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

[cande86]

I believe that this team has been very conditioned by the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo is there, he is an excellent player, perhaps one of the best in history, but he should perhaps have stepped aside, and i say this as a Ronaldo fan, he was influencing the team in a negative way just to make him score.

I also thought of the same thing, they are very conditioned by the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo is there, instead of helping out, the situation is getting worse, but now i don't think he can continue to play football, this is what happened, it was a disastrous world-wide expedition, also through his fault even if he is the best in the world.

[$weetne$$]

For not having been in the world cup in over 20 years I would say that Norway actually out did themselves by making it this far, it wasn't easy getting to the quarter finals and they were able to do it, with more effort they might have even been able to win against England but things didn't work out that way for them, they may have lost but them definitely won't be going home as losers and with any luck they might vene do better in the next world cup.

Even as they did not make it to the next round of the competition,  I will still give it to them as a team that has done so well,  it was not easy and even many did not expect they will get to this point,  somehow I think even them as a team did not see themselves getting here,  but their doggedness got them here, even with a few star players,  they were able to build that high morale till this point,  and against England,  they showed that if they had the chance,  they would have made it passed this stage.

[Olatundespo]

Argentina managed to eliminate Switzerland. After taking the lead with a goal in the early minutes of the first half, Argentina was unable to prevent Dan Ndoye from scoring in the 67th minute of the second half. Five minutes later, Breel Embolo received a red card after his second yellow, leaving his team down to 10 men. Even after Switzerland was reduced to 10 men, Argentina took control of the game. Embolo’s action was a clear attempt to deceive the referee, and he was shown a yellow card for what was, frankly, a very minor offense. In the match that went into extra time, Argentina defeated their opponent 3-1 with goals from Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez, advancing to the semifinals.

Watching that match, the only thing that is working for the Argentine team is there doggedness, it's wild knowing how uncreative and inferior they look anytime they play but always eventually they manage to get get through and looking at it the most important thing for them is this attribute which is important in knockout matches but still compared to France, I don't see them winning unless they perform some magic

There is a lot of controversy about the Argentina team, especially the fact that most of the decisions in the match are in their favour and FIFA has to face that criticism. I think most of the decisions of the match referee are quite confusing. No matter how much we criticize, at the end of the day Argentina is winning and they have a lot of talented players who are playing impressively. The goal that Julián Alvarez scored was very necessary for the Argentina team to win because the Switzerland players were trying hard to keep the game going until the penalty shootout. I admit that the Argentina team is very lucky and they will probably win the trophy this time.

[Agbam]

I'm very objective about VAR now than before because without it FIFA could have been solving and visiting so many complaints all the time because people are very difficult to accept the truth so even if a goal was properly scored without any form of offside a lot of fans would be saying and speculating how the referee wanted to see that the country in his mind wins there opponent, already you are seeing how some of the world Cup match has been and even with VAR we still feel some games wasn't as fair as it should have been so we could imagine how it would have been without it, so actually even if it wasn't what everybody would agree to be attached in football but we cannot entirely scratch out some important things it has done.

We are humans, we always come up with doubt in our minds especially when are not favoured with the outcome of any match but sometimes our suspicions are right, the introduction of VAR to football has helped somuch we know that but do you also know that the Decision of the central referee is final?
Mate even though I love the idea behind VAR and my believe that it has helped, the central referees as the final decision taker has made things difficult for people to believe that all the decisions made is actually true that's how difficult humans can be, what I come to understand is that people believe what they like in football especially when what they expected didnt occur.

Now I can see that you are part of the problem we are facing in this 2026 world cup. If you can tell me that the decision of the referee is final without checking the errors they have made since the beginning of this competition, then it shows that you are supporting the injustice that have been happening. FIFA is projecting Argentina to win the world cup and it will be unfair for other teams to get harsh and bias judgement on the field without the FIFA management coming close to resolve the maltreatment against other countries that have played against Argentina.

