World Cup 2026

[MattW]

Revenge for Lindisfarne

 

[elephantnose3334]

In the quarterfinals, Argentina won against Switzerland 3-1. The Albiceleste will face England in the semifinals, and Lionel Messi will face the English side for the first time in his professional World Cup career. It's also the first time that the top four teams (France, Argentina, Spain, England) are facing each other in the semis.

Meanwhile, I'm just trying to enjoy the football and Argentina/Messi in peace and ignoring all of the noise while the recent online discourse continues to feel like an all-out warzone. However, I still get nightmares about the recent Argentina hate bandwagon though...

 

[anewbie]

Someone correct me if i am mistaken about yesterday games but it sounds like norway was screwed because the refs didn't trust their own eyes and since the chip didn't have the ability to register contact with the wire they refused call an obvious stop to play and while i am not totally sure i understand the swiss call it also sounds like a pretty phony call late in a game that handed argentia a very close match (though once called it quickly went downhill).

[I watched the replay of the norway questionable no-call 10 times and you know what each time that ball hit the wire - that's 10 for 10 !]

 

[GaryE]

I think the World Cup is becoming a deeper symbol of our times. Once that red card controversy with the USA had happened, then corrupt practices were on the table. A rule bound activity, with a degree of an honour system was no longer honourable. At that point, everything either becomes a conspiracy, or becomes an advantage for someone. Every incompetence looks like a plan.

All professional sports have corruption and crookedness built in. Sometimes, they fight it. This is looking more and more like soccer's moment, in technicolour. FIFA's the kind of organization where whistleblowers will abound. They aren't competent enough to keep secrets. So eventually, we'll know.

For now, I'm feeling like the stink is poisoning the atmosphere. It's harder to enjoy when you feel there are 3 teams playing - the 2 nations and then the corporate marketing machinery that wants certain outcomes. It's looking like 2026 out there.

 

[anewbie]

I think the World Cup is becoming a deeper symbol of our times. Once that red card controversy with the USA had happened, then corrupt practices were on the table. A rule bound activity, with a degree of an honour system was no longer honourable. At that point, everything either becomes a conspiracy, or becomes an advantage for someone. Every incompetence looks like a plan.

All professional sports have corruption and crookedness built in. Sometimes, they fight it. This is looking more and more like soccer's moment, in technicolour. FIFA's the kind of organization where whistleblowers will abound. They aren't competent enough to keep secrets. So eventually, we'll know.

For now, I'm feeling like the stink is poisoning the atmosphere. It's harder to enjoy when you feel there are 3 teams playing - the 2 nations and then the corporate marketing machinery that wants certain outcomes. It's looking like 2026 out there.

Well i was asking more along the line if the call was obvious as it seemed.... and if there is some rule the prevented the refs from making the call.

 

[GaryE]

The refs should have made the call. Maybe none of them saw it. I hope that's true. I was cheering for Norway, and I didn't. It's become a full blown conspiracy thing online, but was probably human error. But once FIFA had caved to a government's pressure and changed the rules once, it's a recipe for everyone seeing an evil hand in everything.

 

[anewbie]

The refs should have made the call. Maybe none of them saw it. I hope that's true. I was cheering for Norway, and I didn't. It's become a full blown conspiracy thing online, but was probably human error. But once FIFA had caved to a government's pressure and changed the rules once, it's a recipe for everyone seeing an evil hand in everything.

But how could they miss it on the replay ?

 

[GaryE]

Don't ask me. But I'm biased. I wanted England to lose, and I missed it on the endless in game goal replays too.

 

[anewbie]

Don't ask me. But I'm biased. I wanted England to lose, and I missed it on the endless in game goal replays too.

So i guess there is that possibility that hte replay i saw from I presume a tele camera was not accessible to the refs and the replay they had didn't show it clearly.

