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

[Onyeeze]

As I said, Spain won this match, but only by a narrow margin over Belgium. Courtois did a great job holding off so many attacks from the Spanish players, but their defense was quite poor, which led to them conceding two goals. Still, Belgium played well enough to put up this kind of performance, it's just that their run had to end in the quarterfinals. The next match is France vs. Spain, it's like an early final because both teams are so strong, but my feeling tells me that France will win this one.

Spain and the Belgium match is a top notch performance from Belgium but the thing is that in a match that must be a winner even though you tried all your best to defeat your counterpart you will also lose if the gods of football is against you, Belgium have tried their best and they gave a credible performance which if we should rate the performance of Belgium we all will agree that Spain will not win Belgium, so it is their luck to defeat Belgium, but where will you see if the performance of Spain is very good is the match between Spain and France and everybody will like to watch the two elephant fight, but for me I predict that France only defeat Spain.

[Amphenomenon]

The super-sub has scored... and once again a substitute has decided the match. just two minutes on the pitch and Merino has already scored the decisive goal.
it was a thrilling match, and Spain are now through to the semi-finals, where they’ll face France. so there’s guaranteed to be a European team in the World Cup final.

I said it earlier that the game may not get to extra time and just like Portugal game Spain did it again the same player, Merino.

He is good at getting crucial goal for his team, both club and country. Belgium did try to hold on but Spain still got the win as many expected. France vs Spain this will be interesting and exciting, another game where we will be seeing a lot of attendance.

[JiiBs]

After their great performance against the USA, I expected a bit more of an even game than what we saw today from Belgium.
Spain were on another level and dominated in every aspect. But at least Belgium did what no other rivals of Spain could do and scored a goal.

Against a side like Spain that enjoys dominating their games, there was nothing this Belgium side could do rather than hold the game to a draw. That’s the most they could have done for themselves but, with the time running out, Spain understood what they need to do and was finding ways to run behind the defense line and it was a matter of having good control over the ball to produce a goal which they didn’t.
Eventually, they got their opener from the goalkeeper’s inability to hold the ball tight or spring back up to a loosed ball and that got Spain their winner.

[Obim34]

They did well, but they benefitted from this poor man. I don't want to attack him because I believe the whole world will attack him. It doesn't feel good.

How can the world continue? Praise the achievements. Let us not be attackers.

I understand what you mean, after the goal was conceded, the keeper felt horrible. If I'm to be in his shoes, I will feel worse of myself at the moment, some of this are common goal keeper errors we see sometimes.

The pressure was much, although Courtois would have done better, but we can't changed what has happened, what's left is for Lammens to develop full potential, he stands a higher chance as a successor to Courtois for the national team.

[Zoomic]

After their great performance against the USA, I expected a bit more of an even game than what we saw today from Belgium.
Spain were on another level and dominated in every aspect. But at least Belgium did what no other rivals of Spain could do and scored a goal.

Against a side like Spain that enjoys dominating their games, there was nothing this Belgium side could do rather than hold the game to a draw. That’s the most they could have done for themselves but, with the time running out, Spain understood what they need to do and was finding ways to run behind the defense line and it was a matter of having good control over the ball to produce a goal which they didn’t.
Eventually, they got their opener from the goalkeeper’s inability to hold the ball tight or spring back up to a loosed ball and that got Spain their winner.

I'm not surprised by Belgium's defeat tonight, not because I thought they can't beat Spain but because they've been unconvincing with their performances in the World Cup this year. Belgium should've been out of the tournament by especially in the round of 32 against Senegal.

Spain played like a team with a stronger mentality and deservedly got the win. This is the World Cup and for you to reach the final, you have to strongly believe in yourselves as a team.

So we'll be getting a France vs Spain semi finals? Can't wait to see France destroy this Spanish team.

[hyudien]

I said it earlier that the game may not get to extra time and just like Portugal game Spain did it again the same player, Merino.

He is good at getting crucial goal for his team, both club and country. Belgium did try to hold on but Spain still got the win as many expected. France vs Spain this will be interesting and exciting, another game where we will be seeing a lot of attendance.

This match was similar to the one France vs Morocco presented, the match wasn't entirely balanced. Belgium could only defend and rely on quick counterattacks, but Belgium still put up a fight scoring one goal. Spain, on the other hand, owes much to Merino. Coming off the bench in both matches, Merino was the hero behind Spain victory, worthy of being called a supersub.
I can't wait for them to face France, both teams are in top form, it will be a tough match.

[Plutomanian]

I said it earlier that the game may not get to extra time and just like Portugal game Spain did it again the same player, Merino.