How do you blame FIFA for what’s happening on the pitch or the referee for the indiscipline of players. Yes referees may not always be correct, they’re humans and are also bound to make mistakes even with the help of VAR.

Now all of you pushing the agenda of FIFA supporting Argentina or World Cup being rigged are just watching from a hate point of view, the same goal that was disallowed against Egypt was disallowed for Norway against England for simple tussle.

The red card offence this morning was it the fault of the Ref or the player? Or it’s FIFA that made Breel Embolo simulate a foul to get his opponent carded but it was reversed on him.
My guy watch football and leave sentiments, don’t let hate cloud your judgements.

[eisen33]

There is a lot of controversy about the Argentina team, especially the fact that most of the decisions in the match are in their favour and FIFA has to face that criticism. I think most of the decisions of the match referee are quite confusing. No matter how much we criticize, at the end of the day Argentina is winning and they have a lot of talented players who are playing impressively. The goal that Julián Alvarez scored was very necessary for the Argentina team to win because the Switzerland players were trying hard to keep the game going until the penalty shootout. I admit that the Argentina team is very lucky and they will probably win the trophy this time.

It's strange that these controversial moments surrounding Argentina are so prevalent in every match. But regarding the match against Switzerland, I think Switzerland is to blame, and their player shouldn't have simulated. Because his simulation became so obvious that it led to another yellow card. Perhaps the referee shouldn't have penalized him that way, since he already had one yellow card. But such simulation can warrant such a penalty, so the referee can't be blamed here either.

[DanWalker]

For not having been in the world cup in over 20 years I would say that Norway actually out did themselves by making it this far, it wasn't easy getting to the quarter finals and they were able to do it, with more effort they might have even been able to win against England but things didn't work out that way for them, they may have lost but them definitely won't be going home as losers and with any luck they might vene do better in the next world cup.

Norway managed to qualify for the world cup after a long time. None of the players in the squad had the  experience of playing on the world cup platform. Still they  played brilliantly. I thought they would be eliminated against Brazil. But the team performed brilliantly. Norway tried their best against England to win. But winning against an  experienced and  strong team like england is always challenging. Despite  fighting hard, they lost the match 2-1 . There was no shortage of effort from the players. The match was also very competitive.

[samadam007]

As for Norway VS  England….I see haaland trashing England squad and sending them back home if he gets multiple chances. I don’t see England winning this

Not a diehard football fan but i was just amazed on how Erling Haaland scored 2 goals against Brazil so for tonight i'm gonna bet for Norway to beat England. They said that Norway will be having a hard time against this English team but i'm hoping Haaland would surprise us again tonight.

My prediction almost came to reality haha…. I was correct about Argentina VS Switzerland playing full time draw. The only luck Argentina had was that their opponent got a red card and that it didn’t get to a penalty penalty shootout

Great match between Norway VS England too. If only Haaland got more scoring chances, and they didn’t disallow their goal in second half, it would have over for England. Bellingham was their saviour.

[Iranus]

It's strange that these controversial moments surrounding Argentina are so prevalent in every match. But regarding the match against Switzerland, I think Switzerland is to blame, and their player shouldn't have simulated. Because his simulation became so obvious that it led to another yellow card. Perhaps the referee shouldn't have penalized him that way, since he already had one yellow card. But such simulation can warrant such a penalty, so the referee can't be blamed here either.

You make an important point. We have seen this  many times before by the referee giving a card for such simulation. This  is not a new  phenomenon. Even then, many have taken it to the place of controversy. Although it was a correct decision by the referee. But we can say that since embolo had already received a yellow card , the referee could have given Embolo a little less punishment. At the same time, Embolo definitely needed to perform more carefully. And  it is true that the referee cannot be blamed for this  decision. He gave the card  according to the rules.

