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FIFA 2026 WC - general

Football us life said:
Yep....I think that Portugal’s ability to compete at such an elite level is a testament to the structure of their domestic academies and their deeply ingrained footballing culture.

Successful production of players which is generally attributed to its own highly effective, long-standing academy systems (like those at Benfica, Porto, and Sporting) which have their own well-established, independent methodologies.

Add this to it's footballing culture....an intense, almost theological, devotion to the sport. There's a real emotional depth to football in Portugal and it shows....

Young players who start in those local street games or small community clubs, moving through structured academy ranks....

That's where you get this pipeline of technically gifted players who look so comfortable on the ball and are in demand by club's across the biggest leagues.

When you look at the "Success-to-Population" ratio, Portugal belongs in a category of its own. It is undeniably one of the most successful "smaller" nations in the history of the sport.

Similar to Uruguay in South America.
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Portugal women ranked 22nd in the world. Will they ever catcch up to their Iberian neighbours, the world champs?
 
socceroosmad said:
Thee whole issue is worthy of a Jonathan Swift satire a la Gulliver's Travels.
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Hahaha...

It is a melancholy object to any thoughtful traveller who hath occasion to sail those southern seas, to see the Falkland Islands (called by some the Malvinas) lying there like two forgotten pebbles in a vast ocean, inhabited by scarce three thousand souls, a multitude of sheep, and a few penguins who, being wise creatures, meddle not in human folly....

These islands occasion endless quarrels betwixt the Crown of Great Britain and the Republic of Argentina, much as two bald men might fight over a comb in Jonathan Swift's day.......

Of course the deeper jest lies in the disproportion. Here are two nations, one a faded but still proud empire clinging to one of its last rocky outposts, the other a proud but perpetually frustrated power seeking to heal historical wounds by acquiring some distant pastures.

Thousands of lives, billions in potential treasure (fish, oil, strategic position), and endless diplomatic ink are expended on specks of land whose chief value seems to be symbolic. The islanders themselves become inconvenient props in this grand theatre: their self-determination is sacred when it suits London, and an irritating obstacle when it suits Buenos Aires.

Gulliver, upon returning from these parts, would report to the King of Brobdingnag that the mighty peoples of Europe fight wars over "two islands capable of producing little more than mutton and guano, yet capable of inflaming national pride beyond all reason." The King would laugh, as well he might.

In the end, the satire writes itself. Empires rise and fall, maps are redrawn, and penguins look on with bemused indifference. The sheep, wiser still, continue grazing.
Perhaps the only truly rational solution is to declare the entire archipelago a nature reserve, grant citizenship to the penguins, and let the humans settle their differences with a proper game of football. Even Swift might approve.....

Also....

www.nytimes.com

White House defends Argentina’s Falklands banner after World Cup semi-final win

Andrew Giuliani invoked the rights of the First Amendment in the latest tension between IFAB's laws on political messaging and free speech.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com

Trump is on side for Argentina so there's no arguments anymore.....🤣🤣
 
English poltical party the " Liberal Democrats" urge the English FA and UEFA to quit FIFA....

www.nytimes.com

English FA, UEFA urged to quit Gianni Infantino’s ‘broken’ FIFA by UK party leader

Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, said the FIFA president has crossed "red line after red line" at this summer's World Cup.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com

lol....Good luck with that!!

The article....

The Liberal Democrats have called on the English Football Association and UEFA to quit FIFA and set up a new governing body for global football, accusing its president Gianni Infantino of crossing “red line after red line”.

In a video published on his social media channels on Saturday, party leader Sir Ed Davey said “this World Cup has laid bare how utterly broken” FIFA is, citing the examples of the furore over U.S. star Folarin Balogun’s red card and Argentina’s players celebrating their win over England while holding a banner proclaiming Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

“From the incredibly dodgy spectacle of Donald Trump phoning up Gianni Infantino to personally get a U.S. red card overturned, to FIFA’s sluggish inaction over Argentina’s highly provocative Falklands flag stunt, Infantino has crossed red line after red line,” said Davey.

“He has allowed political interference and corporate greed to completely destroy the integrity of our beautiful game. When are we going to finally blow the whistle? It’s time for the FA, UEFA and European governing bodies to step up, lead a coordinated exit and walk away.

“Let’s work with other confederations to build a clean, transparent governing body that actually puts the fans first.”

