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FIFA 2026 WC - general

I'm not usually one for the nerdy tactical stuff but the Tifo Football YouTube Channel from the Athletic will likely be a good watch....

m.youtube.com

Tifo Football by The Athletic

In-depth tactical, historical and geopolitical breakdowns of the beautiful game. Our videos provide analysis on the Premier League, Champions League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, World Cup and more. Our podcasts interview some of the game’s leading figures. And our editorial covers football...
m.youtube.com m.youtube.com
 
ITV in Britain has got Ange Postecoglou as one of their big name studio pundits for the World Cup...

And while ITV secured Big Ange, the BBC signed Thomas Frank as their headline analytical pundit. Because Frank took over from Ange at Tottenham, the British media is already framing this as a direct, head-to-head battle of the ex- Spurs minds between the two national networks!! 🤣🤣
 
Football us life said:
The media landscape for the 2026 World Cup will likely be completely different from anything we have seen before. We are moving away from the era where a few suited pundits on major TV networks controlled the entire post-match narrative.

This tournament is fully embracing the "second-screen" and creator-led era. In fact, FIFA and YouTube recently signed a massive "Preferred Platform" partnership specifically for this World Cup. They are actively bringing a global cohort of independent YouTube creators and podcasters into the fold, giving them unprecedented access to official match footage, behind-the-scenes content, and historical archives.....

Instead of waiting for a broadcast network's 30-minute post-game show, a lot of fans will be tuning directly into their favourite fan-led channels (like The Overlap, Goldbridge, FilthyFellas, or regional fan networks) the second the final whistle blows. These kinds of shows offer raw, unfiltered, and highly relatable emotion that the traditional TV of old simply cannot replicate. With FIFA's new digital-first approach for this WC creators have legal avenues to integrate premium content, extended highlights, and tactical angles directly into their shows.

Watch-alongs, pre-match, in-game and post-match tactical debates....

Global perspectives from creators all over the world.

We don't need the Fozzie's of this world anymore!!
Click to expand...
I'm not sure I even understood half of that!
 
Keeper66 said:
I'm not sure I even understood half of that!
Click to expand...

I know, it’s a fast changing media landscape out there...

We are quite probably watching the complete disruption and maybe even dismantling of the old-guard sports broadcast punditry and analysis model in real time.

The days of three or four former players sitting in a sanitised, brightly lit studio dictating exactly how millions of fans should feel about a match are officially over!

A shift from a scarcity model to an abundance model. Under the old guard, broadcast minutes, camera angles, and media credentials were rare commodities. Because they were scarce, a tiny group of executives got to decide who was "qualified" to talk about the game.

The internet has proved that relevance trumps access. If you give a passionate fan a laptop and a webcam, they can build a more loyal, engaged community than a network that spent $10 million on studio equipment.

Or in SBS's case $1 million!!
 
Ghana's squad effectively announced now as well. Preliminary 28 announced - 5 of which are goalkeepers, meaning 2 of them will go, and all the outfield players are confirmed.

www.ghanafa.org

Black Stars coach Carlos Queiroz names 28-man squad for World Cup preparations and Wales friendly

Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has named a 28-man squad for the World Cup preparation camp and the international friendly against Wales in Cardiff. The t...
www.ghanafa.org www.ghanafa.org

Of note - after looking at the call ups via Wikipedia - 24 of those selected in the squad for the very recent Mexico friendly were not selected - so I don't even know why they bothered with that.
 
NicCarBel said:
Ghana's squad effectively announced now as well. Preliminary 28 announced - 5 of which are goalkeepers, meaning 2 of them will go, and all the outfield players are confirmed.

www.ghanafa.org

Black Stars coach Carlos Queiroz names 28-man squad for World Cup preparations and Wales friendly

Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has named a 28-man squad for the World Cup preparation camp and the international friendly against Wales in Cardiff. The t...
www.ghanafa.org www.ghanafa.org

Of note - after looking at the call ups via Wikipedia - 24 of those selected in the squad for the very recent Mexico friendly were not selected - so I don't even know why they bothered with that.
Click to expand...
I admittedly didn't check the Ghana line up. Odd but it must have been one final rehearsal.

Oh I've just realised now we've got pretty much the obvious Popovic squad there are very few auditioning against Mexico. Can't see what Borrelllo can still show. Give Gauci and Beach a half each in a showdown.
 
Football us life said:
The media landscape for the 2026 World Cup will likely be completely different from anything we have seen before. We are moving away from the era where a few suited pundits on major TV networks controlled the entire post-match narrative.

This tournament is fully embracing the "second-screen" and creator-led era. In fact, FIFA and YouTube recently signed a massive "Preferred Platform" partnership specifically for this World Cup. They are actively bringing a global cohort of independent YouTube creators and podcasters into the fold, giving them unprecedented access to official match footage, behind-the-scenes content, and historical archives.....

Instead of waiting for a broadcast network's 30-minute post-game show, a lot of fans will be tuning directly into their favourite fan-led channels (like The Overlap, Goldbridge, FilthyFellas, or regional fan networks) the second the final whistle blows. These kinds of shows offer raw, unfiltered, and highly relatable emotion that the traditional TV of old simply cannot replicate. With FIFA's new digital-first approach for this WC creators have legal avenues to integrate premium content, extended highlights, and tactical angles directly into their shows.

