OT: The 2026 World Cup Thread

[Guts]

This was clearly a Falklands War grudge match for Argentina - winner takes the islands.

Amazing how much Messi still has in the tank when things are on the line.

hes super smart soccer IQ off the charts. If you pay attention he rarely moves and only shows off those bursts in key moments. He lets the team do the running and defending and it works the Argentina players would die for him. He's a literal God to most of them

 

[borg]

Body-type differentiation between the teams was on full display.
Argentina: compact and agile
England: Taller/longer legs, straight line speed/less twitch
Argentina acknowledged the height differential by opting to pass out into space for their corner kicks for much of the game.

England looked as if they lost their legs early in the match.
Plus, too many tall guys trying to go one on one, and getting swallowed up every time.

Better team won
England's goal was about the only thing England did well
Argentinian was ruthless from the opening whistle.
They pulverized Bellingham during the first 45
Simeone's kid was sinister for such a little mite. Reminded me of Brad Marchand going full rat. (Imagine if Pulisic had 1/10th the fire that that kid has. He doesn't)
The entire squad was Marchandesque.
And England went into the fetal position....but....it worked for them vs Mexico

Spain vs Argentina should be a highly tactical battle pitting two incredibly similar teams.
On paper: Spain
Tough to discount Argentina's battle-hardened veteran squad, their mindset, their resolve.

0-0
Penalty kicks
Argentina

Hope I'm wrong and we get a 5-4 rollercoaster.

 

[JoeSixPat]

hes super smart soccer IQ off the charts. If you pay attention he rarely moves and only shows off those bursts in key moments. He lets the team do the running and defending and it works the Argentina players would die for him. He's a literal God to most of them

Right - kindof like the way the Celtics used to use Al Horford and will probably use Paul George - let the older players rest as much as they can so they can put on the afterburners when it counts.

He's smart enough to know when and when not to pour it on - though I think in the finals he won't leave anything on the pitch

You just can't "teach" what he's learned over his 39 years but is clearly still among the best. Interestingly there's about 10 guys in the world cup who are older than him, and while Craig Gordon of Scotland leads the pack at age 43, he's a goalie so not running the whole game.

 

[wynpalmer]

He's great in France was the only one trying vs Spain
Madrid had way more issues than Mbappe lol

Perhaps, but arguably adding him forced tactical changes to satisfy his ego that severely crippled the play of Vinicius Jr and perhaps Bellingham also.
Look how PSG has done since he left.
Frankly I don't understand the love for the player.

 

[Guts]

Perhaps, but arguably adding him forced tactical changes to satisfy his ego that severely crippled the play of Vinicius Jr and perhaps Bellingham also.
Look how PSG has done since he left.
Frankly I don't understand the love for the player.

Vini hasn't been the same since he didnt win the 24 Ballon D'Or he had 2 great games 2 terrible ones and that was before Mbappe arrived. Ever since Kroos left theyre missing the glue from defense to attack that he provided.

Bellingham dealt with a shoulder injury that hampered him all 25 season until he took care of it.

There is a lot of ego though with that I agree but if theres anyone that can handle it is Mourinho. They gotta do something too Barca isnt going anywhere as their very young stars get more mature

 

[Triumph]

429K reactions · 63 shares | Both sets of fans have clashed outside the main exit of the Atlanta Stadium after England vs Argentina #worldcup #worldcup2026 #messi #england #argentina | Daily Mail Sport

Both sets of fans have clashed outside the main exit of the Atlanta Stadium after England vs Argentina #worldcup #worldcup2026 #messi #england #argentina

www.facebook.com

 

[Triumph]

The Jets always Jet and England always Englands

Except there have only been 15 World Cups over that time span.

 

[Triumph]

Might as well give the golden fist to Argentina right now.

 

[borg]

Perhaps, but arguably adding him forced tactical changes to satisfy his ego that severely crippled the play of Vinicius Jr and perhaps Bellingham also.

Real Madrid has been a counterstrike team for the past two decades and still is. It's always baffled me why a team composed of many of the world's All Stars is always so content to forfeit possession control....but they do.
Feast or famine.

Look how PSG has done since he left.

PSG with Neymar, Messi, and Mbappe was the most top-heavy team and selfish frontline on the planet and the rest of their roster was aged and inadequate. Shedding the stars, leaning on a youth movement, pouring assets into their midfield, and adopting a possession Barca-style of play instantly transformed PSG into the best in the world. As the cup winds down, high profile teams bent on feeding marquis scorers are succumbing to well-oiled teams that control possession.
Messi hasn't scored in two games but Argentina dominated possession in each....59% & 64%

Frankly I don't understand the love for the player.

Proven elite scorer.
Only a handful exist.

I don't understand why Real Madrid signed Trent Alexander Arnold last year and Konate this year, both players possess huge warts.
RM is fixated on free transfers more than piecing together a well-fitting machine.

 

[Guts]

Real Madrid has been a counterstrike team for the past two decades and still is. It's always baffled me why a team composed of many of the world's All Stars is always so content to forfeit possession control....but they do.
Feast or famine.

