are literally the best in all of the world, 90 percent of them plays in the top 15 clubs in the world, infact 3 of them are from PSG.

But Messi's case has always been different I really want you to go back and check Messi starting squad over the years and infact even this world cup and you would see how mediocre they look apart from few, like who the hell is Montiel, Molina, Paredes, Tagliafico, etc Messi having a buoyant squad is one I cannot allow.

[sergiorus]

I mean he's not entirely wrong. As you can see, out of the 8 teams currently staying in the World Cup, 6 are from Europe.

Euro is very closely 2nd hardest national tournament to win and Portugal was nowhere near being the strongest European team in 2016, or basically ever.

Meanwhile Argentina would have still been among favourites in every tournament they played even without Messi.

I was vibing to the first part of the post which felt reasonable but coming to other parts just made me grinch alittle as saying Portugal team hasn't been stacked with top level players ever is just too wild. I understand how deficit they were in the 2016 Euros but years after the quality of the squad improved and this new gen players are literally the best in all of the world, 90 percent of them plays in the top 15 clubs in the world, infact 3 of them are from PSG.

But Messi's case has always been different I really want you to go back and check Messi starting squad over the years and infact even this world cup and you would see how mediocre they look apart from few, like who the hell is Montiel, Molina, Paredes, Tagliafico, etc Messi having a buoyant squad is one I cannot allow.

On Portugal:
I stand by my opinion. Even in the days of Luis Figo and Rui Costa Portugal wasn't considered one of the strongest European teams. Maybe very briefly.
The current squad is great on paper but something went wrong. Can't blame CR7 for that, he's 41 years old and his responsibility was very limited.

On Argentina:  
I agree with you that the current squad is very mediocre, but they haven't shown anything yet. In fact, they should have been going home right now and Egypt should have advanced instead.
Every previous WC their squad was top notch though. Even in the golden 2022 WC the one who played the main role was Angel Di Maria, not Messi.

I'd argue Modrič gaining his country silver medals in the 2018 WC was a greater personal achievement than Messi winning the 2022 WC.

[Fiatless]

It is a fact that there were some unfair decisions from the referee. I would blame the referee, but blaming FIFA for these discrepancies in refereeing is not the right way. Social media is booming with controversy regarding the disallowed goal scored by Mostafa Ziko in the 58th minute, which was a huge mistake. Another blunder was the foul inside the penalty box against Mohamed Salah, where the referee did not even bother to check VAR.

There were four yellow cards given to Egypt, and none of the tackles from Argentina resulted in a card. The Egyptian Football Federation has filed a complaint to FIFA demanding an investigation against the referee, but I am not expecting any drastic decision from them.

It is believed that it was top FIFA officials, specifically President Gianni Infantino, that is influencing the referee's decision. Most critics point to the way the president reacts when Argentina is losing or winning. So many fouls and card offences were overlooked by French official François Letexier. I guess his unfairness demoralized the Egyptian players, and it affected their performance towards the end of the game. However, almost everyone agrees that the Argentine side outplayed their opponent.