World Cup 2026 - Official Thread

FIFA is a disgusting corrupt organisation. Infantino is scum. The US is a disaster. But this World Cup is fucking brilliant.

I may have to draw the line at Algeria v Jordan at 11pm though. There's no way that game is worth staying up for.

Still have a problem with the lack of jeopardy at this stage for any half decent team and the stakes in the last round of group games are likely to be minimal. Looking forward to the knockout stages though.

I haven’t actually watched a game since the England match last week but it definitely sounds like a jolly nice tournament so far.

But fuck fifa and fuck trump.

I think you might be bias due to the games being in your timezone. There's a huge apathy around my normally football-mad friends.

Comparing Scottish fans going mental in Boston and chanting loads with the England band playing God Save the King. It really is a fucking dirge. Billy Connolly was right all those years ago: they really need to replace it with the them to the Archers. The current tune is almost embarrassingly lame.

Yes it’s fairly shit when of the four games broadcast each day you can watch 1 and a half if you want to function the next day. And your kids can only watch half an England game at a push.

It’s still better than nothing as it’s football but time zone has certainly had a negative effect over here which is a shame as the games have been good.

I understand the 2nd half hydration break was done away with after the lengthy weather delay in the France game and NO ONE. DIED.

I don't think I'd wait for 2 hours in the Upper Clough for a second half to start. Pretty sure I'd fuck off home.

Some US folks probably did as they were unable to watch an ad for some great new medication that they should ask their physician to prescribe to prevent their death.

Yeah, the timings are shit but so are a lot of the matches because there’s no jeopardy yet. Even if England lose tonight they’d still only need a point at most from the Panama game to qualify for the knockouts.

Just to point out the obvious, but you might be biased due to the games not being in your time zone.
The football has been great and varied, with plenty at stake for the "lesser" nations.

Except for the hydration advert breaks, I agree. And even that can be written off as tedious US/Infantino gouging provided it remains a one-off. If it starts to creep into a wider football move towards quarters, it can fuck right off - though UEFA (hardly paragons of incorruptible governance excellence themselves) have already announced that for the 28 Euros there will only be water breaks if the temperature exceeds 35 degrees (i.e. Pretty much as it is now).

I’m in Rhode Island and heading to the England Ghana game this afternoon. Met quite a few Ghana fans on the plane over yesterday and they are all quietly confident.

It’s been proper thunder and torrential rain for the last day. So it’s “muddy pitch in November” time. Let’s see how they like it.

This. I'm struggling more than usual to get invested in the tournament for precisely that reason.

I know it's likely entitlement of the highest order, but with European hosting the kick-off times lend themselves far more to casual viewing in the UK.

I think I can just about be arsed to watch an England game tonight starting at 9pm, but that's largely down to Anderson's involvement. Not sure I'd bother if it was 10pm like some of the other group games. And 2am kick-offs? Fuck that.