Whale.io 🐳 | ⚽ FIFA World Cup 2026: Tournament Discussion Thread

[tokeweed]

^  I watched the match.  It would've been a nil - nil draw if not for the error of the goal keeper or was it the defender.  Lol.  But yeah..  I think that Mexico squad is weaker than what the journos say.  I'm ready to bet against them if they go up against a decent squad.

Anyway, what do you guys think about Scotland vs Morocco?  Seems like everybody is raving about Morocco  but I think Scotland could win in this spot.  Gonna bet +0.5 again.  Lolol. 

[JollyGood]

I'm participating in many World Cup paid pools and also playing WC fantasy and I completely forgot about this thread.

It's been some crazy round of football and some great performance from some African countries although we didn't get the results we wanted but it's been a great performance all round- Cape Verde and Dr. Congo all napping a point from less than 5% possibilities.

I watched Mexico but couldn't watch S. Korea due to my timezones but I did see some highlights - it's a close call but Mexico on home turf with the whole country behind them is a huge advantage in the one.

The timezone has made a lot of problems for fans around the world, I have been missing out on most of the games. Good to see you found your way here

Spain vs Cape Verde showed the world what one tiny nation can do if they are determined to not lose when they are playing the European champions. The team as though they were heroes. If Spain fail to win on Sunday, it could be all over for them at the group stage.

There is a long way to go before the final. I think there will be many surprises because some of the smaller teams will be looking forward to playing as the underdogs.

Anyway, what do you guys think about Scotland vs Morocco?  Seems like everybody is raving about Morocco  but I think Scotland could win in this spot.  Gonna bet +0.5 again.  Lolol. 

Scotland have a chance to qualify as they are the only team from their group that has won their opening match. A draw will be enough in their next two games.

[tokeweed]

^  Yeah, I fired the trigger but nope...  It looks like it's gonna be Brazil and Morocco progressing to the next round from that group.  As expected anyway.  Lol.

My next bets are gonna be Germany, the Netherlands and Japan.  The three of them should win...  I hope.   

And btw..  I have been betting via the outcome markets in Hyperliquid.  If you guys got some spare funds, go try it. 

[DiMarxist]

^  Yeah, I fired the trigger but nope...  It looks like it's gonna be Brazil and Morocco progressing to the next round from that group.  As expected anyway.  Lol.

My next bets are gonna be Germany, the Netherlands and Japan.  The three of them should win...  I hope.   

And btw..  I have been betting via the outcome markets in Hyperliquid.  If you guys got some spare funds, go try it. 

Definitely From the look of things Brazil and Morocco will be fighting for who will top the group depending on number of goals scored in the last game. Morocco will be playing a much weaker opponent in Haiti . Thesame time I don't fancy the Scottish team to pose much threats to the Brazilian in the group last game. But this is football so we can never say never until the last whistle is blown. The Scottish already has three points and still has a chance to qualify, getting a good result against the Brazilian team will help their course. I draw too could see them in the playoffs rounds so Scotland should not be totally written off.

[JollyGood]

My next bets are gonna be Germany, the Netherlands and Japan.  The three of them should win...  I hope.   

I think fans are expecting too much from the Netherlands. They should get through to the next round but I cannot see them progressing much further. Germany is the same, I just cannot see them getting to the quarter-finals either.

Working out the winner of any match is not that much of a problem but knowing the exact score is always going to be problematic, especially in a World Cup 

Definitely From the look of things Brazil and Morocco will be fighting for who will top the group depending on number of goals scored in the last game. Morocco will be playing a much weaker opponent in Haiti . Thesame time I don't fancy the Scottish team to pose much threats to the Brazilian in the group last game. But this is football so we can never say never until the last whistle is blown. The Scottish already has three points and still has a chance to qualify, getting a good result against the Brazilian team will help their course. I draw too could see them in the playoffs rounds so Scotland should not be totally written off.

I expected Brazil to beat Haiti with a much bigger score. They are now top of their table because of the goal difference. Scotland can still make it through to the next stage by finishing as one of the strongest teams in third place.