Watch-alongs, pre-match, in-game and post-match tactical debates....

Global perspectives from creators all over the world.

We don't need the Fozzie's of this world anymore!!
Click to expand...
My take on all the above is what you talking about brother haha
Typical of today everything needs to change - I prefer to see tweaks improvements for soon Ai will take over all and everyone will go wish it was like the days of studios real ex footballers making-idiots of themselves but they are real.
I really don’t need all this change just show me the game ffs with a decent sounding pundit or 2 the rest wgaf.
The Foster types are draining as fuck that is your best comment wholeheartedly agree.
 
LFC said:
My take on all the above is what you talking about brother haha
Typical of today everything needs to change - I prefer to see tweaks improvements for soon Ai will take over all and everyone will go wish it was like the days of studios real ex footballers making-idiots of themselves but they are real.
I really don’t need all this change just show me the game ffs with a decent sounding pundit or 2 the rest wgaf.
The Foster types are draining as fuck that is your best comment wholeheartedly agree.
Click to expand...


Mind if things didn't progress we'd be watching the World Cup on a black and white TV....

Why do we need a colour tv?

What's wrong with the black and white one...

I actually quite like listening to podcasts and stuff like that. Particularly around the big footballing events. But I'm still trying to convince myself that the old school way of doing the preview and analytical bits and pieces during a game is the benchmark!
 
Football us life said:
Mind if things didn't progress we'd be watching the World Cup on a black and white TV....

Why do we need a colour tv?
Click to expand...
Because that was a great change making viewing more real on the pitch
Football us life said:
What's wrong with the black and white one...
Click to expand...
Nothing it worked but see above as mentioned a good change
Football us life said:
I actually quite like listening to podcasts and stuff like that. Particularly around the big footballing events. But I'm still trying to convince myself that the old school way of doing the preview and analytical bits and pieces during a game is the benchmark!
Click to expand...
Pre game talk is all part of the hype build up that’s great no.
Post game also.
I don’t have time to sit listen to podcasts etc unless im on the can pre shower…….
How many opinions do you want to listen to - draining much like Foster haha
 
Goalkeepers: Bart Verbruggen (Brighton & Hove Albion), Mark Flekken (Bayer Leverkusen), Robin Roefs (Sunderland)

Defenders: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Nathan Aké (Manchester City), Micky van de Ven (Tottenham Hotspur), Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton & Hove Albion), Denzel Dumfries (Inter Milan), Jorrel Hato (Chelsea), Jurriën Timber (Arsenal)

Midfielders: Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Tijjani Reijnders (Manchester City), Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool), Teun Koopmeiners (Juventus), Quinten Timber (Olympique de Marseille), Guus Til (PSV), Mats Wieffer (Brighton & Hove Albion), Marten de Roon (Atlanta BC), Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth)

Forwards: Cody Gakpo (Liverpool), Donyell Malen (AS Roma), Memphis Depay (Corinthians), Wout Weghorst (Ajax), Noa Lang (Galatasaray), Brian Brobbey (Sunderland), Crysencio Summerville (West Ham United)
 
JS96 said:
Goalkeepers: Bart Verbruggen (Brighton & Hove Albion), Mark Flekken (Bayer Leverkusen), Robin Roefs (Sunderland)

Defenders: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Nathan Aké (Manchester City), Micky van de Ven (Tottenham Hotspur), Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton & Hove Albion), Denzel Dumfries (Inter Milan), Jorrel Hato (Chelsea), Jurriën Timber (Arsenal)

Midfielders: Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Tijjani Reijnders (Manchester City), Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool), Teun Koopmeiners (Juventus), Quinten Timber (Olympique de Marseille), Guus Til (PSV), Mats Wieffer (Brighton & Hove Albion), Marten de Roon (Atlanta BC), Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth)

Forwards: Cody Gakpo (Liverpool), Donyell Malen (AS Roma), Memphis Depay (Corinthians), Wout Weghorst (Ajax), Noa Lang (Galatasaray), Brian Brobbey (Sunderland), Crysencio Summerville (West Ham United)
Click to expand...
This now makes it 28/48 announced by my count

Provisional squads announced for (but not final squads):
  1. South Africa
  2. Canada
  3. Egypt
  4. Czechia
  5. Iran
  6. Iraq
  7. Australia (I'm counting our training camp announcements here)
  8. Mexico
  9. Ghana
  10. Senegal
  11. Saudi Arabia
  12. Jordan
  13. Qatar
  14. Turkey
  15. Uzbekistan
  16. Paraguay
  17. Argentina
Uruguay, Algeria and Ecuador yet to announce anything
 
So - I'm hearing from places I can't remember the source of - but apparently NZF are no longer calling the team the 'All Whites', and I have also noticed that their store sells the jerseys (including the old ones) as 'White' and 'Black', and not 'Home' and 'Away'

Does this hint at switching to All Black kits as the primary for the World Cup...?
 


I checked out world cup fantasy. Spoiled for choice. Too many matches this time to hope for picking a winner. I don't think I'll play.
 
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