2026 World Cup thread

[TigerVols]

I know several young couples, ages 27-40, who would cringe and immediately say "Of course not!" if you asked whether their children can go play in the yard by themselves or if they roam free for hours, like at a park with friends. By children I mean ages 8-13.

I hate to threadjack (but it prob will), but as a young teen before I could drive I'd be gone all day on my bike. Friend's houses, swimming pool, riding around, park to play football or whatever with friends. I lived in a small town but even so, bad stuff can happen.

Those same parents in my area are buying their 8-13 year-olds $1,000 e-bikes that go 30 mph so they can ride around in packs down the middle of busy streets, Target parking lots and ballfields...making themselves the new scourge du jour of the local FB and Next Door groups.

 

[dixiehack]

We should, sure. And when youth, high school, and college soccer pulls even a third as many of the elite athletic talents as football, baseball, and basketball, it will start to show. In the meantime, an elite athletic talent still tends to look elsewhere.

I’m not sure that’s true any more. High school soccer has come far enough along in popularity that kids who like it and have aptitude will pursue it, even if it means skipping other sports they would do well in. It isn’t the last choice for kids who couldn’t hack it in other sports any more.

The cliche of the football or basketball coach dragging a guy onto the roster has mostly died out. Maybe it still happens at some smaller schools that need the numbers, but those athletes tend to play multiple sports anyway.

 

[SixToe]

Those same parents in my area are buying their 8-13 year-olds $1,000 e-bikes that go 30 mph so they can ride around in packs down the middle of busy streets, Target parking lots and ballfields...making themselves the new scourge du jour of the local FB and Next Door groups.

We have those here in our 'hood. Some are respectful and others are little asshole gangs who need to be tipped over.

To be fair, I had a Yamaha MX 80 trail bike that I treated like a 250 Enduro. But if we rode on the streets the cops would pull us over. We stuck to rights-of-way best we could.

 

[SixToe]

I’m not sure that’s true any more. High school soccer has come far enough along in popularity that kids who like it and have aptitude will pursue it, even if it means skipping other sports they would do well in. It isn’t the last choice for kids who couldn’t hack it in other sports any more.

The cliche of the football or basketball coach dragging a guy onto the roster has mostly died out. Maybe it still happens at some smaller schools that need the numbers, but those athletes tend to play multiple sports anyway.

Not to drag politics off the main thread, but I wonder how much or if the current deportation crapola has affected high school teams. In some areas the teams have a couple or several kids whose families might be fearful or trying to lay low, right?

 

[Spartan Squad]

There's no doubt that American soccer culture started several laps down. I'm not sure you could say they're on the 'lead lap' as of yet, but on the other hand, here is the entire list of countries that have qualified for the last 16 in each of the last two World Cups: USA, Brazil, England, France, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland. I think a lot of people think the USMNT is the Central Michigan of world football, when in reality they're more like an N.C. State.

I liken CONCACAF to the old PAC 12 for football. There’s USC, UCLA, Oregon and Utah who could make noise to take into the tournament (whether it be the 4, 8 or 12 team version) and probably win one against an ACC or Group of 6 team. Maybe (under the current format) get by a 2nd or 3rd place Big 10 or the Big 12 winner. But that’s it. Once they get into SEC or the Big 10 powers, you see the flaws.

Mexico took Auburn to the limit, but couldn’t punch it in. The US got smashed by Michigan. Canada was ousted by the CUSA winner.

Until the PAC 12 can start recruiting to the level of the SEC, BIG 10 and even BIG 12 and ACC, it’s just not ever going to sniff a title.

I feel like Africa with Morocco leading the way will get there. Enough players get recruited by European clubs, it just feels inevitable they will do it sooner rather than later. Certainly sooner than the US or Mexico at this rate.

It would be a fun long term bet: which confederation will be the first to upset the CONCACAF and UEFA stranglehold on WC titles. My guess Africa is the betting favorite with North America and Asia 2/3 (in some order) but well back of Africa and Oceania as the 5,000-1 long shot.

 

[dixiehack]

Canada was ousted by the CUSA winner.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

I have an employee at work who only works part time because she has a daughter at home. She’s 12.

Wait, what?

 

[UPChip]

Honestly the biggest obstacle to an African team winning a World Cup in the next 50 years is probably immigration and naturalization. You could probably make a World Cup winning XI of players who could represent an African country but don't, either because their family moved to Europe early enough that they feel culturally tied to that country, because they were absorbed into the youth setup of a big European club at an early age, or because they had enough ties to qualify for both and opted for the program that meant fewer World Cup away qualifiers in Ouagadougou.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

 

[Inky_Wretch]

FIFA has enlisted Jared Kushner to sell minority shares in the organization.

https://www.ft.com/content/819cc297-4e1e-493b-91b3-e6b12519214b?syn-25a6b1a6=1

 

[Inky_Wretch]

FIFA intends to expand football development funding to over USD 10 billion subject to approval by FIFA Member Associations

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

Works out to about $50M per national team on average. A lot of tinhorn dictators are getting itchy palms.

 

[Meat Slapping Sound]

The same people who will tell you the federal government can't fix anything will turn around and expect venture capital to fix everything.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

True. I just think a lot of people view the fate of the USMNT as something entirely within their control, when it's actually quite far from that.

After all, Pele somewhat infamously declared in 1977 that an African team would win a World Cup by the end of the century. And though I think if you were to pit present-day Morocco (or even present-day Ghana or Cape Verde) against 1994 Brazil that the present-day team would do quite well. But present-day Brazil and France and such would probably wipe the floor with their historical counterparts.

There's no doubt that American soccer culture started several laps down. I'm not sure you could say they're on the 'lead lap' as of yet, but on the other hand, here is the entire list of countries that have qualified for the last 16 in each of the last two World Cups: USA, Brazil, England, France, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland. I think a lot of people think the USMNT is the Central Michigan of world football, when in reality they're more like an N.C. State.

Well, I'll chime in and see what @UNCGrad and the others think.

NCSU has a better chance of winning national titles than the USMNT has of taking the World Cup. Not saying that to defend NCSU, but moreso to show that there's still a sizable gap between the U.S. and the true world powers in the world's game.

We're probably a little better than we think, but that shouldn't delude us into thinking we're ready to knock off Samba, Germany, France, Spain or any number of world powers.

Obviously, we didn't build too well off that stunner over England in 1950 ...

 

[Inky_Wretch]

ESPN: UEFA is accelerating efforts to hold an emergency meeting of its 55 member associations this week, sources told ESPN, to discuss plans, including a potential World Cup boycott, to oppose a FIFA proposal to raise $20 billion from a sale of equity to outside investors.

 

[TrooperBari]

Prepare for a wave of bad-faith hot takes about Western imperialism and greedy UEFA not wanting poor nations to improve their lot in life, unlike Generous Gianni.

(UEFA is still greedy, of course, but in this instance it also happens to be correct.)

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

I got the chips. Who's got the salsa?

 

[Shelbyville Manhattan]

To go into cross-thread mode, the $50MM per nation is a Tammany Hall turkey to these nations. And it'll get Infantino the votes. UEFA would be right to walk out on this garbage.

Prepare for a wave of bad-faith hot takes about Western imperialism and greedy UEFA not wanting poor nations to improve their lot in life, unlike Generous Gianni.

(UEFA is still greedy, of course, but in this instance it also happens to be correct.)

 

[Inky_Wretch]

 

[HanSenSE]