PSG with Neymar, Messi, and Mbappe was the most top-heavy team and selfish frontline on the planet and the rest of their roster was aged and inadequate. Shedding the stars, leaning on a youth movement, pouring assets into their midfield, and adopting a possession Barca-style of play instantly transformed PSG into the best in the world. As the cup winds down, high profile teams bent on feeding marquis scorers are succumbing to well-oiled teams that control possession.
Messi hasn't scored in two games but Argentina dominated possession in each....59% & 64%

Proven elite scorer.
Only a handful exist.

I don't understand why Real Madrid signed Trent Alexander Arnold last year and Konate this year, both players possess huge warts.
RM is fixated on free transfers more than piecing together a well-fitting machine.

TAA showed some flashes with his deadly assists but injuries hindered him. Defensively obviously is a negative but still a young fullback with elite offensive skills

Konate I think is a depth piece as well I still think Rudiger/a fit Militao and Huijsen are above in depth chart

Cucurella is a excellent signing as well as Dumfries.

What Madrid is missing is someone to glue the attack and defense together they had it in Kroos but theres only a handful of Kroos in a generation lol

 

[OldEngland]

One of few sports where a 5-foot-6 Smurf can reach superstar status.

I get the assumption you are making, but don't think it is actually accurate. If you take many of the top 20 sports in the world you often find current or recent male superstars with shorter statures around 5 foot 6 etc.

In football you have Messi or Maradona.
In cricket the legendary Tendulkar. Pacquaio in boxing or Aldo in mma. For motor sports Lewis Hamilton in F1 or Kyle Larson in Nascar. In long distance running Gebrsallasie or Sawe. Pidcock in cycling. You have Altruve in baseball. Luc Steins in handball. Chong Wri in Badminton or Zhang Jike in table tennis. Not many golfers that height these days but Gary Player was 5 foot 6. Kerbe or Fleury in ice hockey. Even in the hardest team collision sports certain positions can lend to shorter players, there are Kolbe or Shane Williams on the wing in rugby, Sproles at RB in the NFL, or the legendary Rob Burrow at halfback in rugby league for example.

I agree some sports do require substantial height or length for the increased leverage needed to be elite, for example swimming, basketball, tennis, throwing and jumping athletics events, volleyball (libero position could be a lot shorter). I agree do many team collision sports that involve carrying the ball require elite height, length or weight in the majority of positions, but there are exceptions

For soccer. Goalkeepers especially need height and length, as do central defenders to deal with any aerial threat. With attacking skill players it can sometimes be an advantage to be short as the ball is on the ground by their feet in possession. The low centre of gravity can make it incredibly difficult to get the ball off them. Maradona being probably the best example, he was short, sturdy and lethal once running in possession of the ball.

 

[Tunescribe]

I get the assumption you are making, but don't think it is actually accurate. If you take many of the top 20 sports in the world you often find current or recent male superstars with shorter statures around 5 foot 6 etc.

In football you have Messi or Maradona.
In cricket the legendary Tendulkar. Pacquaio in boxing or Aldo in mma. For motor sports Lewis Hamilton in F1 or Kyle Larson in Nascar. In long distance running Gebrsallasie or Sawe. Pidcock in cycling. You have Altruve in baseball. Luc Steins in handball. Chong Wri in Badminton or Zhang Jike in table tennis. Not many golfers that height these days but Gary Player was 5 foot 6. Kerbe or Fleury in ice hockey. Even in the hardest team collision sports certain positions can lend to shorter players, there are Kolbe or Shane Williams on the wing in rugby, Sproles at RB in the NFL, or the legendary Rob Burrow at halfback in rugby league for example.

I agree some sports do require substantial height or length for the increased leverage needed to be elite, for example swimming, basketball, tennis, throwing and jumping athletics events, volleyball (libero position could be a lot shorter). I agree do many team collision sports that involve carrying the ball require elite height, length or weight in the majority of positions, but there are exceptions

For soccer. Goalkeepers especially need height and length, as do central defenders to deal with any aerial threat. With attacking skill players it can sometimes be an advantage to be short as the ball is on the ground by their feet in possession. The low centre of gravity can make it incredibly difficult to get the ball off them. Maradona being probably the best example, he was short, sturdy and lethal once running in possession of the ball.

Motorsports is a nonstarter for obvious reasons. But, yes, of course, small people can excel athletically. My reference was to one becoming an internationally popular superstar, of which Messi is a rare example. (He has 513 million Instagram followers.)

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Imagine. . . .

 

[Gumby]

Imagine. . . .

….if they had played like that for 90 minutes vs Argentina.

 

[Gumby]

Finally, a soccer game with scoring & suspense and comebacks……too bad it was a 100-year record game……now I can relatively safely ignore soccer for the rest of my life under the assumption there willNEVER be a more exciting (soccer) game in my lifetime.

 

[borg]

But, yes, of course, small people can excel athletically.