2026 World Cup thread

[HanSenSE]

So, halftime interviews in Spanish are worthless too.

 

[HanSenSE]

What on earth was the keeper doing that far away from the goal?

 

[SixToe]

Wow, the Mexico fans are deafening!

 

[Inky_Wretch]

What on earth was the keeper doing that far away from the goal?

I think he had half a good idea. He needed to punch it out or yell at his teammate to clear out.

 

[UPChip]

Qataris shocked to learn Canadians not all polite maple-syrup sweetness and do, in fact, have hands. I hope Infantino felt every goal his home country conceded in that dinar-shaped hole that used to be his heart.

Probably for the best he was sent off. Under Canadian law, the Qatari offender would have had to fight on his next shift.

 

[tapintoamerica]

Help me out. I'm unsure of why an American win on Friday absolutely guarantees the team a spot in Knockoutville.
This story didn't help.

The U.S. men's national team can already secure first place in Group D with when they Australia on Friday in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

But beyond the colossal failure to edit in the above story, I wonder what would happen if the remaining four games in the group go as follows:
USA beats Australia
Turkey beats Paraguay
Australia beats Paraguay
Turkey beats the US

By my accounting, if this unfolds, you'd have a three-way tie at 6 points between the US, Australia and Turkey. All would be 1-1 against one another and 1-0 vs. poor Paraguay.
Wouldn't the group then be determined by goal differential in the tied teams' meetings against each other? In the unlikely event that the Turks crush Paraguay and the US, they could be first in goal differential. If the Americans' win over the Aussies is by one goal, the US could be vulnerable.

Or not. I have read several stories that say the US is in in in in in if it wins tomorrow.
What am I missing?

 

[Spartan Squad]

¡Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

 

[Spartan Squad]

SAVE OF THE TOURNAMENT!!!!

 

[HanSenSE]

SAVE OF THE TOURNAMENT!!!!

Holy Puebla!

 

[tapintoamerica]

SAVE OF THE TOURNAMENT!!!!

Saves of the tournament. Plural. Remarkable.

 

[Spartan Squad]

Survive and advance. Wow. What a final 10 minutes

 

[HanSenSE]

Great game. The troglodytes who are saying "nothing happens in 1-0 games" can shove it.

 

[UPChip]

Disappointing for Korea, but their not advancing would require both a loss to a South Africa team that kind of sucks and a very pedestrian Czech team winning in the Azteca.

The corresponding matchup is A2/B2, so the Koreans will be playing the CAN/SUI loser in front of a lot of Koreans in LA.

 

[Spartan Squad]

Disappointing for Korea, but their not advancing would require either a loss to a South Africa team that kind of sucks and a very pedestrian Czech team winning in the Azteca.

The corresponding matchup is A2/B2, so the Koreans will be playing the CAN/SUI loser in front of a lot of Koreans in LA.

Korea look good. They should trounce South Africa so long as they don’t fall asleep late in the game.

Czechia stands a chance mostly because Mexico will give starters enough run to keep loose but won’t want them to get hurt. I’m guessing a draw next week but the Czechs are desperate and need 3 to stand a chance.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

There is zero chance he’s going to play.

He won't start but will be the "break glass" option if it's squeaky bum past the second hydration break.

 

[Spartan Squad]

Photo (I hope it works) of that insane save for Mexico.

 

[Bubbler]

Help me out. I'm unsure of why an American win on Friday absolutely guarantees the team a spot in Knockoutville.
This story didn't help.

The U.S. men's national team can already secure first place in Group D with when they Australia on Friday in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

But beyond the colossal failure to edit in the above story, I wonder what would happen if the remaining four games in the group go as follows:
USA beats Australia
Turkey beats Paraguay
Australia beats Paraguay
Turkey beats the US

By my accounting, if this unfolds, you'd have a three-way tie at 6 points between the US, Australia and Turkey. All would be 1-1 against one another and 1-0 vs. poor Paraguay.
Wouldn't the group then be determined by goal differential in the tied teams' meetings against each other? In the unlikely event that the Turks crush Paraguay and the US, they could be first in goal differential. If the Americans' win over the Aussies is by one goal, the US could be vulnerable.

Or not. I have read several stories that say the US is in in in in in if it wins tomorrow.
What am I missing?

With six points, the third-place team would go through too. No way there will be eight third-place teams with six points.

 

[Della9250]

 

[UPChip]

Help me out. I'm unsure of why an American win on Friday absolutely guarantees the team a spot in Knockoutville.
This story didn't help.

The U.S. men's national team can already secure first place in Group D with when they Australia on Friday in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

But beyond the colossal failure to edit in the above story, I wonder what would happen if the remaining four games in the group go as follows:
USA beats Australia
Turkey beats Paraguay
Australia beats Paraguay
Turkey beats the US

By my accounting, if this unfolds, you'd have a three-way tie at 6 points between the US, Australia and Turkey. All would be 1-1 against one another and 1-0 vs. poor Paraguay.
Wouldn't the group then be determined by goal differential in the tied teams' meetings against each other? In the unlikely event that the Turks crush Paraguay and the US, they could be first in goal differential. If the Americans' win over the Aussies is by one goal, the US could be vulnerable.

Or not. I have read several stories that say the US is in in in in in if it wins tomorrow.
What am I missing?

I think you or the author is conflating two separate points, probably them.

The USMNT can win the group with the game to spare if they win AND TUR-PAR is a draw, because then the Aussies are the only other team that can get to six points, and for the first time in recent history, head to head is the first tiebreaker.

If the US beats the Aussies, as @Bubbler said, it's got to be damn near mathematically impossible for there to be nine third-place teams with six points.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if head to head as first tiebreaker goes away quickly because with that, and the diluted field, we're bound to see quite a few "dead rubbers" in the third matchday of group games.

 

[Webster]

I’m guessing that we don’t play anyone important on a yellow against Turkey because yellows reset after the group stage