World Cup 2026

[Syt]

Also, the UK doesn't really have a legitimate PM at the moment to help out Quansah

I think it's spelled "Kwanzaa".

[Norgy]

Why are Norwegians so great at sports?

They're big . And not just tall, like the evil Dutch.

In football for men, Norway has been rather shit most of my life. Three qualifications for major tournaments (1994, 1998, 2000) and lots of failed qualifiers. Norway's been better at individual sports than team sports, mostly, and at niche sports rather than the big ones.

Recent decades has seen public investment in physical infrastructure for training, play and spending free time for children. I do, however, think this moves in waves when it comes to talent. Right now, a lot of 6-15 year olds will be inspired to give football their all.

It was late when the match ended, so I went to bed.
Despite Brazil being on a downward trajectory, for a Norway team to beat them in a game with so much riding on it, will become part of the national fabric here. What struck me and surprised me was how Norway went about the beat Brazil. Keeping the ball, patiently, trying to be quick and incisive when Brazil were unbalanced.

If there were knighthoods in Norway, I believe goalkeeper Nyland would get one. Some almost impossible saves.

Much has been said about Haaland, but in the World Cup, centre back Ajer, midfielders Berg and Bobb and the tireless Sørloth have complimented the two big names, Haaland and Ødegaard.

Thing is, when this side faces England, many of the players have played these English players week in and out. Or not, because they're benched by lowly sides like Fulham or Brentford.

It'll be interesting to see if any club takes a chance on Nyland who is a free agent now.

[Josquius]

Some harsh VARing for England. Croatia had that too. Does my mind play tricks or do I remember at the start of the tournament they were dodging using it even for obvious things?
Curious change.


I'm curious if any Cape Verde players are seeing upwards moves.

[Sheilbh]

Jordan Henderson having to get stretchered off from the celebrations

Incredible win and mental strength.

Looking forward to the Lindisfarne grudge match

Edit: By the by England fans and journos over there absolutely unanimous Mexico should be hosting the final.  Seems like it was an incredible atmosphere/experience - as well as all the history.

Edit: And I love him but the clip of Harry Kane trying to do an interview after the game having lost his voice is very funny.

[Norgy]

Oslo: 30 people needed medical care after incidents involving fireworks. 

A heatwave coming in this week will not make Norwegians behave more rationally.
Norway's coach, Ståle Solbakken, has a pacemaker. He's been dead. Literally. I fear for his heart every match, as he is incredibly involved and shouts his instructions from the sideline.

Norway's done better than most expected, so the players can breathe more freely and not feel too much weight of the expectations at home. This is something England's players cannot afford; the expectant crowd at home, especially the vitriolic tabloids and media coverage, could frazzle English nerves.

On paper England is much better than Norway. So, I actually think Norway can and will beat this English team. Ajer needs to put Kane in his pocket, though.

[Josquius]

Also, was there any trouble from the pubs being open all night?
Hope not and it can be take as evidence for liberalising opening hours.

A prediction for the days ahead which sounds unfortunate but probable-

As in 1066 England will prevail against the Norwegians before tragically losing to the French a couple of weeks later.

[Norgy]

Also, was there any trouble from the pubs being open all night?
Hope not and it can be take as evidence for liberalising opening hours.

I can only speak for Norway, which during the World Cup has 24 hour opening hours. No incidents worth mentioning except loud singing and roars that made the Richter's scale.

[Duque de Bragança]

corruption is ok if my team benefits lol. Insane.

L'attachement à l'esprit sportif à géométrie variable est tout sauf nouveau.

[Josquius]

Europe whilst they sleep tonight:

[Duque de Bragança]

It seems like by rules Mexico should've gotten a penalty, but it seems ridiculous to me that you can get a penalty by getting your leg between the ball and the defender's leg after they've already set the kick in motion.

I think penalties should never result from bad luck.

Good luck with that.

[Duque de Bragança]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7424790/2026/07/06/folarin-balogun-red-belgium-explanation/?source=emp_shared_article&unlocked_article_code=1.vlA.uKkt.29vttW2CrA3m

Belgian football federation granted right to appeal.
Not that it matters much.