More commonly known as the Lib Dems, Davey’s party are the third largest in the United Kingdom behind Labour and the Conservatives, and were junior partners in the Conservative-led coalition government that ran the country from 2010 to 2015.

This is not the first time that Davey has attacked FIFA during the World Cup. On July 6, in the aftermath of the Balogun controversy, he tweeted: “Infantino must go.

“No matter where it’s held, the World Cup belongs to the fans — not gangsters like Trump. We need someone who’ll finally kick the corruption out of FIFA.”

Infantino must go.

No matter where it’s held, the World Cup belongs to the fans – not gangsters like Trump.

We need someone who’ll finally kick corruption out of FIFA.

— Ed Davey (@EdwardJDavey) July 6, 2026

He and others in his party have also strongly criticised FIFA for this World Cup’s record-high ticket prices.

Speaking to Sky News on Saturday, Lib Dem MP and education spokesperson Munira Wilson urged the English FA to work with European confederation UEFA and “other governing bodies around the world to bring about a footballing body that is there for the interests of both fans and football…that has transparency and accountability at its heart”.

Wilson also noted that UEFA and several European federations, including France and Germany but not the English FA, have already strongly criticised FIFA for the Balogun decision.

FIFA, for its part, has strongly defended its conduct in that case, saying the decision to suspend Balogun’s one-game ban was taken by an independent disciplinary committee, and has repeatedly justified its ticket prices by pointing out they are in line with other premium sports events in the U.S. and it uses all profits from the World Cup to grow the game internationally.

And while FIFA and its president have attracted considerable criticism from campaigners, fans groups and politicians around the world for various controversies related to this World Cup and his close relationship with Trump, Infantino is almost certain to be unopposed when he stands for a fourth term as FIFA boss next year. The English FA, for example, has already given him its backing.

The Athletic has contacted the English FA, FIFA and UEFA for comment.
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With Didier Deschamps' era as France's manager now over, on Le Foot this week we look beyond the medals and results and tell the story of the man who quietly became the face of modern French football.


footballuslife.blogspot.com

Au Revoir Dédé

Le Porteur d'Eau: The Water Carrier Who Became a King A story of a boy who carried the weight of grief before he could drive, of...
footballuslife.blogspot.com footballuslife.blogspot.com
 
Football us life said:
English poltical party the " Liberal Democrats" urge the English FA and UEFA to quit FIFA....

www.nytimes.com

English FA, UEFA urged to quit Gianni Infantino’s ‘broken’ FIFA by UK party leader

Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, said the FIFA president has crossed "red line after red line" at this summer's World Cup.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com

lol....Good luck with that!!

The article....
Click to expand...
One thing for sure both FIFA and that Infantino muppet need to be thoroughly investigated. There was a recent article stating that the FBI were launching an investigation into the Argentinian FA, who it's been alleged, that they are trying to launder $300 million USD into the USA.

I'm only speculating here (there's no solid proof), that some of this money may have been used to bribe FIFA officials, referees, VAR refs etc to fix games for Argentina. Look at some of the outrageous decisions made in favour of Argentina (especially the Egypt game), and look at how soft the referees were on Argentina, Argentina would play like a bunch of thugs (Messi included), and there was no punishment, I'm sorry but there's some funny business going on here.

And then there's the extortionate ticket prices, football is supposed to be working man's sport, NOT an elite one.

The bottom line is this, there needs to be a massive broom put through FIFA starting with Infantino, he's been an absolute train wreck.

end of rant.
 
SR1968 said:
One thing for sure both FIFA and that Infantino muppet need to be thoroughly investigated. There was a recent article stating that the FBI were launching an investigation into the Argentinian FA, who it's been alleged, that they are trying to launder $300 million USD into the USA.

I'm only speculating here (there's no solid proof), that some of this money may have been used to bribe FIFA officials, referees, VAR refs etc to fix games for Argentina. Look at some of the outrageous decisions made in favour of Argentina (especially the Egypt game), and look at how soft the referees were on Argentina, Argentina would play like a bunch of thugs (Messi included), and there was no punishment, I'm sorry but there's some funny business going on here.

And then there's the extortionate ticket prices, football is supposed to be working man's sport, NOT an elite one.