[Noorooo]

It was a good game but their one goal was unfair. When the Norway goalkeeper shot the ball to pass it to his teammates, the ball touched the rope in the sky. They should have stopped the game at that point, and the crazy thing was that the referees didn't even check if the rope was touched or not. That was shocking. Otherwise, best of luck to the England team with their upcoming match against Argentina. Also Jude Bellingham's performance was truly amazing. I didn't expect that from him. May he also perform at that level in the semi final.

[meser#]

I was disappointed to see Norway eliminated in this round.
They might have advanced had they gone into halftime leading 1-0, but Bellingham's last-minute goal made it 1-1 at the break.
Ryerson's injury in the second half was also a blow for Norway.
I would have liked to see Norway—a team that brought great entertainment to the tournament with both its fans and its football—in the semi-finals.
England advanced and will face Argentina in the semi-finals.
It is Argentina against three European nations; I am eager to see where the trophy ends up.

[Mayor of ogba]

Now I can see that you are part of the problem we are facing in this 2026 world cup. If you can tell me that the decision of the referee is final without checking the errors they have made since the beginning of this competition, then it shows that you are supporting the injustice that have been happening. FIFA is projecting Argentina to win the world cup and it will be unfair for other teams to get harsh and bias judgement on the field without the FIFA management coming close to resolve the maltreatment against other countries that have played against Argentina.

The decision of the referee is final that's why some teams are being favored while some teams are been treated unfairly in this World Cup. Everyone knows that FIFA is projecting Argentina to win this World Cup and they are being favored by referees for them to win the matches they were supposed to lost, but players can't stop referee's decision not to stand because they will get a red card, match ban, and if possible ruin their football careers. It's not easy to win Argentina when FIFA is on their side, and anything that makes them get to the final, they will lift the World Cup.

[ruykeri]

It's strange that these controversial moments surrounding Argentina are so prevalent in every match. But regarding the match against Switzerland, I think Switzerland is to blame, and their player shouldn't have simulated. Because his simulation became so obvious that it led to another yellow card. Perhaps the referee shouldn't have penalized him that way, since he already had one yellow card. But such simulation can warrant such a penalty, so the referee can't be blamed here either.

You make an important point. We have seen this  many times before by the referee giving a card for such simulation. This  is not a new  phenomenon. Even then, many have taken it to the place of controversy. Although it was a correct decision by the referee. But we can say that since embolo had already received a yellow card , the referee could have given Embolo a little less punishment. At the same time, Embolo definitely needed to perform more carefully. And  it is true that the referee cannot be blamed for this  decision. He gave the card  according to the rules.

Yes, you are right. The referee showed him a card here according to FIFA rules. And if he gets two yellow cards, he naturally gets a red card and leaves the game. And in a match like the World Cup, there is no way for flexibility. And if the referees act flexibly or start making decisions with emotions, then there will be more controversy. I applaud the referee for such a decision. But Switzerland played quite well. Although Argentina finally won by a large margin, I saw the Argentina team quite cornered when Switzerland had control of the ball. Over all, I enjoyed the match.

[Sarah Azhari]

This will be the match of the tournament, and to be honest guys, this will be a huge match. I'm on the side of France because I think France is the only team that can beat Argentina. I truly don't like Argentina team,I think Spain can beat Argentina, so I truly want France to win against the Spain team. That's why, guys, I truly want France to win.

This is indeed a huge World Cup semifinal match. In terms of player talent, France has the edge over Spain. However, Spain has a solid defense, having conceded only one goal so far. This is the most intriguing match and is sure to be very exciting.

France is on the verge of setting a new record; if they advance to the final, they will become the only team to reach three consecutive World Cup finals.

The final that many people have been dreaming of France vs Argentina, is one step closer to becoming a reality.

[Just Say]

Argentina managed to eliminate Switzerland. After taking the lead with a goal in the early minutes of the first half, Argentina was unable to prevent Dan Ndoye from scoring in the 67th minute of the second half. Five minutes later, Breel Embolo received a red card after his second yellow, leaving his team down to 10 men. Even after Switzerland was reduced to 10 men, Argentina took control of the game. Embolo’s action was a clear attempt to deceive the referee, and he was shown a yellow card for what was, frankly, a very minor offense. In the match that went into extra time, Argentina defeated their opponent 3-1 with goals from Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez, advancing to the semifinals.