[Sheilbh]

Look forward to the USA, like Morocco, finally achieving victory three months into half time in an air conditioned room in Switzerland.

[Norgy]

Look forward to the USA, like Morocco, finally achieving victory three months into half time in an air conditioned room in Switzerland.

    

[Duque de Bragança]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jul/06/belgium-appeal-fifa-lifting-folarin-balogun-red-card-ban-last-16-us-world-cup

Even the UEFA finds FIFA corruption too much. 

Uefa accuses Fifa of 'crossing a red line' over lifting of Folarin Balogun's red card
Decision is 'incomprehensible and unjustifiable'
Belgium appeal against striker's availability for tie

Uefa has hit out at Fifa's decision to lift USA striker Folarin Balogun's suspension for Monday's last-16 tie with Belgium, describing the move as "incomprehensible and unjustifiable" and accusing world football's governing of crossing "a red line".

Europe's governing body made no bones over their opposition to the shock call, one Belgium have been granted an appeal against. There are no guarantees, however, over when that decision will be made or whether Fifa's reasoning for lifting Balogun's' suspension will be made public.

Donald Trump repeatedly lobbied Fifa to lift Balogun's suspension, with sources telling the Guardian the US president made three calls to Fifa, starting on Wednesday, after Balogun was sent off in the USA's 2-0 last-16 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, to ensure the change was made.

"Yesterday's decision to suspend for a probationary period of a year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line," read Uefa's statement. "Football, like any other sports, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition. Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not.

Folarin Balogun is pictured walking during a US game.
Explained: Folarin Balogun's World Cup red-card reversal, Trump's phone calls and Fifa's rationale
Read more
"A minimum automatic suspension of one match following a red card is not a discretionary option and does not require the decision of a competent body to be enacted. It is a principle embedded in regulations, which cannot be made subject to exceptions, let alone in the middle of a tournament where several other players have been in the same situation and regularly served their suspension.

"When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined. Equally, such decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require an equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition. We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision."

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) expressed their own "astonishment" on Sunday at Fifa's decision to rescind Balogun's one-game ban, with their manager, Rudi Garcia, comparing it to an April Fools' Day joke.

To compound Belgium's anger, it is understood that the RBFA has not received the reasons for Balogun's ban being overturned, which has only been explained by a brief reference to Article 27 of Fifa's disciplinary code, which gives its judicial committee the authority to "fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure". As a result, the RBFA has essentially submitted their appeal blind, and has not received any information on timings.

As per Fifa regulations, the appeal will be heard by a member of Fifa's appeals committee that does not represent Uefa or Concacaf, the federations that Belgium and USA are members of, to avoid a potential conflict of interest. Fifa's disciplinary processes are now under huge scrutiny, however, due to the unprecedented nature of Balogun's reprieve and the revelation that Trump was heavily involved in getting the 25-year-old's red card rescinded.

The RBFA's appeal is unlikely to be the end of the matter, as they have made clear that they are exploring legal action against Fifa, whom they claim have broken their own statutes.

Belgium's foreign minister, Maxime Prévot, a former referee, has also hit out at Fifa's intervention, saying: "If a phone call is really the reason for this incomprehensible decision, it would be a blatant violation of the most basic rules of football and sport". Meanwhile, Glen Micallef, European commissioner for intergenerational fairness, youth, culture and sport, said: "Decisions �on sporting rules �and sporting matters belong to �sporting ‌bodies, not �politicians. �Influencing sporting decisions would undermine the autonomy of sport."

The USA manager, Mauricio Pochettino, praised Fifa's move and reiterated his view that the decision by Brazilian referee, Raphael Claus, to show Balogun a red card for making contact with Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic was harsh.

"Everyone that really loves the sport and trusts ethics and integrity, I think we celebrate all that decision," Pochettino said. "We were punished enough against Bosnia Herzegovina to play with 10 men for 30 minutes [because of] a decision that was completely unfair ... 99.9% of people agree there was an unfair red card."

[celedhring]

UEFA complaining is definitely an Aliens vs Predator scenario 

But yeah, I've always adopted USA as one of my second teams in World Cups, but this moves them to the villain column. Sorry guys!