World Cup General Discussion Thread - 2030 The Jokes On You

Nope, it's on ITV. Probably means the knockoff versions of those shows will be moved instead.

 

This is the last coherent World Cup. Groups of four with two teams going through is the perfect balance. Teams that lose their first game can still get through, but there's usually something riding on the final group games too. The 1986-1994 World Cup format, now used by the Euros, with 24 teams meaning that some third placed teams can get through is rubbish. The 48-team format currently proposed for the 2026 World Cup is beyond rubbish, it's an absolute mess. As rubbish as 12 groups of four would be (because it would mean group winners and best four runners-up going through), it's better than groups of three with penalty shoot-outs in the event of a draw in order to minimise the chances of a repeat of Germany v Austria 1982.

But as rubbish as the 48-team World Cup format will be, it's got nothing on the proposed Champions League idea, which is a shambles and makes me support the idea of a breakaway European Super League.

 

Pretty sure the plan they're mulling at the moment is to have a Round of 32. In which case it'll be winners and runners up from each group + 8 3rd place teams.

 

Why not go the whole hog and scrap qualifying.

Every country in the world enters the tournament. No group stages. Straight knockout to the final. One huge and amazing cup draw.

Ball number 186... Vanuatu
Will play.... number 54... It's England!

 

2am in Thailand. Terribly inconvenient. They just don't seem to consider us overseas fans.

 

The issue is that the 2 teams playing last will know what they have to do and a draw may see them both qualify hence the Austra Germany comparison

 

Even worse! A week or two of matches just to eliminate 16 of the 48 participants. And yes, it brings into play the possibility of the teams who face each other last having the opportunity to collude together to both progress.

I like @Heidar's idea. Just have a preliminary round to get it down to the last 132 then a giant knockout.

 

Stay out of the 'ping pong bar'

 

What a choice. Keown on BBC1 or Dublin on BBC2.

LOL. Pearce has just referenced 'Land of the Giants'. Really showing his age.

 

Well at least have your bat handy.

 

Yeah this World Cup is so boring and predictable...

 

Haha Jermaine Jenas at half time... "i expect Denmark to get the goal its only a matter of time". Clueless.

 

Classic piece of patronising BBC journalism on their page about Engand v Senegal with a sub heading titled " Where is Senegal ?"

 

That'll do. Great achievement for the Aussies to get out of that group. Probably favourites to come 4th before the tournament started.

 

Had both games on, Keown bizarrely said Denmark would surely win about three times, he was so adamant about it that it’s glorious he was completely and utterly wrong.

 

Haha Jermaine Jenas at full time "Denmatk didn't turn up today". Even though he thought they were good first half and would score second half.

 

Well done Aussies, no idea what happened to Denmark in this tournament, shocking.

Get Harry Souter in Gino, what a performance considering the injury he had.

 

I'd imagine he will have plenty of Souters now though.

 

Australia switching the Leckie on .

Bit disrespectful to the rest of us that can’t afford it .

 

Genuinely not sure if the 0-0 against the USMNT constitutes 'hardly breaking a sweat', while it was a pretty negative performance in which we seemed content with a 0-0, they did have the better of that game and could have nicked it

 

That group well-poised not just because all four teams can go through but the differential in the draw between finishing first (and playing Australia) and finishing second (and playing France) is worth pushing for a result for.

I know France weren’t bothered but that was still a very very poor performance from them and punctures their momentum. Maybe they are beatable after all. Who do we want to go and face them from that group?

Someone good enough to be a challenge but not good enough to pose as great a threat as they would should we reach the quarters. Maybe Poland? I don’t think I’d want Argentina as I think on their day they could beat anyone.

 

The Yanks were far more up for it than we were, but ultimately they barely laid a glove on us while we picked up the point we needed to progress.

To me, the post match reaction was massively OTT. Nobody goes through cup competitions without being flat in at least one game

 

If Argentina are not knocked out then the TV pundits will be wearing black armbands for the rest of the tournament.

 

Shearer thinks it might be a scrappy game. Well that stunning insight is money well spent by the BBC.

 

Joke penalty awarded for a non-foul on Wussi.

Redemption at least that he missed.

 

One of the most pitiful decisions I’ve ever seen, excellent save though.

 

Nice try FIFA, never a pen.

 

I just don’t see what the referee and the VAR are seeing there. I’m not keen on the protection keepers get but he has a right to challenge for the ball in that situation. He doesn’t do so recklessly or wildly and ultimately only just misses it, thereby presenting Messi with essentially a free header that he completely stuffs up. In the follow through there’s clearly minimal contact but so what? It’s still a contact sport.

 

I think Poland might be playing for a draw here

 

As I’ve said before, the logical conclusion of VAR is that any touch by defender on attacker will be given as a penalty. This is because they minutely look at the incident in slow-motion or even freeze frame. Any sense of intent or even consideration of the strength of the challenge has gone.

 

Seems he’s left the squad completely now for ‘personal reasons’.

 

An ex Liverpool & Scotland International appears to have scored for Argentina!
Didn't he once miss a penalty against England?

 

I don’t think Danny Murphy had ever seen Messi at a World Cup before, he seems completely shocked every time he misses a chance.