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

[laijsica]

Kindly explain to me what script you're talking about because I'd sorely disappointed that you are amongst those who saw a trend and decided t jump on it without having proper idea.
Saying this football is a script will mean some players were handed their winning on a platter of gold without much work eh? Or is this as a result of the fact that Portugal got booted out cause they built their game around the flailing Ronaldo?

Every game is a scene that starts in the first minute and ends in the 90th minute, so what happens in that time on the pitch is unrepeatable.
Mistakes are paid for bitterly, especially in a competition like the World Cup, France got what they deserved for that match, the same for Portugal.
That's the beauty of it, you play it all in those 90 minutes, if you make a mistake you lose without remissions.
Commenting on mistakes they made without which they would have won seems superfluous to me.

The matches become more exciting when teams advance from the group stage to the knockout stage. Teams are selected based on points even if there is no result in the group stage. Since each match in the knockout stage has a result to be determined, the matches are not limited to just 90 minutes. Extra time is played to determine the winner.

If a winner is not determined in extra time, the match is decided by penalties. The best team advances to the final and wins the trophy through the unprecedented success and determination of the teams.

[free-bit.co.in]

It is true that if England had been able to continue playing the same way they started from the beginning and finish the game, then the result could have been different, but as time passed, their game started to deteriorate and Argentina took advantage of this opportunity. I have seen most of Argentina's games where they performed inconsistently at the beginning of the game, but towards the end of the game, their game changed a lot and the opposing team's game started to deteriorate. As a result, the Argentine players were able to make good use of this opportunity, which is why they have survived so far.

In every match of Argentina we have seen Argentina start very slowly. They do not attack much in the first half. But after conceding a goal, the team becomes  desperate to score. The last  20/30 minutes of every match of the knockout round, argentina players have performed incredibly  well. On the other hand, england was able to control the match at the beginning of the match. But even after scoring a goal , their gameplay became slow. They gave argentina a chance  to attack. This was their biggest mistake. If they had not made any changes in their tactics and continued to  attack, then the road to victory would have been much  harder for argentina. The match  would have also become more exciting.

[Not your key not your BTC]

In the end, my prediction came true: Spain vs. Argentina in the final.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5431360.msg66933390#msg66933390

I can’t wait to see Yamal and Messi in action on the same field in the final.

If Messi sees this photo, he’ll surely be surprised. He never would have imagined that a baby he once bathed would now be in the World Cup final, facing off against him.

[martinom]

I am very sure that most people were very disappointed with yesterday's match, because we all see France as the tournament favorite,  but we were all surprised the way Spain out played them. Seriously I was predicting France to get to the final, but what they played yesterday was so disappointing and I think they got exactly what they deserve. Spain was the better team from the first minute of the game till the end, so they really deserve to win the game. I think this just showed us how difficult it is to predict a football match.

I don't think yesterday's match can be considered completely unexpected. Spain has been playing excellent football for several years now, despite having some small gaps in various departments. Over the years, it has shown that it is one of the most feared teams, with some remarkable young talents, and yesterday it proved it all on the pitch.

[Sim_card]

England played to lose and they lost so the win was fair to Argentina, the moment England scored their goal the decided to rest the better playsrs and fell back to defence, after scoring they should have kept pushing and maybe they would have been able to score more, Argentina did not want to lose so even after conceding one goal they kept playing to win and it worked out in their favour and they won and are in the finals to now play against Spain.

It's impossible to play defensive game with Argentina because their attack is of high quality. They get provoked the moment, you take the lead. So far, in this world cup it was only Cabo Verde that has played Argentina bone to bone and made them sweat before winning the game. I thought England was strong enough to play Argentina but I was wrong.

[changaa]

I checked before the match, all the bookmakers were giving France as the favourite, it is absolutely not predictable the result definitely, especially with teams of this level.
Spain played tactically, they won by strategy, it's difficult to determine who will win the World Cup, but at this point the Spanish, being candidates, have all the credentials to be able to win seriously.

France were the favourites, the odds and all the bookmakers were giving it up.
Those who took advantage of the good share on Spain got a good deal, on average the share was with 3.30 on Spain.
Who will win the World Cup is really difficult to determine, they have a similar style of play as the finalists, they have some excellent players and placing a bet is really like doing it with your eyes closed.

