FIFA World Cup 2026

[Gregmal]

5 minutes ago, Ulti said:

And I’m stoked… arrived in Atlanta and will see Argentina vs Egypt… never been to any professional soccer game before.. only Ted Lasso haha… just started watching you tube highlights over the past few weeks… Buddy invited me and I hear the Benz where the game is being played is fantastic.

Oh yea, gorgeous stadium. Check out a Braves game too if you’re able to. We re doing a trip next month. So much to do over there 

[Ulti]

2 minutes ago, Gregmal said:

Oh yea, gorgeous stadium. Check out a Braves game too if you’re able to. We re doing a trip next month. So much to do over there 

  Won’t have time for the Braves….My buddy  tells me it’s quite the production around the Benz with all the fifa activities. Hope the game is an exciting nail biter…

[Spekulatius]

On 7/5/2026 at 7:00 PM, RichardGibbons said:

 

The second penalty was a terrible call IMO (speaking as someone who watches football on average for about 4 weeks every two years and is therefore clearly an expert.)

 

I suspect the second penalty wouldn't have been a penalty shot except that the game was nearly over and Norway had a multi-goal lead.

I have been watching football way longer and agree with this. The second penalty should not have been given, maybe not even the fist. The Brazilians are well known for theatralisch in the penalty zone and thy seem to have set up their game to do just that. Inhaber enjoyed watching them over the years, but the brilliance is gone it seems.

Edited 14 hours ago by Spekulatius

[Spekulatius]

I do not  want to spoil a thing for those behind watching replays but the game Spain Portugal shows some textbook examples of the tiki taka play system including the sequence where Spain scored. Not the best game overall though, but this pass sequence was brilliant

[Castanza]

8 minutes ago, Spekulatius said:

I do not  want to spoil a thing for those behind watching replays but the game Spain Portugal shows some textbook examples of the tiki taka play system including the sequence where Spain scored. Not the best game overall though, but this pass sequence was brilliant

Spain has so much depth on their team too. They can completely change the team dynamic with a few substitutions. Is US survives Belgium I don’t see them surviving Spain. 

[Gregmal]

Soccers never been a big US sport. Once they lose 90% of the bandwagon will go back to not caring. Same thing happened with hockey during the Olympics.

 

Theres other more deserving, let alone better teams still playing, including Belgium. Which was my whole point. Belgium is the better team, should’ve just shut the fuck up and not embarrassed themselves by trying to keep talent out of the game, and beat them on the field.

[Spekulatius]

13 minutes ago, Castanza said:

Spain has so much depth on their team too. They can completely change the team dynamic with a few substitutions. Is US survives Belgium I don’t see them surviving Spain. 

Spain is a top three team together with France and Argentina. They don‘t have standout players like Messi or Mbappe, just a handful or world class one that can play their system.

[Spekulatius]

7 minutes ago, Gregmal said:

Soccers never been a big US sport. Once they lose 90% of the bandwagon will go back to not caring. Same thing happened with hockey during the Olympics.

 

Theres other more deserving, let alone better teams still playing, including Belgium. Which was my whole point. Belgium is the better team, should’ve just shut the fuck up and not embarrassed themselves by trying to keep talent out of the game, and beat them on the field.

It has become much bigger though over the years. I go to 1FC Charlotte games now and then and there is a real fan culture on game days in town, very similar to what you see in German cities. Time are changing.

[LC]

Belgium embarrassed the US out there!

[Parsad]

1 hour ago, Ulti said:

And I’m stoked… arrived in Atlanta and will see Argentina vs Egypt… never been to any professional soccer game before.. only Ted Lasso haha… just started watching you tube highlights over the past few weeks… Buddy invited me and I hear the Benz where the game is being played is fantastic.

 

Just suck in the whole experience!  It will be loud!  And you will get to see arguably the greatest player in the world play one of his last World Cup games.  Cheers!

[cubsfan]

Congratulations Belgium! 

[Castanza]

17 minutes ago, LC said:

Belgium embarrassed the US out there!

Ass whooping performance 

[Castanza]

55 minutes ago, Spekulatius said:

It has become much bigger though over the years. I go to 1FC Charlotte games now and then and there is a real fan culture on game days in town, very similar to what you see in German cities. Time are changing.

There are a lot of niche sports cultures in the US but that doesn’t always translate to growth. When I was in Columbus sports bars were always packed with Columbus Crew fans. But the traditional big three are definitely changing and there seems to be some more pipelines developing for “alt” sports like Lacrosse, Soccer, Rugby, Volleyball, etc. in the US. But the US is nowhere near close to what you find in say the UK with clubs signing kids at 10 and developing them from there. 

[RichardGibbons]

4 hours ago, Gregmal said:

but it’s 180 degrees different than actively lobbying to remove players from the game so you don’t have to compete as hard.

 

This is the straw man that you're attempting to sneak in to justify your silly position. They are lobbying to enforce the rules that remove players from the game not to ensure that they don't have to compete so hard, but rather to win.

This is what professional sports is about--not players attempting to maximize their laziness. But simply winning. Winning. (Well, and also about money.)

 

It's a really difficult position that you've taken, asserting that professional athletes don't care enough about winning to fight for every advantage, particularly in the peak contest of their sport that comes around maybe 4 times in their career.  It's really hard to fade all the things professional athletes do for an edge (Body-destroying steroids! Dangerous and risky play! Deliberately injuring opponents! Shameful acting!), while simultaneously asserting that them asking that the rules be enforced would be a step too far for them.

