World Cup 2026

[Orwellian69]

How big are the quotes around "friendly"???

Sizeable

 

[TiedbyChris]

How big are the quotes around "friendly"???

There’s no love lost between them

 

[SparkleFur]

Wow!! Yellow for simulation!

 

[SparkleFur]

Sizeable

Tell me more

 

[TomTeacher19]

Wow!! Yellow for simulation!

Unfortunate but clearly the correct call

 

[TiedbyChris]

Wow!! Yellow for simulation!

A very stupid thing to do when you are already on a Yellow card. Once VAR got involved, the ref had no choice but to book him again.

 

[SparkleFur]

Unfortunate but clearly the correct call

The one commentator did say the Argentina guy was coming in hot and heavy, and that sometimes you have to go down to protect yourself..?

The thing is, I've seen pretty many dives not called. I thought they were trying out for the Summer Olympics at times. But I guess two wrongs...

 

[TunnelKing089]

Just find a way to win.

3-1 Argentina.

 

[stxjimmy]

England hasn't shown any sign of any idea of what to do against that style so far. Might as well far forward to penalty kick shootout

Don’t ever leave your job for punditry

 

[TomTeacher19]

Don’t ever leave your job for punditry

At the time it was accurate. There was still like 90+ minutes to play and fortunately it got better.

 

[stxjimmy]

At the time it was accurate. There was still like 90+ minutes to play and fortunately it got better.

Your first World Cup? Wtf does that mean?

 

[MuffandNonsense]

Bellingham the hero once again for a below-par England.

Several issues need addressing before the semi-final against Argentina.

Firstly, only start with players who are 100% fit. Those recovering from injuries and illness are clearly struggling in this heat and humidity.

Find a system that works: England wasted so much of the first half moving the ball out to the right wing only for Madueke to lose possession, time after time.

Kane, like Haaland, was ineffective up front although both players did some solid defensive work. Taking Haaland off the pitch was an astonishing decision by the Norway coach. Haaland, and the Norwegian fans, were just waiting for that one moment when his team-mates delivered the perfect pass for him to grab hold of.

Ironically, they had that moment when Norway should have been 2-0 up before Bellingham's equaliser, only for Sorloth to shoot instead of passing to Haaland. I can't see Argentina being so wasteful in the semi-final.

Bellingham, of course, will relish the opportunity to test his skills against Messi, so the stage is set for a fascinating game.

Much has been made of the Messi factor when it comes to refereeing decisions in this tournament, already corrupted beyond belief by Trump's intervention with Infantino.

As well as his enduring value to Argentina, Messi has proved to be a huge influence in the growth of the sport and its commercial value in the USA.

I'm an eternal optimist. I would love to see a free-flowing game decided by the skill of the players, not by the referee, VAR or presidential decree.

However, I am sure that reality will smack me in the face with the usual dives, cheating, shirt-pulling and cynical fouls.

 

[TiedbyChris]

The pub I watched the game in, stuck loud music on at halftime, before extra time and immediately after the final whistle, so we couldn’t hear anything from the pundits. Therefore the whole camera cable incident was news to me this morning!

The two semifinals could either be classics of end to end drama or bore fests with sides cancelling each other out.

 

[stxjimmy]

Bellingham the hero once again for a below-par England.

Several issues need addressing before the semi-final against Argentina.

Firstly, only start with players who are 100% fit. Those recovering from injuries and illness are clearly struggling in this heat and humidity.

Find a system that works: England wasted so much of the first half moving the ball out to the right wing only for Madueke to lose possession, time after time.

Kane, like Haaland, was ineffective up front although both players did some solid defensive work. Taking Haaland off the pitch was an astonishing decision by the Norway coach. Haaland, and the Norwegian fans, were just waiting for that one moment when his team-mates delivered the perfect pass for him to grab hold of.

Ironically, they had that moment when Norway should have been 2-0 up before Bellingham's equaliser, only for Sorloth to shoot instead of passing to Haaland. I can't see Argentina being so wasteful in the semi-final.

Bellingham, of course, will relish the opportunity to test his skills against Messi, so the stage is set for a fascinating game.

Much has been made of the Messi factor when it comes to refereeing decisions in this tournament, already corrupted beyond belief by Trump's intervention with Infantino.

As well as his enduring value to Argentina, Messi has proved to be a huge influence in the growth of the sport and its commercial value in the USA.

I'm an eternal optimist. I would love to see a free-flowing game decided by the skill of the players, not by the referee, VAR or presidential decree.

However, I am sure that reality will smack me in the face with the usual dives, cheating, shirt-pulling and cynical fouls.

I doubt very much there are 11 players in the England squad who are 100% fit. This bloated World Cup has been so draining with the travel and the hot/humid conditions.

I’ve never seen a game where harland contributed so little, so credit to England for that.

Some of the officiating has been so bizarre, how can it be just for a player to push someone over with two hands on the chest and then that team gets another attempt at the corner. A push is a foul, possession should be overturned.

This though starts at the top, why did fifa kowtow to a ridiculous intervention by a tinpot president? Very sad.

Englands crossing last night was poor, and needs sorting but hey we’re still in the mix.
And the joy of football is on a given day anything might happen.

 

[F3x0r]

Some of the officiating has been so bizarre, how can it be just for a player to push someone over with two hands on the chest and then that team gets another attempt at the corner. A push is a foul, possession should be overturned.