[MArsland]

In the end, my prediction came true: Spain vs. Argentina in the final.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5431360.msg66933390#msg66933390

I can’t wait to see Yamal and Messi in action on the same field in the final.

If Messi sees this photo, he’ll surely be surprised. He never would have imagined that a baby he once bathed would now be in the World Cup final, facing off against him.

Argentina 100% deserved to win the match, their constant pressure on England was commendable. Even when they were behind, Argentina didn't give up until the final seconds, that was the key point, demonstrating their champion mentality.

FIFA knows how to make money by presenting a final that will pit the new generation of Yamal against the old generation of Messi. It's certainly intriguing, but I'm leaning towards Argentina winning back to back World Cups, completing Messi perfect career.

[EarnOnVictor]

It looks like it's not coming home for England again...

Tuchel did something really wrong there! After getting 1-0 ahead they started to leave the ball to Argentina too much. If you play that defensive against Argentina then be ready to get punished for it. 

Everyone is blaming Tuchel and I agree with them. Defending against Argentina has never been helpful for countries, and he should have learned from that.

France were also expected to win by the majority of people I guess but they got a shocking loss. Now we have a Spain v Argentina final in hand. It's going to be fun to watch Yamal vs Messi. However Yamal has performed way below the expectations so far.

It's even better with France, after all, they played how they could but they only couldn't win, and let's say they met a better side. But I didn't see Argentina better than England in their match, but England only chose to be cowards. They will meet against France on Saturday and I don't think they can beat France.

[$weetne$$]

In the end, my prediction came true: Spain vs. Argentina in the final.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5431360.msg66933390#msg66933390

I can’t wait to see Yamal and Messi in action on the same field in the final.

If Messi sees this photo, he’ll surely be surprised. He never would have imagined that a baby he once bathed would now be in the World Cup final, facing off against him.

Argentina Reminds us again that till the final whistle, never assume they have lost. It will be a really interesting game to have this two on the pitch against each other,  this is the type of game where every minute counts,  because anything can happen at any minute considering the two teams and the calibre of players involved.

Messi will be proud to have Yamal on the pitch, but will definitely not miss his chances to win when they come, and for Yamal, it is going to be a career record he once played against two great players in his career.  Even if they do not win against Argentina  Yamal got a record from this already.

[aipercoin]

It was actually something that many of us didn't expect. In fact, none of us did, because we had all already concluded that France are going to qualify for the final, but it turned out to be the complete opposite. Although I knew Spain wouldn't be an easy opponent for them, I didn't know they would dismantle them then by a two goal margin.

I thought it was going to end in a draw after 90 minutes. Football is deeply unpredictable because anything can happen at any time.

I totally agree, the match lasts 90 minutes and until the referee blows the whistle everything is open. What made the difference was that one team took to the field with humility and respect for their opponents, the other as if they had already advanced to the next round, and when they found themselves behind in the score they were left speechless and no longer knew how to react.

[Ahli38]

I don't see how Argentina is the favorite from what I watched in the first half. England got a shot on target and Argentina didn't. Secondly, Argentina played roughly in the first half because they're not able to tactically get the ball from England players.

The second half will produce at least one goal and I expect to see a higher game tempo from England when Saka and Rashford steps into the field. It's still 50/50 for both teams to advance to the finals.

Unfortunately, England were able to play a little bit in the first half but could not maintain it in the second half. Even after they scored the first goal, they were very weak in front of the Argentine attackers.
And the Argentine players did not let go of that weakness, but instead, taking advantage of that weakness, the Argentine team made a remarkable comeback at the very last moment and immediately took the lead. And Argentina's performance basically proves that they are the most favorite team in this World Cup and have the highest chance of winning the World Cup trophy.

