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

[Jatiluhung]

France were the favorites coming into the World Cup, and losing in the semifinals is a hard pill to swallow. Historically all the teams will take the third place match seriously because the winner get the bronze medal and $30 million as per FIFA sources.

Regarding the golden boot, both Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé are tied with 8 goals each but Messi has more assist. If Argentina wants to win, Messi will have to score against Spain's tough defense.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/c9821x9lpdjo

At least I’m confident France will beat England in the match for third place. England is also a strong team but France was originally one of the favorites to win this World Cup. But well, we have to admit that Spain is stronger than France. Spain even beat France by a pretty convincing margin.

In the France vs. England match I’m rooting for France. Hopefully, I won’t change my mind.
As for the Spain vs. Argentina match, I’m still not sure. But I hope Spain can win and become the champion in this World Cup.

[Accardo]

Without being told, we are suppose to be expecting a very strong match which is going to be featuring the two strong national teams but doubts are just too much.
The final of FIFA world cup is supposed to be tough because it is the best against the best until the winner of the final is announced with the outcome of the match, I do not want to sound like someone who is biased, both teams has the technical no how to win, because the match will be played in the field and whoever outshined each other to get the ball inside the net as much as they can will be crowned the winner, however, I'm not expecting a onesided game in that match.

I expect an easy run for Spain against Argentina, the Spanish team is the best so far in the world cup, Argentina will find it hard to win Spain, the sky blues wouldn't have won England had Dechamp made uncalculated changes towards the end of the game, who advised him to take out rice in the game? Spain is well organized team, though Argentina presses towards the end of the game to equalize and win, Cucurella is an ever active defender on the Spanish side that'll frustrate Messi's attacking prowess, however they'll have to watch out for Fernandez outside the box shots.

[giorgione]

Previously, Tuchel decision to call up Jordan Henderson, Dan Burns, and Noni Madueke was also considered controversial, while experienced players such as Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Morgan Gibbs-White, Luke Shaw, TAA, and Maguire were not included in the squad. Tuchel decision to play defensively and field players with minimal experience came at a high price.

dribblers and through passes worthy of the few who know how to watch football with a quality all their own such as Cole Palmer and Phil Foden would have been very useful in this match in which the second half was mainly characterized by some clumsy counterattacks, having that type of player could have made the difference.

[Fivestar4everMVP]

France were the favorites coming into the World Cup, and losing in the semifinals is a hard pill to swallow. Historically all the teams will take the third place match seriously because the winner get the bronze medal and $30 million as per FIFA sources.

Regarding the golden boot, both Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé are tied with 8 goals each but Messi has more assist. If Argentina wants to win, Messi will have to score against Spain's tough defense.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/c9821x9lpdjo

At least I’m confident France will beat England in the match for third place. England is also a strong team but France was originally one of the favorites to win this World Cup. But well, we have to admit that Spain is stronger than France. Spain even beat France by a pretty convincing margin.

In the France vs. England match I’m rooting for France. Hopefully, I won’t change my mind.
As for the Spain vs. Argentina match, I’m still not sure. But I hope Spain can win and become the champion in this World Cup.

I stance haven't changed either, I already made this clear in my previous comment on this thread that my support is going to Spain to win the world Cup, but I hope messi doesn't mess things up really bad for Spain.

And speaking of the third place match, France will beat England for sure but only if they get their performance up and better than it was the day they played their semi finals game against Spain. I totally understand that Spain has more stronger and better tactical team than France does have but France performance in that match was absolutely nothing to write home about, if they put up such performance again in the fight for the third place, England may end up winning the third place and this won't be good for France, a team that played the finals last season every one was expecting to push hard to win the world Cup this season, they are already a step or two backward from the level they reached last World Cup season.

[Distraction]

Let's have a look at all-time title winners first...



Brazil are at the top of the list but it's a shame that they can't even make it to the final for a really long time. Since the last time they won the WC in 2002 I should say...

How is this final going to end? Argentina to make their number of trophies equal to Germany and Italy? Or Spain to get their 2nd WC trophy? I believe in Spain to become the champions.  

[Fiatless]

The third-place play-off takes place tomorrow. The team finishing third will win $29 million, while the fourth-placed team will receive $27 million.
All eyes will be on Mbappé tomorrow.
His main goal will be to become the top scorer of this World Cup.
If I were to place a bet on tomorrow's match, I would choose the "over 3.5 goals" and "Mbappé to score" options.
I expect at least two goals from Mbappé.

