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

[Mehmet69]

Spain really understood how to play against a team and how to stop them. And that's what they did. Spain changed their style of play in such a way that France couldn't protect them in any way. Especially France's midfield was playing very badly. Spain was very easy to get the ball close to the box or inside the box and they could shoot. But France couldn't do that. Spain didn't give them much ball control. If Mbappé could be given a chance, he could naturally score. But Mbappé didn't get much of a chance to shoot that day. That's why Spain won so easily.

Spain undoubtedly played well in that match. We all know that Spain likes to keep possession of the ball for a long time. In the match against France, Spain did not have much possession of the ball, but they took control as soon as they got close to the box. Cucurella is definitely a strong defender. The entire defense line and goalkeeper of Spain were all very confident and talented. Mbappe was not getting the ball at the right time because the midfield performed very poorly in that match. You can't just blame the midfield here. Mbappe got a few free kicks during the match but every time Mbappe's short shots went too high. It looked like he had never scored from a free kick before. So we can't just blame the midfield. Cucurella's defense put France under a lot of pressure during the final touch to score. France really didn't perform as expected in that match.

[Yorubek]

Well after this last world cup ended which team do you think we are gonna have fight for the next one in 2030? For me France is gonna be still there, Spain i have my doubts seems like yes but im not super sure, Germany for me is gonna be again a powerhouse for sure.

Argentina Brazil and Italy are my main doubts, i dont know if any of them can rebuild to be at top.

Argentina will be strong in the next World Cup as well. And Brazil will be in a much better position than they are now, but they will not be able to perform that well. However, Spain and France will play well in the future. However, I want a team that has never won a World Cup before to win the next World Cup. We have seen some new teams playing quite well this time. If this continues, we will see new and strong teams in the future where a new country will come and win the World Cup. Because this time Spain won, although they won in 2010. So if a team that has never won a World Cup before could win this World Cup, it would be even better.

In four years, many good players will retire from the team, so I really don't know how strong Argentina or Brazil will be in the next World Cup. No matter how strong or big the team is, if it can't perform well on the field, being a big team is of no use. I watched most of the games in the 2026 World Cup and one thing I noticed was that the smaller teams performed much better than the big teams in the World Cup. It's true that they didn't make it to the finals, but seeing their performance, I'm hopeful that they will be much stronger than before in the next World Cup.

[Joeboy]

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In four years, many good players will retire from the team, so I really don't know how strong Argentina or Brazil will be in the next World Cup. No matter how strong or big the team is, if it can't perform well on the field, being a big team is of no use. I watched most of the games in the 2026 World Cup and one thing I noticed was that the smaller teams performed much better than the bigger teams in the World Cup. It's true that they didn't make it to the finals, but seeing their performance, I'm hopeful that they will be much stronger than before in the next World Cup.

I haven't seen any official statement yet that confirms that Lionel Messi will skip next world cup... But the chances of him playing it are very slim.. By 2030 he will be around 43 years old, and so lack all the physical activeness that he initially possessed...And if he didn't play then obviously Argentina may really struggle... Surely I know for sure that there are other good players there, Like Alvarez, Lautaro and so on, but I accept that non of the Argentinian will be as Messi...This concluded world cup, we really saw how they all depended on Messi for everything.. It was like all the players just became lazy this year...Last WC I could remember how solid their team world was... Alvarez and other players scored and help the team to victory...

While for Brazil am sure we may not be seeing Allison, and maybe Cassemiro.. Football is now going down to the younger generation..

[Haunebu]

Lately, I have been some articles on the internet tacking the issue of alledged anti-Argentinian sentiment because of that happened with their team during this world cup.
It seems that people are expressing not only hate against the Argentina Football team on the internet, but also going against anything which has to do with people from that country, even insulting their nationality.

Thankfully, it will be a matter of time before people move on... Sometimes it seems both football and politics can unleash the worst of people.

What the heck did you expect? Argentinians keep proving themselves as racist turds again and again. I don't like that Speed dude, but you should have seen their behaviour towards him. Their economy going from one of the richest to developing messed them up probably.

You are part of the minority of the global population who are sympathetic towards them currently. They totally deserve all the hate they are getting and I doubt people will forget any of this anytime soon. Think!

