2026 FIFA World Cup

[Orangezoo]

Yeah, I don't think the draw is as easy as people make it out to be.

It could clearly have been much worse but it also could have been much better.

Getting Australia out of Pot 2 was a home run but Paraguay was, arguably, the second best team in Pot 3 and getting a Euro playoff qualifier instead of one of the minnows was not a good outcome either.

None of the three games will be easy.

You will see a very different Paraguay when the game actually means something.

Turkey, if they emerge from the playoff, made the quarters in the last Euros and has a lot of talent.

On home soil, we should, and frankly need to, advance but it is definitely not a cakewalk.

Yeah Paraguay will park the bus to play for a point or steal one off a counter when the game counts. The Aussies can be dangerous and guarantee that’s a very physical matchup. Another team happy to play defensive football and try and steal one if we don’t break through early.

 

[upperdeck]

The biggest worry about this team is that we they will create chances, probably miss most of them, but the D will always make those 1-2 mistakes

 

[kirbivore]

The biggest worry about this team is that we they will create chances, probably miss most of them, but the D will always make those 1-2 mistakes

Fire whoever the coach is

 

[IthacaMatt]

The Guardian in England with an article saying that while it would be sad, it's looking like it would be better to move the World Cup out of America this summer.

German government officials are already saying the same thing. This is gaining momentum because of Trump's antagonism of Europe.

Removing US as World Cup host would be eminently sad – and entirely justified | Alexander Abnos

A country where safety is under threat from federal violence on the streets is not fit to stage soccer’s showpiece event

www.theguardian.com

 

[DeGrozz]

World Cup lottery results were posted to accounts if anyone doesn't want to wait for the email...

https://fifa-fwc26-us.tickets.fifa.com/account/files/?redirect-disable

 

[justgold315]

World Cup lottery results were posted to accounts if anyone doesn't want to wait for the email...

https://fifa-fwc26-us.tickets.fifa.com/account/files/?redirect-disable

I was not lucky

 

[upperdeck]

still hope. the way things are going many tickets might not get sold/used

 

[Obie9]

World Cup lottery results were posted to accounts if anyone doesn't want to wait for the email...

https://fifa-fwc26-us.tickets.fifa.com/account/files/?redirect-disable

How do you tell if your application was accepted? It shows the application process is closed, and I applied for 2 tickets for match 32 & 59, but it shows I have no current tickets available. Looks like it's still to be determined.

 

[DeGrozz]

How do you tell if your application was accepted? It shows the application process is closed, and I applied for 2 tickets for match 32 & 59, but it shows I have no current tickets available. Looks like it's still to be determined.

You will see something that says 'File Summary' and it will list the tickets you received. If you did both the USMNT lottery and the general lottery, you will have 2 different files in your screen and it will show the total amount owed.

The file for the US tickets I won showed up yesterday later afternoon. The file for the general draw tickets showed up late night yesterday.

I received the email about the US tickets I won around 3:45 today. Email for the general draw tickets have not shown up yet.

 

[Obie9]

How do you tell if your application was accepted? It shows the application process is closed, and I applied for 2 tickets for match 32 & 59, but it shows I have no current tickets available. Looks like it's still to be determined.

J gym

You will see something that says 'File Summary' and it will list the tickets you received. If you did both the USMNT lottery and the general lottery, you will have 2 different files in your screen and it will show the total amount owed.

The file for the US tickets I won showed up yesterday later afternoon. The file for the general draw tickets showed up late night yesterday.

I received the email about the US tickets I won around 3:45 today. Email for the general draw tickets have not shown up yet.

Guess I’m a loser. . Thanks for the information though.

 

[upperdeck]

quite the showing by the MNT vs Belgium. Only good part was actually creating a few chances.

 

[Orangezoo]

quite the showing by the MNT vs Belgium. Only good part was actually creating a few chances.

Fully expect it’s going to be an embarrassing showing this summer.

 

[upperdeck]

They dont look too bad on offense. but the D breakdowns are horrific at times

 

[DeGrozz]

LOL Italy.

Love seeing an MLS product send them packing.

 

[Biaxtar]

And they played an ad for the Mario Movie after Italy got knocked out.