Just a quick explanation
They added a rule on this prior to the WC

In previous years pushing etc before the ball was in play would be nothing, or a talking to, maybe a card if the ref got the arse about it, but no free kick etc,

Now if there is a foul BEFORE the ball is in play, the play is null and void and it's retake

Which is what happened last night

 

[stxjimmy]

Just a quick explanation
They added a rule on this prior to the WC

In previous years pushing etc before the ball was in play would be nothing, or a talking to, maybe a card if the ref got the arse about it, but no free kick etc,

Now if there is a foul BEFORE the ball is in play, the play is null and void and it's retake

Which is what happened last night

I don’t doubt that but it’s ridiculous rule change, encourages cheating and won’t help clean up the mess corners have become. It’ll actually increase shirt pulling and holding prior to corners safe in the knowledge there’ll be no sanction.
It’s ridiculous and is a cheats charter.

 

[F3x0r]

I don’t doubt that but it’s ridiculous rule change, encourages cheating and won’t help clean up the mess corners have become. It’ll actually increase shirt pulling and holding prior to corners safe in the knowledge there’ll be no sanction.
It’s ridiculous and is a cheats charter.

BBC explained it better than I did,:

Attacking foul before the ball is in play: The Ifab has given Fifa permission to allow a VAR review if it directly leads to a goal, penalty or disciplinary sanction.

Collina used an example involving England from March, when Adam Wharton blocked the run of Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez before Ben White scored.

Then the VAR could not disallow the goal, but they will be able to at the World Cup.

The restart would be a retake of the corner. The logic remains that a free-kick cannot be awarded if the ball is not in play.

For this reason the VAR will not be able to review defensive fouls before the ball is in play because it is not possible to give a penalty.

This will be reassessed by the Ifab after the tournament

 

[stxjimmy]

BBC explained it better than I did,:

Attacking foul before the ball is in play: The Ifab has given Fifa permission to allow a VAR review if it directly leads to a goal, penalty or disciplinary sanction.

Collina used an example involving England from March, when Adam Wharton blocked the run of Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez before Ben White scored.

Then the VAR could not disallow the goal, but they will be able to at the World Cup.

The restart would be a retake of the corner. The logic remains that a free-kick cannot be awarded if the ball is not in play.

For this reason the VAR will not be able to review defensive fouls before the ball is in play because it is not possible to give a penalty.

This will be reassessed by the Ifab after the tournament

Your explanation was fine if unneeded.

What happens if two players are at a corner and before the corner one stamps on the others ankle? a potential career changing injury. Is that ok?

And the Haaland incident was not a defensive foul, but an attempt by the strongest player on the pitch to intimidate.

I can’t see anything but this rule being quietly dropped, it’s counter productive and not fit for purpose.

 

[SophieUK]

BBC explained it better than I did,:

Attacking foul before the ball is in play: The Ifab has given Fifa permission to allow a VAR review if it directly leads to a goal, penalty or disciplinary sanction.

Collina used an example involving England from March, when Adam Wharton blocked the run of Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez before Ben White scored.

Then the VAR could not disallow the goal, but they will be able to at the World Cup.

The restart would be a retake of the corner. The logic remains that a free-kick cannot be awarded if the ball is not in play.

For this reason the VAR will not be able to review defensive fouls before the ball is in play because it is not possible to give a penalty.

This will be reassessed by the Ifab after the tournament

Great explanation but IMHO encourages the wrong behaviour. Take last night, Haaaland pushes a player over before the corner is taken so as to gain an advantage at a corner knowing that the worst that can happen is that the corner will be retaken. Best case is that he scores and the officials cock it up and the goal stands. Seems like a good attacking strategy !

 

[F3x0r]

The point was before nothing would happen and the goal would have stood.
That's all

Prior to the rule change VAR could not get involved if the ball was not in play. So last nights goal would have stood.

 

[SophieUK]

The point was before nothing would happen and the goal would have stood.
That's all

Prior to the rule change VAR could not get involved if the ball was not in play. So last nights goal would have stood.

I understand that, I can read …
I’m just suggesting that the implementation is flawed… clean up corners by penalising the attacker for fouling before the ball is in play..

 

[stxjimmy]

I understand that, I can read …
I’m just suggesting that the implementation is flawed… clean up corners by penalising the attacker for fouling before the ball is in play..

Absolutely, we need to get back to referees paying attention and having confidence to make correct decisions.

 

[stxjimmy]

The point was before nothing would happen and the goal would have stood.
That's all

Prior to the rule change VAR could not get involved if the ball was not in play. So last nights goal would have stood.

Any ref not picking up on such blatant cheating, irrespective of rule changes, is not fit to be in charge

 

[F3x0r]

I understand that, I can read …
I’m just suggesting that the implementation is flawed… clean up corners by penalising the attacker for fouling before the ball is in play..

Yep, but if the ref doesn't see it,
In the previous rules nothing happens the goal stands. players chase after the ref and var isn't allowed to intervene

Now it can.

 

[SparkleFur]

Your first World Cup? Wtf does that mean?

Um, we're getting a Hostility and Aggressiveness Level Reading of a 10 from you.

We're gonna need you to bring that WAY Down to, say, a 4 or 5.

Thanks and bless.