[igebotz]

^  Yeah, I fired the trigger but nope...  It looks like it's gonna be Brazil and Morocco progressing to the next round from that group.  As expected anyway.  Lol.

My next bets are gonna be Germany, the Netherlands and Japan.  The three of them should win...  I hope.   

And btw..  I have been betting via the outcome markets in Hyperliquid.  If you guys got some spare funds, go try it. 

They look a bit better with Cunha leading the attack than they were with Igor Thiago in the first game; Thiago is more comfortable in a counter attacking system, unfortunately that's not how Brazil plays.

I was somehow disappointed at the scoreline; I didn't see the game but scoring only 3 past Haiti is absurd.

____

This round I went out of the line- Argentina, USA, Belgium and Algeria to all win their games at a nice 4x odds.

[JollyGood]

Brazil look as though they are a tired team. Cunha brings something special for them because he is always a goal threat but apart from him and Vinícius (and maybe Alisson in goal), Brazil do not seem to be a settled side. Even Casemiro is struggling in the midfield too and if something such as that were to happen you know there is a problem with the balance of the team. Ancelotti will have to hope the players improve in the knockout stages otherwise Brazil could be out.

[igebotz]

Brazil look as though they are a tired team. Cunha brings something special for them because he is always a goal threat but apart from him and Vinícius (and maybe Alisson in goal), Brazil do not seem to be a settled side. Even Casemiro is struggling in the midfield too and if something such as that were to happen you know there is a problem with the balance of the team. Ancelotti will have to hope the players improve in the knockout stages otherwise Brazil could be out.

I'm not surprised; Ancelotti call up several questionable players for the World Cup + some older players who weren't needed and an injured Neymar. Casemiro and Alex Sandro shouldn't have been invited up; they're old and slow.

He left some very interesting young players at home to invest in experienced players, who I believe are too old for the direct attacking style his team plays.

[tokeweed]

My next bets are gonna be Germany, the Netherlands and Japan.  The three of them should win...  I hope.   

I think fans are expecting too much from the Netherlands. They should get through to the next round but I cannot see them progressing much further. Germany is the same, I just cannot see them getting to the quarter-finals either.

Working out the winner of any match is not that much of a problem but knowing the exact score is always going to be problematic, especially in a World Cup 

Mmmmm...  We'll just have to see who Germany and the Netherlands go against in the next round.  Not really sure how they pick the teams.  If anybody knows, post the possible brackets for the Ro32. 

Germany could be in the quarter finals me thinks.  They have a decent squad and their manager is pretty good.  The only thing that could hold them back is it's a tourney format.  So luck plays a role much more than the league format.

[igebotz]

Mmmmm...  We'll just have to see who Germany and the Netherlands go against in the next round.  Not really sure how they pick the teams.  If anybody knows, post the possible brackets for the Ro32. 

Germany could be in the quarter finals me thinks.  They have a decent squad and their manager is pretty good.  The only thing that could hold them back is it's a tourney format.  So luck plays a role much more than the league format.

Germany and Netherlands cannot meet in the next round unless Netherlands finishes as the best losers (3rd)  in group F which is highly unlikely - if Germany finishes top of ground E they can only play against a 3rd finished team in group F which is likely going to be Sweden/Japan and meet a team from group A or B in R16.

Then Brazil and Spain on it way to the final if every goes well for them- they won't be meeting Argentina or France unless in the final.

[JollyGood]

I'm not surprised; Ancelotti call up several questionable players for the World Cup + some older players who weren't needed and an injured Neymar. Casemiro and Alex Sandro shouldn't have been invited up; they're old and slow.

He left some very interesting young players at home to invest in experienced players, who I believe are too old for the direct attacking style his team plays.

Some people in the media are getting carried away because Brazil beat Haiti but the fact remains they are looking as though they have a problem. Maybe they will get better with time. It could be a that the more they play they will become confident. Most of their players seem to be affected by the heat, they are not playing wither with flare or confidence.

Mmmmm...  We'll just have to see who Germany and the Netherlands go against in the next round.  Not really sure how they pick the teams.  If anybody knows, post the possible brackets for the Ro32.  