He is good at getting crucial goal for his team, both club and country. Belgium did try to hold on but Spain still got the win as many expected. France vs Spain this will be interesting and exciting, another game where we will be seeing a lot of attendance.

Merino should just switch to a striker because he's a perfect finisher. This is the second time he has stepped up for Spain in this world cup. He did it against Portugal when he scored the winning goal and tonight, he did it again and this time against Belgium to qualify for the semi finals. Do you think Spain stand a chance against France? Well we'll see because this game is going to be really extremely competitive and we know the kind of performance to expect from both sides.

[Balmain]

Courtois's substitution changed the course of the game his departure was a major factor in Belgium's defeat. Courtois could have easily saved Belgium's first goal, even though it wasn't a powerful shot. Ultimately, if one of the best goalkeepers had been on the pitch, perhaps that second goal wouldn't have happened, and the match would have gone to extra time. Congratulations Spain, they have bigger tests ahead. I can't wait to see Mbappe and Yamal face off.

[Popkon6]

After their great performance against the USA, I expected a bit more of an even game than what we saw today from Belgium.
Spain were on another level and dominated in every aspect. But at least Belgium did what no other rivals of Spain could do and scored a goal.

Against a side like Spain that enjoys dominating their games, there was nothing this Belgium side could do rather than hold the game to a draw. That’s the most they could have done for themselves but, with the time running out, Spain understood what they need to do and was finding ways to run behind the defense line and it was a matter of having good control over the ball to produce a goal which they didn’t.
Eventually, they got their opener from the goalkeeper’s inability to hold the ball tight or spring back up to a loosed ball and that got Spain their winner.

In this situation, the Spanish team worked hard and the Belgian team worked even harder to draw the game. Because the Belgian team knew that if the game was drawn, we would definitely win on penalties, but that was not possible. However, the Belgian team must have understood their mistake, one team must lose in this game, but the tears of the Belgian team were to break people's hearts.
However, although the Spanish team was able to win in the end, it had to face difficult situations for a long time, but the Spanish team will have to face a more difficult test with the French team.

[GbitG]

Spain 2 Vs Belgium 1 FT
Merino once again wins it for Spain at the 88th minutes, that must have really hurt. Same way it was hurting for Portugal when they conceded that 90+ goal, I feel it was also be the same pains felt by Belgium for conceding at this lat minutes also. 2 European teams paired against each other, one must go back and it's Belgium that's packing their bags. On Tuesday will be another set of European teams against each other in the semifinals. Spain just booked their spot to play against France and one of them will be in the final for a chance to named champions of the world again. Next up is Norway Vs England and Argentina Vs Switzerland.

Ahhh once again Mikel Merino rescue his team.....

Spain was really dominating the match with ball possion as well as shot attempt but unfortunately they can get lead earlier and ultimately Mikel Merino came as rescue man in dying minutes. Thus far Belgium also made some decent effort for goal but Sapin defense was really good and they didn't let them to equalizer especially Cubarsi like he stop every single chance.....

Now Spain will face one of his team trails like they face to France in semi finals stage and definitely it will be the hardest tast for them. Let's see what happens next.

[Adams0001]

[

Courtois's substitution changed the course of the game his departure was a major factor in Belgium's defeat. Courtois could have easily saved Belgium's first goal, even though it wasn't a powerful shot. Ultimately, if one of the best goalkeepers had been on the pitch, perhaps that second goal wouldn't have happened, and the match would have gone to extra time. Congratulations Spain, they have bigger tests ahead. I can't wait to see Mbappe and Yamal face off.

I can said that the first goal that Spain score against Belgium was a reflection goal because I see like the goal keeper as already go for the ball but in tough one the player and chance the directions and make the ball get the the net easily. The game was very interesting to watch, let see if Spain can be able to face France in the World Cup and win them but that will be very difficult for Spain to qualify for the next round because I see that France are much better then any team in the competition and I get the belief that France can win the World Cup if they can continue doing well in the tournament. Mbappe are in the same goal position with Messi and I think can can overtake him very soon because is a good key player that can bring Messi record in goal difference.

[Nheer]

I said it earlier that the game may not get to extra time and just like Portugal game Spain did it again the same player, Merino.

He is good at getting crucial goal for his team, both club and country. Belgium did try to hold on but Spain still got the win as many expected. France vs Spain this will be interesting and exciting, another game where we will be seeing a lot of attendance.