[karabiber]

The Spanish national soccer team has once again reminded us, through this tournament, just how hollow the concept of a “star player” is in soccer and just how important the system is. Of course, all the players are talented, and most importantly, they possess top-notch passing skills. There is virtually no ego within the team, and they are elite players when it comes to sharing the field.

To understand Spain’s secret, you need to watch what happens when they lose possession. The moment they lose possession, three or four players apply pressure on a single opponent to regain the ball. Throughout the 2026 World Cup, their average time to regain possession after a turnover was 17 seconds. Everyone plays a passing game, but no team in the world can apply the kind of pressure that Spain does. Even though I’m not a big fan of their style of play, the reality is that they’re on a whole different level.

[ruykeri]

This World Cup was truly unforgettable. Finally Spain lifted the most demanding "World Cup" after playing such attractive & consistent match. Rodri has won the Golden Ball because of his outstanding performance. while Mbappe deservedly got the Golden Boot as the tournament's top goal scorer. While Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon earned the Golden Glove with several critical saves although i found him relax in the final match against Argentina lol. Apart from that, Pau Cubarsi impressed fans by his talent and won the Best Young Player award. Afterwards Argentina once again showed why they were champion in 2022, although this time they finished the final and earned runners-up title. Each & every match brought excitement and unforgettable moments, that kept football fans entertained together.
 In the end, this World Cup reminded us that football is more than winning a trophy, actually it is about passion, unity, filled with unforgettable memories what will inspire the next generation of players as well as its fans.

I agree with you. We have to admit that football has now taken over the emotional space of all people around the world. Spain's World Cup victory was the biggest event. They played well enough to beat teams like Portugal, France and Belgium and reached the final, while Argentina also struggled a lot and made incredible comebacks in almost every match to reach the final. Argentina was the last world champion and Spain was desperate to make themselves champions again. They played very well and won against Argentina. Many people became more emotional when a strong team like Brazil lost to a less strong team like Norway. I am personally hopeful that in the upcoming World Cup, every team will play very well and win competitively, making the matches even more exciting.

[Zlantann]

Lately, I have been some articles on the internet tacking the issue of alledged anti-Argentinian sentiment because of that happened with their team during this world cup.
It seems that people are expressing not only hate against the Argentina Football team on the internet, but also going against anything which has to do with people from that country, even insulting their nationality.

Thankfully, it will be a matter of time before people move on... Sometimes it seems both football and politics can unleash the worst of people.

Maybe FIFA should also have an award for teams and fans with the worst behaviour. Argentina would have won that award because they showed the world how minority race suffer in their country. Their players were highly disrespectful to opponents and officials. Even their fans had terrible behaviours that they attacked others in the stadium.

Argentina fans accused of violence, racism by Egypt, Cape Verde supporters
Arrogance or pride? Argentina grapples with World Cup villain label
FIFA investigating alleged racist abuse involving IShowSpeed during World Cup match

When people think that they are superior to others, they begin to exhibit pride. This is why even Argentine neighbours like Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil celebrated their loss in the final.

[Pandorak]

The Spanish national soccer team has once again reminded us, through this tournament, just how hollow the concept of a “star player” is in soccer and just how important the system is. Of course, all the players are talented, and most importantly, they possess top-notch passing skills. There is virtually no ego within the team, and they are elite players when it comes to sharing the field.

To understand Spain’s secret, you need to watch what happens when they lose possession. The moment they lose possession, three or four players apply pressure on a single opponent to regain the ball. Throughout the 2026 World Cup, their average time to regain possession after a turnover was 17 seconds. Everyone plays a passing game, but no team in the world can apply the kind of pressure that Spain does. Even though I’m not a big fan of their style of play, the reality is that they’re on a whole different level.

Spain performance in this World Cup has indeed been extraordinary and deserves the highest praise. If you look more closely, it’s true that none of the players seem to be trying to stand out individually, just as you said, there’s almost no ego. If you want to win, you really have to prioritize teamwork over individual performance. Seeing this reminds me of Real Madrid, they have the best players in the world but ended up failing simply because each individual wanted to stand out more.

This is probably what enabled them to defeat major teams like Portugal, France, and even Argentina in a landslide, not by total goals but by ball possession. It was absolutely wild watching this final, even Spain goalkeeper, Unai Simon, very relaxed, as if doing nothing, lol.