The bottom line is this, there needs to be a massive broom put through FIFA starting with Infantino, he's been an absolute train wreck.

end of rant.
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yep and yep - he got to get punted big time !.
See below :
No, the tournament has not been officially extended to 64 teams for the future, but FIFA is actively exploring the idea. Following the expansion to 48 teams that debuted at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino revealed that talks to extend it even further are scheduled to take place.
 
This was an article released 2days ago but I thought interesting reading/stats and breakdowns.

The 48-team World Cup was the most global in history: nearly a quarter of FIFA’s 211 member associations reached the North American tournament. But by the semifinals, 95 of the 104 players still standing earned their club wages in one of the Big Five.
 
LFC said:
and now the Infantino $ spinners......
www.bbc.com

The financial winners and losers from the World Cup

Big bucks are being made from the 2026 tournament off the field, but who is raking in the most, and who is losing out?
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
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Thanks for posting that, and that scumbag Infantino is defending the ticket prices. Sure FIFA has to be run profitably, no one begrudges them that, but now it's just outright greed. And the sports betting is a concern, I'm not saying all the games are fixed (they are not), but when you have people betting billions of dollars on games, you can't rule out that some games are fixed.
 
SR1968 said:
Thanks for posting that, and that scumbag Infantino is defending the ticket prices. Sure FIFA has to be run profitably, no one begrudges them that, but now it's just outright greed. And the sports betting is a concern, I'm not saying all the games are fixed (they are not), but when you have people betting billions of dollars on games, you can't rule out that some games are fixed.
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I was thinking (and our mathematician friends on here may be able to help) just this... The way casinos always win, in the main, is to a have a controlled statistical advantage that is constant. ie roulette pay 36:1 for a win but has 38-39 numbers if you include the 0 and 00s so over hundreds of spins the house always wins because, in essence, you remove the randomness and introduce control. Is VAR a way of doing the same by removing subjectivity and human interference on outcome?

Just a thought.
 
SR1968 said:
Thanks for posting that, and that scumbag Infantino is defending the ticket prices. Sure FIFA has to be run profitably, no one begrudges them that, but now it's just outright greed. And the sports betting is a concern, I'm not saying all the games are fixed (they are not), but when you have people betting billions of dollars on games, you can't rule out that some games are fixed.
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yes mate pretty rich I tell you - copied for those who don't bother checking the link.

Fans - losers​

While fans may have achieved lifelong dreams, financially speaking, this tournament has been tough.

The vast sums being forked out to pay for the tickets alone and criticism of Fifa's dynamic pricing strategy, which raises prices when demand is high, have been well-documented.

Even US President Donald Trump admitted he "wouldn't pay" when asked about the potential $1,000 ticket price for his country's tournament opener against Paraguay.

Tickets for the final at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium were officially offered at $32,970, while some resale tickets have been listed for more than $2m.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino defended ticket costs, arguing they were in line with other US sporting events.

Away from tickets, fans have also been squeezed through flights, food and accommodation.

One example that hit the headlines was the hike in New Jersey Transit train tickets. A 30-minute train journey to the MetLife Stadium rose to $150 for the tournament from the usual $12.90 for a return fare. A backlash led to prices being cut, but they still remained higher than normal.

Infantino defending them inline with US events didn't consider OS travellers currency exchange loss's I expect as well.

Fifa - winner​

The amount of money world football's governing body Fifa makes from the World Cup is astronomical. It generated a record $7.6bn (£5.6bn) from Qatar 2022 and is expected to top that in US, Canada and Mexico 2026, especially with the expanded 48-team tournament.

Marion Laboure, senior strategist at Deutsche Bank Research, says Fifa is "without question" the main winner with its revenues over the four-year cycle period approaching $13bn.

Fifa's income comes from the sale of broadcasting, licensing and hospitality rights, sponsorship deals and ticket sales.

The FIFA ticketing clipping the ticket as they say :
"Fifa also moved into the secondary market with its official resale marketplace, taking a 15% fee from both buyer and seller," adds Laboure.

and good ol Golden Balls should be re named $$7 I mean 007 :)
 
Glad we got the right winners in the end. Even if Argentina earned their right to get to the final, they did not earn the right to win that final. They played so bad. Not a single shot until the 116th minute. Then to punch Rodri as well.

Argentina are an absolute shit show and were such a horrible team to watch. Even watching Messi try to get Cucurella sent off over barely putting his fingers over his mouth. Whiny and dirty the whole tournament. So glad they lost.
 
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