Germany could be in the quarter finals me thinks.  They have a decent squad and their manager is pretty good.  The only thing that could hold them back is it's a tourney format.  So luck plays a role much more than the league format.

The top two from each group will qualify for the next round therefore 24 teams from the twelve groups. After that, all of the twelve teams that finished in third place will be looked at and eight of the best teams will be added to the 24 to make 32 teams going to the knockout stages. By virtue of goal difference, Germany will finish top of their group but the Netherlands could finish anywhere in the top three.

[tokeweed]

Mmmmm...  We'll just have to see who Germany and the Netherlands go against in the next round.  Not really sure how they pick the teams.  If anybody knows, post the possible brackets for the Ro32. 

Germany could be in the quarter finals me thinks.  They have a decent squad and their manager is pretty good.  The only thing that could hold them back is it's a tourney format.  So luck plays a role much more than the league format.

Germany and Netherlands cannot meet in the next round unless Netherlands finishes as the best losers (3rd)  in group F which is highly unlikely - if Germany finishes top of ground E they can only play against a 3rd finished team in group F which is likely going to be Sweden/Japan and meet a team from group A or B in R16.

Then Brazil and Spain on it way to the final if every goes well for them- they won't be meeting Argentina or France unless in the final.

Wouldn't mind a Germany vs Japan match up.    Germany is good for sure but Japan is pretty decent.  And with a little bit of luck, they could progress imho.

Anyway, there was a popular parlay that has been going around on Twitter...  It was Messi, Haaland and Mbappe to score two goals each in their respective fixtures.  Looks like the guys who pulled trigger won the bet with a good clip. 

[JollyGood]

The way goals are being scored in this World Cup, the golden boot winner might even surpass the record of 13 goals that were scored by Fontaine in 1958 for France. He scored 13 goals in 6 games in the 1958 World Cup.

There are far too many games taking place in the group stages for me to regularly update results. After all of the games in the group stages have been completed, I will probably compile a results list along with the teams that qualified for the knockout stage (and the next set of fixtures).

[igebotz]

Wouldn't mind a Germany vs Japan match up.    Germany is good for sure but Japan is pretty decent.  And with a little bit of luck, they could progress imho.

Anyway, there was a popular parlay that has been going around on Twitter...  It was Messi, Haaland and Mbappe to score two goals each in their respective fixtures.  Looks like the guys who pulled trigger won the bet with a good clip. 

 I've always rated them to be a good team but I thought they'd slow down after Mitoma and a few of their key players got a late injury and had to stay home- they're up against Sweden in the 3rd round for the second position spot.
 
I'm looking at BTTS and O2.5 goals in that fixture at x2 odds- they're both good attacking side with 5+ goals each after MD2

I was wondering what teams are you guys supporting? I'm in for Argentina and Cape Verde for their Women 

[tokeweed]

^  I like Argentina, Germany, England and USA USA USA!! 

Would be nice to see USA in the final for the lulz.  But mostly I like them because Poch is coaching the team. 

Anyway, what do you guys think of Czechia vs Mexico?  Mexico just lucked out on their goal against South Korea and they looked kinda  style on the attack.  Thinking of putting a little bet on Czechia +0.5 at around 1.85.

[igebotz]

^  I like Argentina, Germany, England and USA USA USA!! 

Would be nice to see USA in the final for the lulz.  But mostly I like them because Poch is coaching the team. 

Anyway, what do you guys think of Czechia vs Mexico?  Mexico just lucked out on their goal against South Korea and they looked kinda  style on the attack.  Thinking of putting a little bet on Czechia +0.5 at around 1.85.

I like those teams too but if they get matchup against Argentina I'm always going to support Argentina - I have some special connections there.

I've seen a lot of Czechia games and I wouldn't recommend you take that bet against Mexico gearing up to finish at the top so they can play the best loser in group F.

I'd take that bet in the other fixture; both teams will be fighting for the 2nd position.

[mikel_012]

Some people in the media are getting carried away because Brazil beat Haiti but the fact remains they are looking as though they have a problem. Maybe they will get better with time. It could be a that the more they play they will become confident. Most of their players seem to be affected by the heat, they are not playing wither with flare or confidence.