As I’ve said before, where I predicted that Argentina would fight very hard under any circumstances. And I suspected that Argentina might put up a very strong fight if they fell behind just as they did against Egypt some time ago. Argentina’s position as the top-ranked team according to FIFA makes me confident that they cannot be underestimated at all given that they have a squad with a steely resolve and exceptional individual skills. England might have felt they had the upper hand after scoring in the 55th minute which briefly put them ahead. But Argentina managed an epic comeback as the match neared its end. And Lionel Messi was a pivotal player in Argentina’s victory in that match. It’s no surprise that he received the highest rating and was named man of the match. Next I’m confident that Argentina will most likely defeat Spain. But we need to keep an eye on how both teams develop to make a more accurate prediction.

[KTChampions]

Tuchel definitely will loose his job over this elimination..Coz why would he ask his boys to switch to defensive mode after scoring just 1 goal, which sensible coach should even do that.. .Argentina naturally is good and with a key striker which is Messi, England has supposed to keep pressing till they successfully net like 2 to 3 goals before then switching to defensive mode.. I needed them to win, but honestly they screwed things up big time..The painful part was when Marcus Rashford was brought into the match 5 minutes before the final whistle. I mean there is no magic he can perform given that short time.

It seems that it has already been confirmed that Tuchel will retain his post? Overall England have been good at this tournament but damn that switch to defence instead of continuing to play as they had been successful... a terrible mistake. Those last-minute substitutions didn't solve anything. The game was lost at the coaching level, that's a fact. Tuchel will retain his post for now, but I hope the players will push him out later. It is also worth remembering that he did not take some big names to this tournament, who will also work against him.

[Bobrox]

Argentina 100% deserved to win the match, their constant pressure on England was commendable. Even when they were behind, Argentina didn't give up until the final seconds, that was the key point, demonstrating their champion mentality.

FIFA knows how to make money by presenting a final that will pit the new generation of Yamal against the old generation of Messi. It's certainly intriguing, but I'm leaning towards Argentina winning back to back World Cups, completing Messi perfect career.

Important thing for the victory from Argentina last night how smart tactical from the manager Lionel Scaloni, after conceded one goal he made crucial substitution and all them play quite well exactly Lautoro Martinez success scoring the second goal and help Argentina secure the final ticket. Since conceded goals during 55th minutes Argentina make huge pressure and fully offense for scoring the goals and badly England playing full offense during many minutes matches left make them difficult how to play well with huge pressure from Argentina team.

Lionel Messi playing quite well last night indeed not scoring the goal but also two assists from him most helpful make Argentina back to back reach the final round, left one challenge for him will become the first players win two World Cup trophies in a row?

[Zlantann]

England performed well at the beginning of the match. Their overall performance was also very organized. And they were able to create attacking opportunities. We have seen such gameplay of England in the past matches.

But after securing a 1-0 lead, Tuchel changed his strategy. Suddenly England started playing completely defensively. We have not seen such a strategy in any of England's matches in this World Cup. On the other hand, Scalono went completely attacking. As a result, the pressure on the England players increased. And in the end, England could not survive in the match.

Argentina equalized the match by scoring their first goal in the 85th minute, but even then we thought the match would end in 1-1 in the 90th minute. But the Argentine players did not think of anything other than victory. They secured a 2-1 victory in the 90th minute.

Thomas Tuchel failed to learn from other clubs that played defensively against an attacking side. I don't know why he decided to adopt this pattern but it could have also worked if they defended very well. Maybe he wanted to apply the tactics he usually uses when he was Chelsea coach. Now everyone is criticizing him, with some calling for his sacking. Fortunately, the British Football Association is backing him to remain in the team.

The rivalry between these two countries is beyond sports, as they have fought against each other militarily. The Falklands War of 1982 lasted 74 days, and 907 people died. Yesterday's match brought back memories of that war, which England won.

[Cointikka]

I always knew that Argentina would win against England. I never underestimated them, as I knew how Messi is respected in that team. Felt it the other way when Portugal was playing. This team is looking for the cup again, and it is something that can happen. Messi did what he is known for: either get a goal or create an opportunity for a goal. It is not the same for Portugal's main striker, as he is always thinking of himself rather than the team. That is why, when they lost in the semifinals, none of his teammates came to console him.

You can debate it, but the reality is Messi is not Ronaldo; he plays for money, whereas Messi plays for his country as well as for the money. I have a slight hunch that Argentina might defend their WC win of 2022.