In some competitions, goals in third-place games are not considered for the Golden Boot awards. This is because it is assumed that both teams have been technically knocked out. It's good news for Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe that they can still pursue their dreams of winning a bronze and an individual award in the World Cup. I don't know how seriously both teams would take this game. I hope it would turn out to be a goal feast because Messi needs to be denied the Golden Boot by all means.

[Somto9Light]

Scoring against England wouldn’t be much of a big deal for Mbappe and France but, scoring against Spain in a finals would be a lot of challenge. Fortunately for Argentina and Messi, Messi is about challenges and his treated this World Cup as though it’s his and it’s continuously looking so.
I would expect him to be able to get a goal in the finals at least while, Mbappe might manage to get 2 goals. Once Pickford concedes one, he’s always bound to concede another. It’s one of his many weaknesses else, he’s a very good goalkeeper.

One thing about Messi is that, he doesn't back down in the face of challenges, and he's always willing to give his best as long as he has a cooperative and supportive team by his side. I know that a lot of people are feeling that this Final is gonna be a tough nut for Messi and Argentina to crack, but I think it's not going to be that hard for them to beat Spain, this isn't coming from a place of sentiment, but based on my own observation. Spain is a strong team and sure they have a high chance of winning on sunday, but Argentina is playing from their heart, like they were built for this cojpetition, it's been like that since the first game and they've maintained it, even up till this moment.

[ASloveapg]

I have no interest in the 3rd place play off, it just doesn’t interest me at all. I guarantee the players won’t care either, they will be really disappointed after losing their semi finals. They probably just want to go home of on holiday before the season starts.

The final, now that is something I will watch. The biggest sporting even in the world. I think Spain will win but part of me wants to see Messi end the GOAT discussions once and for all, by winning his 2nd World Cup and retiring from international football as the greatest ever.

I think both teams will take the match seriously. Especially Mbappe will give  his full effort in this match. He still has the potential to  become the top scorer of the world cup. He will  definitely try.

Both France and england are very strong. If they  give their full effort to win the match then this match will undoubtedly become very  exciting. Both the attacks are very strong as we have seen. In this match I will expect at least  4 goals from both the teams. But again there is also a possibility that the players will take the match  lightly. They may not give their full effort. The players are really tired after the long journey of the world cup.

I don't think France and England will take the third-place play-off lightly. But since the stakes in this match aren't as high as in the final, both teams will likely play with more freedom, allowing for much more open, attacking football. Mbappe, with the weight of responsibility now lifted off his shoulders, will be looking to score more goals to at least finish as the World Cup's top scorer and not return to France empty-handed.

You are absolutely right, this is Kylian Mbappé's last chance to become the top scorer of the tournament, currently Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi are both in the same position, because both have 8 goals, and both have one match left to become the top scorer, so France will definitely try to play more aggressively in this match and they will definitely not take the match lightly, at least for Kylian Mbappé. France has been eliminated from the World Cup, and now they will fight for third place, now it may seem natural that some team may not give much importance to this match, or play very lightly, but of course in the match we may see a different picture.

[DiMarxist]

Let's have a look at all-time title winners first...



Brazil are at the top of the list but it's a shame that they can't even make it to the final for a really long time. Since the last time they won the WC in 2002 I should say...

How is this final going to end? Argentina to make their number of trophies equal to Germany and Italy? Or Spain to get their 2nd WC trophy? I believe in Spain to become the champions.  

Let's see how it goes Argentina might just make it her number four world cup trophy going into this final. And the second on the row this is not a small achievement because, it only takes a team that is consistent in what they do and which is also disciplined to maintain this top level performance. Spain too will be hoping to make it their number two trophy in the world cup so this final is a open game the best team will go home with the trophy at the end of the day.

[Stavri]

if i were Spanish national team and asked who i’d prefer in the final, i would say England.

Argentina is a team that handles pressure incredibly well. it's obvious how well they played under pressure in the Copa America and World Cup.

Argentina relies on physical strength and pressing. they won't let Spain establish a game based on possession dominance.

in short, Spain goes out to play football, while Argentina goes out to win the trophy...

[Muba20]

I saw somewhere that both France and England are not in the mood to play the third place play off after a huge blow that knocked them out of the World Cup final spot, I understand their pain though but that is a must play match for them.

I'm sure Mbappe will have a goal, Messi might also score to make the golden boot a lot competitive.