[blomen]

By the way here is the "Dream XI" choice by the fans after the World Cup:



The goalkeeper is Vozinha and I think he is a really good choice! He made a huge impact on the World Cup while Cape Verde were bravely fighting top countries.  

He has gained millions of followers on social media after this. He has stated that he is looking for a team that will get him as a footballer not for marketing purposes. Do you think we'd see him in Europe?

according to a news report i just saw, vozinha has signed with a team. the team he signed with is colo colo from the chilean first division.

https://x.com/fabrizioromano/status/2080813218184692059

colo colo is currently leading their league by a wide margin and looks set to win the championship. given vozinha’s age, signing with a european team seemed virtually impossible, so i think this is a good move for him.

[WatChe]

Spain performance in this World Cup has indeed been extraordinary and deserves the highest praise. If you look more closely, it’s true that none of the players seem to be trying to stand out individually, just as you said, there’s almost no ego. If you want to win, you really have to prioritize teamwork over individual performance. Seeing this reminds me of Real Madrid, they have the best players in the world but ended up failing simply because each individual wanted to stand out more.

This is probably what enabled them to defeat major teams like Portugal, France, and even Argentina in a landslide, not by total goals but by ball possession. It was absolutely wild watching this final, even Spain goalkeeper, Unai Simon, very relaxed, as if doing nothing, lol.

The beauty of Spain is that they always play fair game that is why they have huge respect in football community. There are few big names in Spain like Yamal but unlike Argentina the whole team is not fully dependent on just one player. Spain goalkeeper was very much relaxed in final because Argentina failed to shoot on target not even once. The world cup is over but there were many controversies in this world cup which FIFA need to address. FIFA must not give hosting rights to country like USA in future which has no respect for the participating countries.

[Charcol]

Spain performance in this World Cup has indeed been extraordinary and deserves the highest praise. If you look more closely, it’s true that none of the players seem to be trying to stand out individually, just as you said, there’s almost no ego. If you want to win, you really have to prioritize teamwork over individual performance. Seeing this reminds me of Real Madrid, they have the best players in the world but ended up failing simply because each individual wanted to stand out more.

This is probably what enabled them to defeat major teams like Portugal, France, and even Argentina in a landslide, not by total goals but by ball possession. It was absolutely wild watching this final, even Spain goalkeeper, Unai Simon, very relaxed, as if doing nothing, lol.

The beauty of Spain is that they always play fair game that is why they have huge respect in football community. There are few big names in Spain like Yamal but unlike Argentina the whole team is not fully dependent on just one player. Spain goalkeeper was very much relaxed in final because Argentina failed to shoot on target not even once. The world cup is over but there were many controversies in this world cup which FIFA need to address. FIFA must not give hosting rights to country like USA in future which has no respect for the participating countries.

Although Yamal is Spain's biggest strength, Spain's players don't rely on any one player. Yamal is probably an important player for Spain, but even if he is absent, Spain can still fight strongly.

What you said about the USA seems logical to me. Since the matches were held in the USA this year, many people couldn't go there due to various restrictions. Such as travel bans, visa denials, additional border checks, and direct restrictions on the entry of fans from some countries, I also don't want the USA to host the World Cup in the future.

[liasbaa]

Well after this last world cup ended which team do you think we are gonna have fight for the next one in 2030? For me France is gonna be still there, Spain i have my doubts seems like yes but im not super sure, Germany for me is gonna be again a powerhouse for sure.

Argentina Brazil and Italy are my main doubts, i dont know if any of them can rebuild to be at top.

Argentina will be strong in the next World Cup as well. And Brazil will be in a much better position than they are now, but they will not be able to perform that well. However, Spain and France will play well in the future. However, I want a team that has never won a World Cup before to win the next World Cup. We have seen some new teams playing quite well this time. If this continues, we will see new and strong teams in the future where a new country will come and win the World Cup. Because this time Spain won, although they won in 2010. So if a team that has never won a World Cup before could win this World Cup, it would be even better.

In four years, many good players will retire from the team, so I really don't know how strong Argentina or Brazil will be in the next World Cup. No matter how strong or big the team is, if it can't perform well on the field, being a big team is of no use. I watched most of the games in the 2026 World Cup and one thing I noticed was that the smaller teams performed much better than the big teams in the World Cup. It's true that they didn't make it to the finals, but seeing their performance, I'm hopeful that they will be much stronger than before in the next World Cup.