Ltaly

 

[upperdeck]

USA in those 2 matches created more good chances, but as usual we struggle to finish and our D makes mistakes on often simple plays.

Probably should have been ahead at the half both games.

 

[kirbivore]

USA in those 2 matches created more good chances, but as usual we struggle to finish and our D makes mistakes on often simple plays.

Probably should have been ahead at the half both games.

FIFA is so corrupt they can probably drag this crap team through the group stage.

 

[IthacaMatt]

quite the showing by the MNT vs Belgium. Only good part was actually creating a few chances.

I thought they played a very good first half, but for letting in the equalizer at the end.

 

[upperdeck]

the best part is they didnt play afraid to attack.

 

[IthacaMatt]

USA in those 2 matches created more good chances, but as usual we struggle to finish and our D makes mistakes on often simple plays.

Probably should have been ahead at the half both games.

Modern trends of playing from the back and pressing high defensively have created a much more counter-attacking game than it used to be 10 years ago.

There are easy angles to exploit to generate a break (intercept in midfield, look for the open wing, make a late arriving run into the box), and too many "holding" midfielders are so far upfield supporting the attack.

A team like the US needs positional discipline from the base of their midfield. The back 3 need to be tighter together when possession turns over, too. The CBs go wide on offense to create passing lanes, but then can be slow getting back into a central defensive position.

Notice how many breaks against us cut through the middle? That's a problem.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Watching England's match against Japan on DVR, with England down approaching half time.
My boy Cole Palmer was responsible for the goal.

Got his pocket picked. He DID run back defensively, but he let the guy right next to him (Mitoma) drift away as we moved toward the middle where the ball was.

Mitoma continued his run into the box and knocked in the cutback.

"Tracking back" is meaningless if you don't actually guard a man.

 

[upperdeck]

It is interesting to see how often the USA does not guard properly in transition. They allowed goals because they didnt close out as well. Perhaps being afraid that guys will go by you is not just an SU bball thing

 

[upperdeck]

Agyemang out of WC with Achillis injury. better wrap up Balogun for the next 2 months.

 

[DeGrozz]

FIFA is so corrupt they can probably drag this crap team through the group stage.

The good news is we played both games with incomplete lineups and experimented with a few borderline players.

The better news is that we've now got 32 teams in the knockout rounds!

The best news is that pre-world cup friendlies usually aren't closely correlated with World Cup success.

The bad news, of course, is that we don't have central defenders at the top of their game right now... I am honestly not sure if we've had a collective group of players that has both developed less into their primes and been in worse club form heading into a major tournament than our current center-backs.

Luckily Paraguay and Australia won't be playing to their strengths when trying to exploit our weaknesses. Turkiye will be a crapshoot though. Game could be one of the most fun matches to watch during the group stages.

 

[IthacaMatt]

The bad news, of course, is that we don't have central defenders at the top of their game right now... I am honestly not sure if we've had a collective group of players that has both developed less into their primes and been in worse club form heading into a major tournament than our current center-backs.

Yeah, Ream's loss of pace is a terrible development. He's been the anchor guy at the back for Poch's entire tenure. Miles Robinson never fully recovered from his Achilles injury, and guys from MLS who we've used in the past, like Walker Zimmerman, Aaron Long and Matt Miazga are all long forgotten.

Luckily Paraguay and Australia won't be playing to their strengths when trying to exploit our weaknesses. Turkiye will be a crapshoot though. Game could be one of the most fun matches to watch during the group stages.

Paraguay is shaping up to be a 0-0 draw. They play great defense, only giving up 10 goals in 18 South American qualifier games.

Australia is a pretty physical team, kind of like you'd see playing an English Championship squad. They are not a pushover. We beat them 2-1 back in October, but in the last year they've beaten Japan, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Cameroon.

And Turkiye is better than both of them. Kenan Yildiz (Juventus) is a very good center forward. In midfield, they have Arda Guler (starts for Real Madrid), and Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter Milan). And their defense is solid and physical.

I would be impressed if we win the group. Our group is the 4th strongest, I believe, based on the teams' FIFA rankings.

You hate to say it, but if our offense doesn't kick into gear, we could go home after the group stage. Two of the three teams in our group defend better than we do.