Scoring against England wouldn’t be much of a big deal for Mbappe and France but, scoring against Spain in a finals would be a lot of challenge. Fortunately for Argentina and Messi, Messi is about challenges and his treated this World Cup as though it’s his and it’s continuously looking so.
I would expect him to be able to get a goal in the finals at least while, Mbappe might manage to get 2 goals. Once Pickford concedes one, he’s always bound to concede another. It’s one of his many weaknesses else, he’s a very good goalkeeper.

There is no doubt that Argentina are making a good comeback, but Spain have not conceded many goals in this World Cup in comparison. That's why if Spain gives Argentina early goals, it will be difficult for Argentina to come back against Spain. And the Spanish goalkeeper made a really great save against France in the last match. But the good thing about Argentina is that they can play well until the end of the match. They can play well even under a lot of pressure. All in all, there is no doubt that this World Cup final is going to be one of the best finals of the World Cup.

[CLS63]

if i were Spanish national team and asked who i’d prefer in the final, i would say England.

Argentina is a team that handles pressure incredibly well. it's obvious how well they played under pressure in the Copa America and World Cup.

Argentina relies on physical strength and pressing. they won't let Spain establish a game based on possession dominance.

in short, Spain goes out to play football, while Argentina goes out to win the trophy...

Both of Spain and Argentina are teams that like to play a ball possession game. That's why this final match could be quite interesting. Argentina will probably be one step ahead though thanks to being favored by FIFA as well.

I don't think Spain would make the same mistake England made. They wouldn't play that defensive in case of getting ahead by one goal. Seeing extra time and penalty shootouts wouldn't be surprising to see in this tough final.

I'm supporting Spain to win this.

[Alpha Marine]

I expect an easy run for Spain against Argentina, the Spanish team is the best so far in the world cup, Argentina will find it hard to win Spain, the sky blues wouldn't have won England had Dechamp made uncalculated changes towards the end of the game, who advised him to take out rice in the game? Spain is well organized team, though Argentina presses towards the end of the game to equalize and win, Cucurella is an ever active defender on the Spanish side that'll frustrate Messi's attacking prowess, however they'll have to watch out for Fernandez outside the box shots.

You don't even know any football at all. You just want to talk. Did you even watch the England game? And is Deschamps England's manager? Taking off Rice was not the reason they lost, and even if England had not made those bad changes, Argentina would have still had a chance, because they would have still played the same way they played.

But all that is by the way.
I'm more surprised at how you can say Spain will have an easy win against Argentina. How does that make sense to you? Do you see Argetuba as a small team that can easily be beaten?
I'm sure you're also one of those who said France will have an easy win against Spain, now you're saying Spain will have an easy win against Argentina.
If Spain is going to win that game, they are going to do it the hard way. Argentina will play better than France did. They have players who are good with the ball on their feet, too, just like Spain.

[ndutndut]

Previously, Tuchel decision to call up Jordan Henderson, Dan Burns, and Noni Madueke was also considered controversial, while experienced players such as Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Morgan Gibbs-White, Luke Shaw, TAA, and Maguire were not included in the squad. Tuchel decision to play defensively and field players with minimal experience came at a high price.

dribblers and through passes worthy of the few who know how to watch football with a quality all their own such as Cole Palmer and Phil Foden would have been very useful in this match in which the second half was mainly characterized by some clumsy counterattacks, having that type of player could have made the difference.

In his World Cup selection, Tuchel made a major mistake by failing to consider including the players you mentioned. He seemed more confident in his choices and even ignored criticism, but now after England painful defeat to Argentina they're sticking with Tuchel.

He truly deserves to be fired because he's not a suitable coach for England. England wants a coach who attacks, not defends especially after taking the lead. Tuchel strategic mistakes against Argentina were fatal. First, he withdrew Gordon who was helping Spence back up Messi replacing Konsa who appeared to lack awareness in marking Martinez in the second goal. Then he brought on O'Reily and Burn who had no clear roles. Finally, not including players like Maguire and Wharton in the World Cup squad was a mistake, as Enzo first goal was conceded by no one marking Messi and Enzo shooting space.

Do you think Tuchel deserves to stay with the England national team at Euro 2028 or should he be sacked by the FA now?

[Moreno233]

At least I’m confident France will beat England in the match for third place. England is also a strong team but France was originally one of the favorites to win this World Cup. But well, we have to admit that Spain is stronger than France. Spain even beat France by a pretty convincing margin.

In the France vs. England match I’m rooting for France. Hopefully, I won’t change my mind.
As for the Spain vs. Argentina match, I’m still not sure. But I hope Spain can win and become the champion in this World Cup.