You mentioned only the national teams of these two countries, senior players will retire from many countries but new and talented players will replace them. This system has been going on since the beginning, each player leaves a record according to his talent for a certain period of time and as they grow older, they give way to new ones.

I have also watched most of the matches of the this World Cups and was amazed by the talent of the players from some of the new and less powerful countries. If these players can maintain their performance and remain in the team until the next World Cup, they can achieve even better results. Among the big teams, there were a lot of expectations from the Brazilian team, but they could not meet those demands. Most of the players except Messi from the Argentine team did not perform very well. Perhaps the expectations of the fans from the big teams will decrease further in the next World Cup.

[Baki202]

Spain undoubtedly played well in that match. We all know that Spain likes to keep possession of the ball for a long time. In the match against France, Spain did not have much possession of the ball, but they took control as soon as they got close to the box. Cucurella is definitely a strong defender. The entire defense line and goalkeeper of Spain were all very confident and talented. Mbappe was not getting the ball at the right time because the midfield performed very poorly in that match. You can't just blame the midfield here. Mbappe got a few free kicks during the match but every time Mbappe's short shots went too high. It looked like he had never scored from a free kick before. So we can't just blame the midfield. Cucurella's defense put France under a lot of pressure during the final touch to score. France really didn't perform as expected in that match.

And we can't stop talking about Spain because, as you can see, Argentina thought they were the only ones who would win the World Cup. These are the same people who couldn't score a single goal, let alone have a shot on goal. Argentina's supporters are still upset about the outcome, and they really came prepared because, without Spain, I'm sure it would have been extremely difficult for Argentina to simply win. The defenders made it extremely difficult for Argentina to win, and during my prediction, I had a few in mind, such as France, and the way France disappointed was just because I had high expectations for them.

Mbappe was making every effort to reach the finals. One thing about Mbappe is that he is still very young, so he has plenty of time and a very high chance of winning the World Cup. Now, there are rumors that they want to bring Olise, but I know that won't work because Bayern won't even make the mistake of letting him go. The boy has a lot of potential.

[Qhunman]

I haven't seen any official statement yet that confirms that Lionel Messi will skip next world cup... But the chances of him playing it are very slim.. By 2030 he will be around 43 years old, and so lack all the physical activeness that he initially possessed...And if he didn't play then obviously Argentina may really struggle... Surely I know for sure that there are other good players there, Like Alvarez, Lautaro and so on, but I accept that non of the Argentinian will be as Messi...This concluded world cup, we really saw how they all depended on Messi for everything.. It was like all the players just became lazy this year...Last WC I could remember how solid their team world was... Alvarez and other players scored and help the team to victory...

While for Brazil am sure we may not be seeing Allison, and maybe Cassemiro.. Football is now going down to the younger generation..

Messi has not made any official statement yet regarding his retirement from international football, rumours has it that he will not participate in the next world cup. Argentina doesn't have a lot of quality players  and in the four years I'm not sure if they will  find a replacement for Messi so I think Messi may still participate again probably it could be last.
Argentina depends on messi probably because he is their best finisher for scoring goals. And Fernandez Martinez did well during the world cup perhaps they will do well in the next world cup incase messi doesn't participate because of his age.

[Agbamoni]

I haven't seen any official statement yet that confirms that Lionel Messi will skip next world cup...

Do you need a soothsayer to predict the future for you before you believe Messi wont be playing at the 2030 FIFA World Cup? Expect the announcement from Messi soon. I think he is going to announce his retirement from professional football next year.

By 2030 he will be around 43 years old, and so lack all the physical activeness that he initially possessed...And if he didn't play then obviously Argentina may really struggle...

Messi at 43 years wont be this fit. Dont hope on him to single-handedly carry Argentina to the World Cup final. It will be better if Messi doesnt play at all instead of him playing. Let the older generations go. This is a new era. We want to see new talents shine and the younger generation revolutionise football.

[blue Snow]

Well after this last world cup ended which team do you think we are gonna have fight for the next one in 2030? For me France is gonna be still there, Spain i have my doubts seems like yes but im not super sure, Germany for me is gonna be again a powerhouse for sure.

Argentina Brazil and Italy are my main doubts, i dont know if any of them can rebuild to be at top.

