World Cup 2026

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Just realised it's Bastille Day.

Could be pretty wild if France win. Even if they lose I suppose...

I have a gut feeling France will lose, but TBH anything could happen in any of the remaining three games (I don't count 3rd place match!).

FWIW my largely inconsequential thoughts.

France - incredible attack but their defence is actually a bit shaky, they just haven't been tested yet. I also think their midfield is weaker than Spain's (and possibly England's).
Spain - very good defensively but they have been underwhelming in attack compared to the last Euros. I think people forget they blew everyone away two years ago, largely due to Yamal and Olmo, both of whom have been lacking this tournament.
Argentina - have been distinctly average and without Messi would have gone home in the last 32. BUT, they are proven winners, and actually have good individuals so if they click they can beat any team.
England - have suffered from the lack of a coherent plan but like Argentina have built a culture of being able to get over the line in games. I said on the old BR Forum at Qatar that if England were to win a WC in the next 10 years it would be off the back of Bellingham and he has stepped up so far.

World cups are usually won by a collective team effort or off the back of the brilliance of an individual. We probably have one of the former in Spain and three of the latter with Messi, Mbappe and Bellingham. I honestly don't think there is a favourite at this stage, it could be anyone of them and nobody really has a clue who it will be,

 

[AndyRM]

I have a gut feeling France will lose, but TBH anything could happen in any of the remaining three games (I don't count 3rd place match!).

FWIW my largely inconsequential thoughts.

France - incredible attack but their defence is actually a bit shaky, they just haven't been tested yet. I also think their midfield is weaker than Spain's (and possibly England's).
Spain - very good defensively but they have been underwhelming in attack compared to the last Euros. I think people forget they blew everyone away two years ago, largely due to Yamal and Olmo, both of whom have been lacking this tournament.
Argentina - have been distinctly average and without Messi would have gone home in the last 32. BUT, they are proven winners, and actually have good individuals so if they click they can beat any team.
England - have suffered from the lack of a coherent plan but like Argentina have built a culture of being able to get over the line in games. I said on the old BR Forum at Qatar that if England were to win a WC in the next 10 years it would be off the back of Bellingham and he has stepped up so far.

World cups are usually won by a collective team effort or off the back of the brilliance of an individual. We probably have one of the former in Spain and three of the latter with Messi, Mbappe and Bellingham. I honestly don't think there is a favourite at this stage, it could be anyone of them and nobody really has a clue who it will be,

Agree with pretty much all of that, other than Spain blowing everyone away at the Euros. Other than Croatia in the group and Georgia in the last 16, all their games were close.

 

[laurentian]

I have a gut feeling France will lose, but TBH anything could happen in any of the remaining three games (I don't count 3rd place match!).

FWIW my largely inconsequential thoughts.

France - incredible attack but their defence is actually a bit shaky, they just haven't been tested yet. I also think their midfield is weaker than Spain's (and possibly England's).
Spain - very good defensively but they have been underwhelming in attack compared to the last Euros. I think people forget they blew everyone away two years ago, largely due to Yamal and Olmo, both of whom have been lacking this tournament.
Argentina - have been distinctly average and without Messi would have gone home in the last 32. BUT, they are proven winners, and actually have good individuals so if they click they can beat any team.
England - have suffered from the lack of a coherent plan but like Argentina have built a culture of being able to get over the line in games. I said on the old BR Forum at Qatar that if England were to win a WC in the next 10 years it would be off the back of Bellingham and he has stepped up so far.

World cups are usually won by a collective team effort or off the back of the brilliance of an individual. We probably have one of the former in Spain and three of the latter with Messi, Mbappe and Bellingham. I honestly don't think there is a favourite at this stage, it could be anyone of them and nobody really has a clue who it will be,

This looks about right although I would say that France are the obvious favourites but, and I think I'm right in saying this, they have yet to go behind in this tournament and it would be interesting to see what happens if they do.

 

[AndyRM]

This looks about right although I would say that France are the obvious favourites but, and I think I'm right in saying this, they have yet to go behind in this tournament and it would be interesting to see what happens if they do.

Probably hit top gear and look truly terrifying.

