2026 World Cup Thread

[Moog]

Silver lining (maybe)

Since the group stage matches are now going to be...ummm....shall we say "less interesting", perhaps tickets on the secondary market will be affordable.....maybe.

 

[What party?]

A boomer just gave himself a participation trophy. See, they can change...oof.

 

[What party?]

Now that the draw is over (sure there are playoffs still) .....my first thoughts are:
Wow! The groups are so diluted, and very top heavy.

Group J with Argentina is comical....what a clown show!
Group D USA.....well if the USA can't easily get out of that group, then I dunno.

Group I is the most interesting to me: Haaland vs. Mbappe

I don't see a group of death.

FIFA needs to fix this for the next World Cup Draw.
Too many teams, and the host countries getting the first three groups automatically with top seeds is just @ss!


Group stage at best is a few interesting matches to watch.
Feels like a money grab.


The whole draw felt forced and amateur hour.
Dumbed down for the stupid. Embarrassing.


Anyway....onward to the matches!

Top heavy, sure, but...it could get weird, then fun. =) Hoping for the best.

 

[Moog]

...it could get weird, then fun. =)

How I live my life!

 

[ucsdguy1]

That was the strangest show ever and showcased about 15 reasons why the world may hate the US.

I don't really see a group of death either. Seems with 48 teams the groups are diluted.

No excuse for the US not to get out of the group. But still is the US.

 

[dneprovec]

Kevin Hart getting panned as host of World Cup draw: ‘Cringe’
By Christian Arnold
Published Dec. 5, 2025, 12:57 p.m. ET

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The whole world is watching — and it just feels awkward.

Kevin Hart and Heidi Klum are hosting the 2026 World Cup draw on Friday, with viewers in just about every country around the world tuning in, and the reviews quickly came flooding in on social media with soccer fans wondering what Hart was doing there.

The comedian and actor tried to play up his soccer chops during his monologue.


“I am proud to be here as a soccer fan,” Hart said. “Wait, correction. I should not say soccer. The rest of the world calls it football. I do know my Messi from my Michael Jordan, I know my Cristiano from my Stephen Curry, I know my Bellingham from my Tom Brady.”



That’s Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and England’s Jude Bellingham for the uninitiated.

But some soccer fans weren’t buying it, and cringed at who was picked to represent the event being held at the Kennedy Center in
Washington D.C.

I just don't get where is Landon Donovan
Or Klinsmann to represent USA
Or at least some former players who played in EPL or Germany

 

[santiclaws]

So now there's one more knockout round, correct, since 32 teams advance? We have a round of 32 instead of round of 16.

P.S. I hear that now anyone attending gets a FIFA Peace Prize. Is that true?