It’s still too early to talk about which teams have a chance to win the 2030 World Cup, my friend. We don’t know what the future holds. It’s possible that some of the teams we’re rooting for now might not even qualify for the next World Cup. Take Italy, for example. Or even a defending champion like Spain, they might not make it past the group stage, just like they did at the 2014 World Cup. So, let’s just wait until the time is right to discuss it.

[Sarah Azhari]

To be honest, I was deeply moved by the message Messi posted on his Instagram account. Messi is a true leader. When Argentina loses, he posts a photo of himself, and when Argentina wins, he posts a photo of his teammates. This shows that, as if to say, when the team loses, he’ll bear the burden himself, but when the team wins, it’s the result of the team’s hard work.

From this message, there’s a valuable lesson to be learned from Messi. He never thinks of himself, even though he’s achieved everything in soccer; instead, he prioritizes the team and the Argentine people, whom he loves so dearly.

What Messi does is not just about football, he is also showing the definition of true leadership. He took full responsibility when Argentina failed, even he was the most highlighted player after the match, but he did not disappear from the field and when receiving the silver medal, he also did not take it off, unlike other Argentine players.

The message behind him uploading his own photo is as if he is saying, this is my fault because I am the team captain. When other players who are considered influential in the team are looking for mistakes when their team loses, Messi stands tall and steps forward because he knows that the failure is his responsibility because his presence in the World Cup is not to chase statistics, but to make all the Argentine people who are watching at home happy.

That is why Messi is so beloved by the Argentine people, because he truly understands just how much they love soccer. His message and tears after the final signaled that he wanted to say he would no longer be on the soccer field to contribute to the Argentine national team. Because, sooner or later, Messi will retire from soccer.

[HustleZ]

Although Yamal is Spain's biggest strength, Spain's players don't rely on any one player. Yamal is probably an important player for Spain, but even if he is absent, Spain can still fight strongly.

What you said about the USA seems logical to me. Since the matches were held in the USA this year, many people couldn't go there due to various restrictions. Such as travel bans, visa denials, additional border checks, and direct restrictions on the entry of fans from some countries, I also don't want the USA to host the World Cup in the future.

I doubt Yamal being the biggest stregth of Spain, he is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of spain but he isnt the only strength of them. Their strength is the coordination of players with themselves and their ability to keep possession. The strength of team doesn’t rely only on one player ( unless its messi 😉) and if they play as a team only then they can succeed.

[MAAManda]

To understand Spain’s secret, you need to watch what happens when they lose possession. The moment they lose possession, three or four players apply pressure on a single opponent to regain the ball. Throughout the 2026 World Cup, their average time to regain possession after a turnover was 17 seconds. Everyone plays a passing game, but no team in the world can apply the kind of pressure that Spain does. Even though I’m not a big fan of their style of play, the reality is that they’re on a whole different level.

It was more than just the pressure they applied to the opposing team, they had:

- Talented players playing for big clubs.
- Without individual ego (I was surprised to see Lamine Yamal playing so objectively, usually, he tends to let his ego show in his matches).
- Good system within the team.

It's those elements that enabled them to secure the WC trophy since their last trophy in 2010. They teach everyone, competing teams, non-competing teams & the world in general how football should be played.

[Odusko]

Although Yamal is Spain's biggest strength, Spain's players don't rely on any one player. Yamal is probably an important player for Spain, but even if he is absent, Spain can still fight strongly.

What you said about the USA seems logical to me. Since the matches were held in the USA this year, many people couldn't go there due to various restrictions. Such as travel bans, visa denials, additional border checks, and direct restrictions on the entry of fans from some countries, I also don't want the USA to host the World Cup in the future.

I doubt Yamal being the biggest stregth of Spain, he is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of spain but he isnt the only strength of them. Their strength is the coordination of players with themselves and their ability to keep possession. The strength of team doesn’t rely only on one player ( unless its messi 😉) and if they play as a team only then they can succeed.

When I see this kind of comments, where a team strength is perceived to be on one player it makes me feels as if those analysis are unfounded because we know how football team work together to be at the top and only a player like Yamal of Spain or Messi of Argentina individually can not make their team successful although the contribute and coordinate along side other team members to make that happen,. Like despite the presence of Messi in the world cup finals when other players could not put the ball in his right possession he could not deliver a single goal in the finals.