Watching that match, the only thing that is working for the Argentine team is there doggedness, it's wild knowing how uncreative and inferior they look anytime they play but always eventually they manage to get get through and looking at it the most important thing for them is this attribute which is important in knockout matches but still compared to France, I don't see them winning unless they perform some magic

The Argentina team put in an impeccable performance against Switzerland in the quarter-final match but one thing we should all note is that even though Argentina took the lead in the first 10 minutes, Switzerland played with even stronger morale. In fact we think that Julian Alvarez has played the most important role for Argentina because after this Atletico Madrid player scored, the Argentine team was able to advance. Another thing I noticed was that the Switzerland team was reduced to 10 players due to their own mistakes, making it relatively easy for Argentina to win the knockout stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, at this stage it seems that this team is preparing to face England in the semi-finals of this World Cup.

[yenerbatmaz]

Just as Switzerland had seized control of the game and the momentum had shifted in their favor, Embolo’s foolish move left his team a man down.
Had that not happened, we would have seen Switzerland in the semi-finals today.
Argentina isn't playing good football. They’ve managed to scrape through twice—like a grasshopper making two lucky leaps—but England would easily defeat Argentina in the semi-finals.

In yesterday's match, which went to extra time, penalties might have decided the winner, but Alvarez scored with a signature strike. Argentina's last-minute goal came from a counter-attack, bringing the score to 3–1.

Semi-finals: France vs. Spain (I think France will advance)
England vs. Argentina (England will advance)
The final will be France vs. England.

[sergiorus]

England vs. Argentina (England will advance)
The final will be France vs. England.

What's the logic behind saying England will advance so confidently?

Don't get me wrong I hope you're right, and for what it's worth i'm hoping for Spain-England final, but everyone sees Argentina as the clear favourite here.

Now how can we expect England to to take out the current world champion if they struggled against Norway?

[Ahli38]

It's strange that these controversial moments surrounding Argentina are so prevalent in every match. But regarding the match against Switzerland, I think Switzerland is to blame, and their player shouldn't have simulated. Because his simulation became so obvious that it led to another yellow card. Perhaps the referee shouldn't have penalized him that way, since he already had one yellow card. But such simulation can warrant such a penalty, so the referee can't be blamed here either.

You make an important point. We have seen this  many times before by the referee giving a card for such simulation. This  is not a new  phenomenon. Even then, many have taken it to the place of controversy. Although it was a correct decision by the referee. But we can say that since embolo had already received a yellow card , the referee could have given Embolo a little less punishment. At the same time, Embolo definitely needed to perform more carefully. And  it is true that the referee cannot be blamed for this  decision. He gave the card  according to the rules.

Embolo played recklessly by diving in the 68th minute, where it's earned him a second yellow card and resulted in the Swiss team losing a player. They seemed to suffer a drop in performance as a result of that incident causing them to play noticeably differently compared to the first half. On the other hand the first yellow card Embolo received in the first half was the result of his own mistake an offense on Paredes. I personally think that the Swiss national team should have been able to hold out longer or even force a draw against Argentina into extra time. But being a man down forced them to lose their balance by preventing them from holding out any longer. Argentina successfully capitalized on the situation to close out the match without having to go through the ordeal of a penalty shootout. Embolo should realize that his red card caused the Swiss team’s performance to drop drastically. If only he hadn’t made that careless mistake then there’s a good chance they would have played as well as they had in their previous matches. However Argentina’s performance deserves great praise considering that they played cautiously or even skillfully across every line. And I was very impressed by Emiliano Martinez’s performance with his superb saves in protecting Argentina’s goal.