England is not going to be that easy for France to beat if we judge by their semi final matches. France major focus was the trophy and as it is obvious they have missed it, the third place will not be played with so much passion and this is why I feel they will not be that motivated to go all out to beat England. On the other hand, qualifying for the semi final was a major achievement for England because they have not gotten this far in a long while. Taking third will therefore be celebrated as winning the trophy which is why England will go all out with passion to play France and may likely win the match.

[skarais]

in short, Spain goes out to play football, while Argentina goes out to win the trophy...

Both teams are equally good from his game, but the key to Argentina's good performance so far this World Cup lies with Messi. The problem was, it was too difficult to stop Messi and his creativity throughout the game and he almost always found a way to break free and contribute to Argentina's victory. England and several other teams have so far tried everything to stop Messi, but they have completely failed and Messi can always prove himself to be the best for his team.

I think Spain really know what they have to do to beat Argentina in the final, of course it's not enough with high ball possession. Spain should really be able to stop Messi's creativity, but they shouldn't ignore other players either. Personally I want Spain to win the title, but whoever wins it is not a big deal for me either. I like these two teams, of course, because this is the final I was hoping for. If Argentina is really able to win in the final, then it is difficult for other players to break the record of Messi et al.

[Frankolala]

Let's have a look at all-time title winners first...



Brazil are at the top of the list but it's a shame that they can't even make it to the final for a really long time. Since the last time they won the WC in 2002 I should say...

How is this final going to end? Argentina to make their number of trophies equal to Germany and Italy? Or Spain to get their 2nd WC trophy? I believe in Spain to become the champions.  

People are still underestimating Brazil despite the come back stunts they have pulled in both the quarter finals and semifinals matches. It's difficult for me to know who will finally win the cup because both teams are strong. If Spain want to win the world cup, they need to be determined and play Argentina without tension.

[Stepstowealth]

There is no doubt that Argentina are making a good comeback, but Spain have not conceded many goals in this World Cup in comparison.

If Spain can win the midfield battle, crowd out Lionel Messi for the duration of the game, they will win the game. Spain are a better side in the competition but as we know, the better side does not always win so the Spanish side need not let their current status as the better side get in their head. Lionel Messi will be playing to win the World Cup again and make history for doing it consecutively, he will put out his best but if Spain can stick to their task, winning is possible. True supporters of Barcelona would not have any problem with either of the teams winning the game because we have Lamal and Lionel Messi who is a legend in Barcelona to celebrate if any of them should emerge the winner, but I'm sure that for many Ronaldo fans it will be spain to win because the if Lamal wins the World Cup, it is more bearable than if Mesi wins the World Cup again for the second time.

[|MINER|]

People are still underestimating Brazil despite the come back stunts they have pulled in both the quarter finals and semifinals matches. It's difficult for me to know who will finally win the cup because both teams are strong. If Spain want to win the world cup, they need to be determined and play Argentina without tension.

Although my expectation is that the Argentine team will win this match because the players of the Argentine team are much better in terms of form and performance, I will not belittle the Spanish players, but if you compare them, they will lag behind.
Football is an unpredictable game, anything can happen at any time, and so if nothing unexpected happens in the match between Spain and Argentina, Argentina has a better chance of winning the title.

But yes, you don't always have to play in an attacking form against the Argentine team, otherwise, if Spain makes the same mistake that England made with their defensive performance against Argentina, then the equation could change towards the end of the match, which Argentina has done in the last two matches.

[Shadiq]

Both of Spain and Argentina are teams that like to play a ball possession game. That's why this final match could be quite interesting. Argentina will probably be one step ahead though thanks to being favored by FIFA as well.

I don't think Spain would make the same mistake England made. They wouldn't play that defensive in case of getting ahead by one goal. Seeing extra time and penalty shootouts wouldn't be surprising to see in this tough final.

I'm supporting Spain to win this.

I don't know if there is such a thing as a FIFA favorite in an important match like the final. However, if you can't perform, it's not possible to win a team even with a referee goal. Even winning consecutive matches requires your own hard work and performance. My biggest question to you is, no other team can be a favorite the way Argentina has been able to become a FIFA favorite. Why is Argentina especially the FIFA favorite? It also requires qualification, which maybe no other team has. Anyway, this is the fun part!

I think the final match will be very competitive. Both teams play almost the same style and both teams are very aggressive. It wouldn't be surprising if we see a lot of goals in the match. But against a strong team like Spain, Argentina will have to try to be ahead from the start. I'm in favor of Argentina winning, they might win the title for the second time in a row.