 

[matticus]

Kane has hit back after those appaling Gabriel Clarke ITV interviews:

https://rg.org/en-ca/news/soccer/harry-kane-rejects-england-rift-claims-before-argentina-semifinal

 

[Rusty Nails]

I think this is effectively the final. Hope Spain win tbh, because in the unlikely event England follow suit the match up is better. The French going forward would have no difficulty scoring against us.

It is not ‘effectively’ the Final. It is in all meaningful terms an actual semi-final.

That’s the jeopardy of knockout tournaments and having to group teams well before the tournament starts.

If England get to the Final and win would France or Spain be the ‘effective’ World Champions?

 

[No Ta Doctor]

I have a gut feeling France will lose, but TBH anything could happen in any of the remaining three games (I don't count 3rd place match!).

FWIW my largely inconsequential thoughts.

France - incredible attack but their defence is actually a bit shaky, they just haven't been tested yet. I also think their midfield is weaker than Spain's (and possibly England's).
Spain - very good defensively but they have been underwhelming in attack compared to the last Euros. I think people forget they blew everyone away two years ago, largely due to Yamal and Olmo, both of whom have been lacking this tournament.
Argentina - have been distinctly average and without Messi would have gone home in the last 32. BUT, they are proven winners, and actually have good individuals so if they click they can beat any team.
England - have suffered from the lack of a coherent plan but like Argentina have built a culture of being able to get over the line in games. I said on the old BR Forum at Qatar that if England were to win a WC in the next 10 years it would be off the back of Bellingham and he has stepped up so far.

World cups are usually won by a collective team effort or off the back of the brilliance of an individual. We probably have one of the former in Spain and three of the latter with Messi, Mbappe and Bellingham. I honestly don't think there is a favourite at this stage, it could be anyone of them and nobody really has a clue who it will be,

France actually have one of the strongest defences on the planet in terms of lineup, some truly world class players, but both Upamecano and Saliba prefer to play as right side CBs and lets face it, they don't get a huge amount of protection from midfield and wings.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

This looks about right although I would say that France are the obvious favourites but, and I think I'm right in saying this, they have yet to go behind in this tournament and it would be interesting to see what happens if they do.

They fear The Merino. Comes on as a sub to score the winner in both the 1/8 and 1/4 finals. Clutch, as they say across the pond.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

France actually have one of the strongest defences on the planet in terms of lineup, some truly world class players, but both Upamecano and Saliba prefer to play as right side CBs and lets face it, they don't get a huge amount of protection from midfield and wings.

I think that is the interesting part, they have not been tested hugely in midfield or the flanks so the defense hasn't been exposed to top class attacking play yet. I always feel Upamecano is error prone, Harry Kane really overpowered him in Qatar, and Digne has his off moments to. I am edging towards Spain, but I also wouldn't be surprised if France won by 2 or 3 if everything clicks.

 

[AndyRM]

View: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Daxu0fbxhLI/?igsh=MXZnMHFzYXQzZW13Zg==

 

[No Ta Doctor]

View: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Daxu0fbxhLI/?igsh=MXZnMHFzYXQzZW13Zg==

I couldn't even make it all the way through that but I feel stupider already

 

[AndyRM]

I couldn't even make it all the way through that but I feel stupider already

The first one is the best/worst, but they're all gold in different ways.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

I couldn't even make it all the way through that but I feel stupider already

It's actually the Fox News tagline "Keeping Americans dumb since '91".

 

[First Aspect]

It is not ‘effectively’ the Final. It is in all meaningful terms an actual semi-final.

That’s the jeopardy of knockout tournaments and having to group teams well before the tournament starts.

If England get to the Final and win would France or Spain be the ‘effective’ World Champions?

No. But one or other of Spain or France will likely win. They are the highest ranked teams. England are 4th. The stats for the tournament support this (there's a good BBC Sport analysis today). So if we ran these fixtures 10 times, I reckon England are winners once or twice.

Don't get me wrong, as someone around in 1982, 1994, 2002, 2010 and 2014 I'll take those odds.

This team reminds me most of the 1986 team. Short of stars (Robson and Wilkins both out of the tournamet) with a good manager who found a decent balance.

That team could have won the whole thing but for a cheating midget. Sp could the 1990 team. But they didnt.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

That team could have won the whole thing but for a cheating midget. Sp could the 1990 team. But they didnt.

It was Waddle's mullet that did for us in 1990. The only people destined to win a WC with a mullet are Germans. This is an actual fact.