This match was similar to the one France vs Morocco presented, the match wasn't entirely balanced. Belgium could only defend and rely on quick counterattacks, but Belgium still put up a fight scoring one goal. Spain, on the other hand, owes much to Merino. Coming off the bench in both matches, Merino was the hero behind Spain victory, worthy of being called a supersub.
I can't wait for them to face France, both teams are in top form, it will be a tough match.

Sincerely Merino is just a player you can't just write off with his goal scoring ability especially in difficult situations when his team desperately needs help. He scored the winning goal in their last match against Portugal and also did it against Belgium. This is exactly the same way he does it at Arsenal too.

Belgium are clearly not in their best form since the start of the season so facing Spain was definitely going to be a difficult one for them and as seen a lot gamblers favoured Spain. I didn't think Belgium will result to playing defensively and relying on counter attacks. I expected them to go head to head with Spain even though they fail to win but at least the game would have been more interesting. Was not a bad game though, both teams scored but Spain got lucky to score twice to reach the Semi final.

[Stepstowealth]

After their great performance against the USA, I expected a bit more of an even game than what we saw today from Belgium.
Spain were on another level and dominated in every aspect. But at least Belgium did what no other rivals of Spain could do and scored a goal.

Against a side like Spain that enjoys dominating their games, there was nothing this Belgium side could do rather than hold the game to a draw. That’s the most they could have done for themselves but, with the time running out, Spain understood what they need to do and was finding ways to run behind the defense line and it was a matter of having good control over the ball to produce a goal which they didn’t.
Eventually, they got their opener from the goalkeeper’s inability to hold the ball tight or spring back up to a loosed ball and that got Spain their winner.

In this situation, the Spanish team worked hard and the Belgian team worked even harder to draw the game.

It is just shocking and surprising that a team like Belgium with all the talents in the team still struggle to win games that are this important. To me they had an equal chance to win the game as Spain did. Maybe it is the coach of the team that needs to be changed because a team like Belgium with the quality of players all round should be a team that should consistently be competing at top level, them and Portugal.

[BRINIRHA]

Sincerely Merino is just a player you can't just write off with his goal scoring ability especially in difficult situations when his team desperately needs help. He scored the winning goal in their last match against Portugal and also did it against Belgium. This is exactly the same way he does it at Arsenal too.

Belgium are clearly not in their best form since the start of the season so facing Spain was definitely going to be a difficult one for them and as seen a lot gamblers favoured Spain. I didn't think Belgium will result to playing defensively and relying on counter attacks. I expected them to go head to head with Spain even though they fail to win but at least the game would have been more interesting. Was not a bad game though, both teams scored but Spain got lucky to score twice to reach the Semi final.

He's always been a super sub in some games and those 2 goals make his confidence grow even more now.

in the knock out phase he only played in crucial minutes as a substitute but only 5 minutes played he managed to make Portugal lose and today it took him only 2 minutes to be on the pitch to knock Belgium out of the World Cup.  He's a different player for now even though he's 30 years old but with the achievements he's got I think his value will increase a bit in this summer's transfer window.

This victory is a very natural thing for Spain because looking at what happened on the pitch they deserved to win and we will have a big match again in the semi finals this time where France faces Spain.

[laspol65]

After their great performance against the USA, I expected a bit more of an even game than what we saw today from Belgium.
Spain were on another level and dominated in every aspect. But at least Belgium did what no other rivals of Spain could do and scored a goal.

Against a side like Spain that enjoys dominating their games, there was nothing this Belgium side could do rather than hold the game to a draw. That’s the most they could have done for themselves but, with the time running out, Spain understood what they need to do and was finding ways to run behind the defense line and it was a matter of having good control over the ball to produce a goal which they didn’t.
Eventually, they got their opener from the goalkeeper’s inability to hold the ball tight or spring back up to a loosed ball and that got Spain their winner.

In this situation, the Spanish team worked hard and the Belgian team worked even harder to draw the game.

It is just shocking and surprising that a team like Belgium with all the talents in the team still struggle to win games that are this important. To me they had an equal chance to win the game as Spain did. Maybe it is the coach of the team that needs to be changed because a team like Belgium with the quality of players all round should be a team that should consistently be competing at top level, them and Portugal.

The Belgian team failed to dominate, so everyone lost confidence in themselves at the last moment. But the Spanish team attacked from all sides, the Belgian team was unable to stop the Spanish team's attacks. However, the game ended up being a tough contest between two teams, when the game continued to be a draw for a long time, I was very worried about which team would win and the game might go to penalties.
But the Spanish team kept attacking until the end and succeeded in the very last minute, then the Belgian team had nothing to do but lose because only luck can make a team win in a very short time. But it was not in Belgium's favor, it was in Spain's favor, but anyway, thank you Spain for entering the semi-finals.