 

[seangee]

I'm afraid professional football is nothing more than an entertainment industry and for me it has destroyed the game. I was an avid player in my (almost forgotten) youth. In the third world former colony where I grew up we were taught the value of good sporstsmanship. So if you conceded a corner you put your hand up and pointed to the corner. Naturally I was very excited when I moved to the UK. Then one Sunday I went down to the village green and saw a group of pre-teens diving all over the place trying to earn a penalty, or trying to claim corners or throw ins knowing full well they were not deserved They were simply emulating their heroes from the telly. Possibly the final straw was when I saw an advert in the local paper inviting applications (please include CV) for the position of under 8 goalkeeper at the local club. Since then I stopped following football.

Yes I have watched some of the world cup cames and of course I am amazed at the levels of skill and fitness, but not the theatricals. And its just wrong to call it sport.

 

[anewbie]

I'm afraid professional football is nothing more than an entertainment industry and for me it has destroyed the game. I was an avid player in my (almost forgotten) youth. In the third world former colony where I grew up we were taught the value of good sporstsmanship. So if you conceded a corner you put your hand up and pointed to the corner. Naturally I was very excited when I moved to the UK. Then one Sunday I went down to the village green and saw a group of pre-teens diving all over the place trying to earn a penalty, or trying to claim corners or throw ins knowing full well they were not deserved They were simply emulating their heroes from the telly. Possibly the final straw was when I saw an advert in the local paper inviting applications (please include CV) for the position of under 8 goalkeeper at the local club. Since then I stopped following football.

Yes I have watched some of the world cup cames and of course I am amazed at the levels of skill and fitness, but not the theatricals. And its just wrong to call it sport.

Prior to this year i never paid attention to the world cup and now that i seen what it is all about - i think i'll go back to ignoring it exists

 

[elephantnose3334]

Leaving all of the recent doom and gloom aside for now, let's focus on the more wholesome moments of this World Cup instead. While the tournament has its own bad/questionable moments, there are good moments as well.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

I'm a football fan but I agree that its become an embarrassment to sport. I'll never understand how strong, athletic grown men voluntarily humiliate themselves to manipulate the ref. And the money involved, the wages some of these players are on are to put it mildly, obscene. If your pay slip says £300,000 a week I'd expect you to be earning it fair and square

 

[GaryE]

Every sport can be rejected for the same reasons as @seangee applies to football. I coached kids softball, and once took a team to the national championship final. I had a bunch of crazy motivated kids winning game after game, and having fun. They were respectful to their opponents, and good kids. But the higher they went, the worse adults I met. The gamesmanship of the coaches was disgraceful. The kids didn't seem to matter. And that wasn't professional. There was no money involved. It was a game many people on this forum have never seen and couldn't care less about. I loved working with the kids. But I stopped because of their parents.

Steroids, electronic surveillance of opponents, cheating, gambling corporations, adults making good livings off kids playing - ice hockey here likes to fantasize about farm and working class kids take their work ethics into the game, but it can cost 30-40,000 dollars a year to be on a top team when you're 14. It's an entertainment business.

I still watch hockey and soccer. I'm entertained. But there has to be a grain of salt. Professional wrestling with its scripts is always in the wings. I'll enjoy the rest of the World Cup. Maybe something good will break out in a game. It happens.

 

[anewbie]

Every sport can be rejected for the same reasons as @seangee applies to football. I coached kids softball, and once took a team to the national championship final. I had a bunch of crazy motivated kids winning game after game, and having fun. They were respectful to their opponents, and good kids. But the higher they went, the worse adults I met. The gamesmanship of the coaches was disgraceful. The kids didn't seem to matter. And that wasn't professional. There was no money involved. It was a game many people on this forum have never seen and couldn't care less about. I loved working with the kids. But I stopped because of their parents.

When i played baseball as a kid our coaches were pretty decent folks - i never saw a a coach bad mouth a kid on another team and they would frequently help kids even on opposing teams if they saw something obvious - of course this was just a local community play and the 'championship' was local not the big wigs - still i think i would have quit if it was the way you described.

Parents - that is another matter with a wide range - who needs them - we just wanted to be kids. Of course as i remember things in my day (things seem to have changed over the years) we were a bit more independent. Seems now there is a lot more hand holding and a lot more it isnt' about the having fun playing but winning at any cost.