[james22]

 

[RichardGibbons]

3 hours ago, Spekulatius said:

I have been watching football way longer and agree with this.

 

Yeah, it's interesting how often you and I align (though you probably don't know this because I post rarely.)  I find your stock picks way more aligned with my thought process than anyone else here--there's maybe a 60% chance of me being intrigued by any given company you post about. At this point, it's become interesting to me seeing the places we don't align.

 

(When it comes to investing, I think it's less the companies that we find interesting, and more that 1) I typically hold shares longer, 2) I don't think you do options much, and 3) you're better and more thoughtful at analysis than me.)

[Paarslaars]

Ah great game, totally worth not getting any sleep for! Spain is going to be difficult though...

[Sweet]

7 hours ago, Gregmal said:

Yes, I watch soccer at best, 2-3 times during a World Cup or Olympics type big event. Otherwise can’t stand it and think it’s for extremely well conditioned sissies

I rarely watch it anymore either.  In part because of the dramatics.

[backtothebeach]

Hilarious how in a thread about the World Cup the best some people can contribute is whining about how they don’t like football/soccer.

 

I’m starting to prepare a banger whining post if there’s ever a thread about the Super Bowl.

[Gamecock-YT]

9 hours ago, Spekulatius said:

It has become much bigger though over the years. I go to 1FC Charlotte games now and then and there is a real fan culture on game days in town, very similar to what you see in German cities. Time are changing.

 

My favorite was when the supporter groups got into a brawl:

 

https://www.thecharlotteledger.com/p/charlotte-fc-fan-group-fight-sends

 

The hot takes here are definitely something else. It is always interesting when a tournament starts and people immediately try to rewrite the rules rather than take the time to understand them. It is a very unique kind of confidence to want to alter a global game just because you don't want to learn it, but it certainly sums up a lot of things right now.

[Charlie]

9 hours ago, Spekulatius said:

9 hours ago, Castanza said:

Spain has so much depth on their team too. They can completely change the team dynamic with a few substitutions. Is US survives Belgium I don’t see them surviving Spain. 

Spain is a top three team together with France and Argentina. They don‘t have standout players like Messi or Mbappe, just a handful or world class one that can play their system.

The standout player of spain is potentially Lamine Yamal. 

He is 18 years old and the most valueable player in the world. 

 

[Gregmal]

8 hours ago, RichardGibbons said:

 

This is the straw man that you're attempting to sneak in to justify your silly position. They are lobbying to enforce the rules that remove players from the game not to ensure that they don't have to compete so hard, but rather to win.

This is what professional sports is about--not players attempting to maximize their laziness. But simply winning. Winning. (Well, and also about money.)

 

It's a really difficult position that you've taken, asserting that professional athletes don't care enough about winning to fight for every advantage, particularly in the peak contest of their sport that comes around maybe 4 times in their career.  It's really hard to fade all the things professional athletes do for an edge (Body-destroying steroids! Dangerous and risky play! Deliberately injuring opponents! Shameful acting!), while simultaneously asserting that them asking that the rules be enforced would be a step too far for them.

Nah. You just don’t get it. Much of sports is highly irrational. Why did Kobe go practice at 11pm, for 2 hours, immediately after a regular season game? Why do guys take substances detrimental to their health? Theres certain things largely considered players code, unique among elite levels of athletes. Unwritten rules of sport. If you can’t tell the fundamental difference between sign stealing, trying to sell a penalty, attempting to injure a player on the field by legally hitting him hard, and lobbying to prevent someone from playing before the game, thats ok. 

[Gregmal]

5 hours ago, backtothebeach said:

’m starting to prepare a banger whining post if there’s ever a thread about the Super Bowl.

I'll be there for that too. NFL despite being more mainstream in USA, has an even bigger issue with the legitimacy of the sport issues. Guys can no longer hit without fear of stupid penalties being called, QBs have gone from 1/11 to no contact players. The refs completely control the game with the ability to award virtually unlimited yardage on pass plays and otherwise hand out 15 yard, game changing penalties at will and with no video review options. If you like football, college is way better, although thats taken hits recently too cuz of the NIL stuff. 

[SharperDingaan]

Ice Hockey is great, but it's a rich persons sport and you only see the best players of that available. If mom/dad weren't rich enough to constantly get you the equipment as you grew through it, the extra coaching, to/from the practice and away games, etc, etc .... you never got to the farm/pro levels. The best of a small and rich population.

 

Soccer isn't much different, but it's cheap enough to play that even the very poor can play it. Scouts have a bigger pool to draw upon .... if they can get past the bias. That next Ronaldo could well be that kid from a refugee camp, or a war-torn area ... but if the scout never looks. The best of a much bigger population.

 

The more people that can relate, the bigger the market, the more corruption, and the higher the eventual ticket price. But even an interfering president can't overturn a 4:1 loss; the US was just sh1te 

 

SD 

Edited 1 hour ago by SharperDingaan

[Gamecock-YT]

4 minutes ago, SharperDingaan said:

Soccer isn't much different

 

For sure in the US, not sure how Canada does it vs. GTHL hockey.

 

16 years ago, but it still applies.....