This game was much better for Brazil with 3 goals and one questionable foul that would give Vini Jr the hat trick status for this game, but many of the goals came from bad decisions from Scotland losing the ball for no reason

I want to see Brazil vs a good team and see if they can keep up scoring multiple goals. I do not trust them to win the world cup yet after this game

We also saw Neymar playing for brazil in more than 900 days without wearing the yellow shirt

[igebotz]

Some people in the media are getting carried away because Brazil beat Haiti but the fact remains they are looking as though they have a problem. Maybe they will get better with time. It could be a that the more they play they will become confident. Most of their players seem to be affected by the heat, they are not playing wither with flare or confidence.

This game was much better for Brazil with 3 goals and one questionable foul that would give Vini Jr the hat trick status for this game, but many of the goals came from bad decisions from Scotland losing the ball for no reason

I want to see Brazil vs a good team and see if they can keep up scoring multiple goals. I do not trust them to win the world cup yet after this game

We also saw Neymar playing for brazil in more than 900 days without wearing the yellow shirt

They haven't been tested, they're getting good results but I'm still not impressed with their overall performance- they're too loose at the back, but they have a decent goalkeeper to keep them out. If Allison wasn't in goal, Scotland would have scored more than three goals tonight and that's worrisome.

If they go up against a proper team with good attackers it's game over for them 
 

[Daniel91]

The way goals are being scored in this World Cup, the golden boot winner might even surpass the record of 13 goals that were scored by Fontaine in 1958 for France. He scored 13 goals in 6 games in the 1958 World Cup.

There are far too many games taking place in the group stages for me to regularly update results. After all of the games in the group stages have been completed, I will probably compile a results list along with the teams that qualified for the knockout stage (and the next set of fixtures).

Yes, it's a surprise for me too that strikers and stars like Messi, Mbappe, Haaland and others score so many goals, but I think it happens in the group stage matches, when the pressure is not so great, because there is always an opportunity to improve in case of a worse result in the group.
Another important factor for the high number of goals is the large difference in quality between individual teams in the group stage of the competition.
With that in mind, I don't expect so many goals in the knockout phase, and I don't think we will see a scenario where someone scores 13 or more goals at this World Cup.

[JollyGood]

This game was much better for Brazil with 3 goals and one questionable foul that would give Vini Jr the hat trick status for this game, but many of the goals came from bad decisions from Scotland losing the ball for no reason

I want to see Brazil vs a good team and see if they can keep up scoring multiple goals. I do not trust them to win the world cup yet after this game

We also saw Neymar playing for brazil in more than 900 days without wearing the yellow shirt

Brazil played well against Scotland and the performance seems to be an indicator that they are getting better as they progress through the tournament. Having said that, Scotland played well and apart from gifting a goal to Brazil, they seemed to be playing with confidence.

If Brazil were to meet a very good team (as you mentioned) in the knockout stages, I will not be surprised if Brazil are knocked out. If Brazil are without Vinicius and Cunha, they seem to be playing as any average team.

They haven't been tested, they're getting good results but I'm still not impressed with their overall performance- they're too loose at the back, but they have a decent goalkeeper to keep them out. If Allison wasn't in goal, Scotland would have scored more than three goals tonight and that's worrisome.

If they go up against a proper team with good attackers it's game over for them 

That is exactly how I feel. If Brazil face any of the strong teams in the next round, they will probably be out. Scotland deserved a goal and if they had scored it would have been a fantastic game to watch.

Yes, it's a surprise for me too that strikers and stars like Messi, Mbappe, Haaland and others score so many goals, but I think it happens in the group stage matches, when the pressure is not so great, because there is always an opportunity to improve in case of a worse result in the group.
Another important factor for the high number of goals is the large difference in quality between individual teams in the group stage of the competition.
With that in mind, I don't expect so many goals in the knockout phase, and I don't think we will see a scenario where someone scores 13 or more goals at this World Cup.

There are more than enough games throughout the tournament for a striker to score but whether 13 goals can be scored is a different matter altogether. As there is a phenomenal amount of talent present, this might be a record breaking World Cup for total goals scored.