[Rgram]

It is just shocking and surprising that a team like Belgium with all the talents in the team still struggle to win games that are this important. To me they had an equal chance to win the game as Spain did. Maybe it is the coach of the team that needs to be changed because a team like Belgium with the quality of players all round should be a team that should consistently be competing at top level, them and Portugal.

Compared to Spain, this Belgium team hasn’t got that much talent. Just a couple of old talents that could have used experience to good effect but obvious failed at it and had to succumb to a greater pressure.
KDB got a yellow card right before he was substituted and that was due to pressure they had to endure.
Spain deserved the win and they made sure of it, scoring when they wouldn’t get no response from Belgium and ultimately got them kicked out.

[mikel_012]

After their great performance against the USA, I expected a bit more of an even game than what we saw today from Belgium.
Spain were on another level and dominated in every aspect. But at least Belgium did what no other rivals of Spain could do and scored a goal.

I think Belgium's goalkeeper is, at least to some degree, responsible for losing the 2ng goal. He should've punched the ball to the side instead of trying to catch the shot, which resulted in the ball bouncing of him straight under Merino's feet.

So yeah, the first semi-final pair is known. We'll see France Vs Spain. Whoever wins it will likely be the favourite to win the final.

The second goal was expected after Courtouis left because he was feeling something. I am sure he would not have given the opportunity for Spain to score the way it happened.

I was cheering for Belgium because I do not care a lot about Spain players and Yamal will have time to get a world cup

The only thing I can hope for now is that Argentina do not continue to the finals, but it is a hard ask

[Sithara007]

No surprises so far in the Quarter-finals stage. But we have two more matches remaining, and I am hopeful regarding the next one (England vs Norway). Just checked Stake, and they have moved Norway's odds from 4.10 to 4.00. For the last QF match, Switzerland is at 5.40 (and this maybe the most one-sided match in this stage). Semi-final lineup is more or less finalized by now. It will be like this:

SF1: France vs Spain (already confirmed)
SF2: England /Norway vs Argentina

[laijsica]

After their great performance against the USA, I expected a bit more of an even game than what we saw today from Belgium.
Spain were on another level and dominated in every aspect. But at least Belgium did what no other rivals of Spain could do and scored a goal.

Against a side like Spain that enjoys dominating their games, there was nothing this Belgium side could do rather than hold the game to a draw. That’s the most they could have done for themselves but, with the time running out, Spain understood what they need to do and was finding ways to run behind the defense line and it was a matter of having good control over the ball to produce a goal which they didn’t.
Eventually, they got their opener from the goalkeeper’s inability to hold the ball tight or spring back up to a loosed ball and that got Spain their winner.

The attacking tactics of the Spanish players probably made Belgium want to play as defensively as possible because if the match could have ended in a draw, they could have created a chance in the penalty shootout. Spain was so aggressive that Belgium could not use their strategy in the end.
Although Spain team strategy was a bit defensive after the second goal, they tried to come out of that shell and continue attacking as well as trying their best to keep the ball in their possession. Now we have to wait for the more exciting semi final match between Spain and France. The match is going to be very exciting.

[Gallar]

France advanced to the semifinals with ease after defeating Morocco with a goal scored by Mbappe Dembele. Yassine Bounou who had put in a solid performance in the first half, was ultimately unable to withstand the ferocity of the French attack and had to pick the ball out of his net twice. Morocco became the last African nation to be eliminated from the 2026 World Cup, a defeat that was exactly the same as the one that occurred in the 2022 World Cup when France defeated Morocco by an identical score in the semifinals.
Now only Argentina and the European teams remain, what do you think is the percentage chance that Argentina will win the 2026 World Cup?

Yes, it's really a shame that Morocco lost this match, even though I was hoping they could advance further in this World Cup. But it can't be denied that France is currently the best team in my opinion. Because they are good at everything, so it will definitely be very difficult for them to be defeated by other teams. Besides, talking about Argentina, I think they do have great potential to become champions in this World Cup. But even so, if Argentina is destined to meet France again in the final, I think France will be superior and most likely will win.

Because basically, even though Argentina's current performance is also quite extraordinary, the problem is I don't think they are as good as France. So that's why I think Argentina's chance to win this World Cup is quite big, but not as big as France's chance. Besides that, we also don't know for sure whether Argentina will be able to win or not against Switzerland tomorrow, so we'll just have to wait and see.