[Solokan]

Harry Kane maybe England's highest goal scorer but in my opinion Jude Bellingham has been England best player in the tournament so far and there is no doubt about that.
Jude Bellingham has really stepped up for England especially when they needed him the most, when games are tight and they need to dig deeper Bellingham has been that player that they can rely on.

Yes,, you are absolutely right, my friend. Even though Harry Kane is playing really well as a striker,, without Bellingham in the England midfield, I still think the team's performance will not be optimal. Because Bellingham always manages to make a breakthrough in every match and he is always there at crucial moments. For example, in the match against Norway, Bellingham played really well and the proof is that he also managed to score two winning goals in this match.

I think in this match, if Bellingham hadn't had a big chance, England could have lost this match. Because basically, the pressure from the Norwegian players was really great in this match. But fortunately, Bellingham was always able to overcome all of that by managing the flow of attacks well and also helping the defense. So, for that reason, I think it's not wrong to say that Bellingham is a very great player for the England national team.

bellingham always performs exceptionally, including in today's match when England played Norway. He certainly has great ability, and indeed, he was able to score two goals in today's match Uniquely, it wasn't just in today's match. Bellingham also scored two goals against Mexico. Now, Bellingham's name is certainly becoming more popular because of his extraordinary prowess. In my opinion, the English players' cooperation is very good, which ultimately makes it difficult for teams facing England to win Norway played well in today's match and even though they lost they still put up a strong fight against england

Now I'm curious about England's next match, whether they can win or not However, because England has many star players, I think England will certainly appear confident in the upcoming match, and the semifinal match will certainly be even more exciting because the semifinals are played by strong teams Now I'm curious about Bellingham whether he will score again or not in the semifinal match. What do you think? Do you think Bellingham has the potential to score again?

[Agbam]

It's strange that these controversial moments surrounding Argentina are so prevalent in every match. But regarding the match against Switzerland, I think Switzerland is to blame, and their player shouldn't have simulated. Because his simulation became so obvious that it led to another yellow card. Perhaps the referee shouldn't have penalized him that way, since he already had one yellow card. But such simulation can warrant such a penalty, so the referee can't be blamed here either.

You make an important point. We have seen this  many times before by the referee giving a card for such simulation. This  is not a new  phenomenon. Even then, many have taken it to the place of controversy. Although it was a correct decision by the referee. But we can say that since embolo had already received a yellow card , the referee could have given Embolo a little less punishment. At the same time, Embolo definitely needed to perform more carefully. And  it is true that the referee cannot be blamed for this  decision. He gave the card  according to the rules.

There’s no way or any other form of punishment for diving or simulation other than a yellow card, it’s not the first time it’s happening in football and it’s not gonna be the last. The intention of Breel Embolo was to get Leandro Paredes booked but unfortunately for him the new rule of the World Cup calls of reviews of potential second yellow cards. Which is what warranted the review and he was found guilty.

Will we say FIFA saw the future and made all this new rules? To favor Argentina?. Sometimes we shouldn’t be saying things based on emotions. Most of the things happening that fans are seeing as controversial are actually normal but with the emotions and sentiments with which they see it, blows out of proportion.

Argentina are lucky being on the good side of the law is all I can say, when it’s their fault the law will also persecute them. A Swiss FiFa President and a Portuguese Ref will not want to be biased for Argentina.

[junder]

Norway managed to qualify for the world cup after a long time. None of the players in the squad had the  experience of playing on the world cup platform. Still they  played brilliantly. I thought they would be eliminated against Brazil. But the team performed brilliantly. Norway tried their best against England to win. But winning against an  experienced and  strong team like england is always challenging. Despite  fighting hard, they lost the match 2-1 . There was no shortage of effort from the players. The match was also very competitive.

I was hoping Norway would get to the final and even win the World Cup now because it would be a new history of course, but the truth is they failed to beat England by a narrow score and yes you are right that England are a more experienced team in the World Cup compared to Norway and maybe because of this they are difficult to beat England. But with the struggle they can be up to now of course it is a good fight.