[Taricoins]

In the end, my prediction came true: Spain vs. Argentina in the final.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5431360.msg66933390#msg66933390

I can’t wait to see Yamal and Messi in action on the same field in the final.

If Messi sees this photo, he’ll surely be surprised. He never would have imagined that a baby he once bathed would now be in the World Cup final, facing off against him.

I don't think Messi would be surprised about that picture as he already knows about it and the sensation Yamal, it would be of an inspiration from Yamal meeting and playing against the GOAT of the sport.

It's going to be a intense game between the two as Spain are looking frightening, and how are they going to cope with both teams playing a possession type game, the most important thing for Spain now us holding there width down the sideline

[Jossque]

England failed to beat Argentina and was eliminated from the tournament in the semifinals. I think we can safely say that Argentina deserved to win because England didn’t play very well. In a match that ended scoreless in the first half, England managed to take the lead early in the second half with a goal by Anthony Gordon, but couldn’t prevent two goals in the final 10 minutes and lost the match 2-1. Both goals were assisted by Messi, with Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez scoring.

[SmartCharpa]

Oh! What a performance from Spain, the underdogs have become the winners of the long anticipated game and they did that effortlessly, as you could see that it could have being the easiest game for Spain in this World Cup.

Spain kept the ball within their space with close contact possession and breakthrough passes that the France defence could not comprehend. At last, we could see that the best players in a team does not decide the outcome of the game and Spain proved that.

Congrats to Spain on reaching the finals of the World Cup, it was truly deserved.

Before the game, I said we should wait for the final whistle to jump into conclusions. But was that the same France Squad that played against Spain? I doubt that was the same squad that was playing from the beginning of the tournament. After I watched the first to realize how Spain was dominating them, I didn’t expect France to win the game. Spain deserved an apology for underestimating them before the start of the game.

To be honest, I didn’t know that France lack a good midfield like that, until they faced Spain. Spain used their midfield to dominated the game throughout. Many people were saying Kante should have started the game earlier than staying at the bench for the whole tournament, but Kante is not as good as he was when they won the last World Cup. I wonder why Portugal couldn’t use their midfield to dominate their opponents.

[jakdanyel]

I was supporting England to make their dream come true finally but they failed... But with a really horrible strategy! Why would they get too defensive just because they got 1-0 ahead?

They aren't even the best defense team in the tournament. Tuchel is responsible for this comeback. And I should my admiration for Messi again. Now it's Messi against Yamal. I'm going for Spain as I don't think they would make the same mistake as England.

[POPOLUV]

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Snip.

England played to lose and they lost so the win was fair to Argentina, the moment England scored their goal the decided to rest the better playsrs and fell back to defence, after scoring they should have kept pushing and maybe they would have been able to score more, Argentina did not want to lose so even after conceding one goal they kept playing to win and it worked out in their favour and they won and are in the finals to now play against Spain.

Their own mistakes were created, that's what we should say and I watched the match so for example they kept playing as if there hadn't been a goal I think they would be able to advance to the final round but what surprised all parties was the occurrence of a defensive scheme that made Argentina's players more free to control the course of the match especially after England's goal Argentina immediately moved quickly starting from more ball possession they dominated so that England only held back the onslaught made by Argentina's players so that in the match that had entered the 75th minute Messi gave an assist to Enzo so that Enzo's kick could not be saved by England's emergency goalkeeper.

It is true that if England had been able to continue playing the same way they started from the beginning and finish the game, then the result could have been different, but as time passed, their game started to deteriorate and Argentina took advantage of this opportunity. I have seen most of Argentina's games where they performed inconsistently at the beginning of the game, but towards the end of the game, their game changed a lot and the opposing team's game started to deteriorate. As a result, the Argentine players were able to make good use of this opportunity, which is why they have survived so far.

Yes of course, England decision on changing their initial tactics in the middle of game contributed lossing to Argentina team yesterday because during the first half of the game, the both teams played very well and ended goaless but when the second half started, around 55 minutes of the game Gordon A. Score the first goal for England, instead of England to continue with their tactics but they decided to make some changes and within 85 minutes Fernandez E equalize the game for Argentina and before we could know it, around 90+2 Martinez L score the winning goal for Argentina.