2024 - 2026 Football Thread - Page 155

DropBear

Australia4414 Posts

July 07 2026 14:09 GMT

#3081

Shame for Onana. ACL will rule him out of not just the quarters but probably the whole regular season.

Let's go Egypt tonight!

FlaShFTW

United States10509 Posts

July 07 2026 15:58 GMT

#3082

On July 07 2026 18:50 Jockmcplop wrote:

Show nested quote +

On July 07 2026 18:46 WombaT wrote:

On July 07 2026 18:00 Bacillus wrote:

On July 07 2026 16:55 gTank wrote:
Martinez not coach of Portugal anymore it seems, also Ronaldo still thinks about playing the next Euro.

I rewatched the highlights of USABEL, I wonder if the result would be different if Balogun hadnt been able to play. Was pretty onesided anyways, justice for football was served. I doublt this blatant corruption will stop Infantino to be re-elected though, which is sad.

We'll see how it goes with Infantino. Even UEFA seemed to be publicly annoyed by this stunt, so maybe there's some countermovement forming now.

As far as I remember, part of the FIFA issue is that every national association has one vote in most elections and that leaves a lot of smaller and financially less formidable associations easy to influence for a big swing in voting. I don't know how that could be addressed, but maybe there's something to be done if Infantino steps on too many toes and the opposition can form some common willpower.

Infantino’s basically de facto confirmed already from what I read earlier, from memory he’s already swept up all of the South American and African confederation votes, some Asian too

Other confederations aren’t as self-sustaining as Europe with its Champion’s League cash and general European wealth, and individual football associations are way more reliant on FIFA money. Be it via World Cup moolah, or in FIFA development money and redistribution, so yeah you’re correct there.

So long as an Infantino, or Blatter before him grow and fund the game outside of Europe, it’s rather tricky to remove them the votes just aren’t there. Just throw some development money around, or expand the size of the World Cup.

And let’s not beat around the bush, plenty of football associations themselves are rather corrupt, so they’re not going to make some moral stand.

I don’t really see any way around it, at least within FIFA. Maybe UEFA do some breakaway thing if things get really ridiculous, but I don’t think we’re close to that threshold.

I think we’d have a rather different looking landscape if football associations were membership institutions where fans could buy in both literally and figuratively and have a voice in those institutions. Plus it would be some extra funding and make them slightly less dependent on FIFA money.

Theres a huge disconnect between fans and their national bodies. Despite it being mostly Europeans in the latter who have been vocal in criticising the current regime, in the former it certainly isn’t just Europeans booing Infantino at every game he shows up at

It isn't ONLY corruption.
I know we all hate Infantino and its more than justified, but in expanding the World Cup he has done a huge favour to alot of the smaller nations who can use it as an earner and to expand their own capabilities. Its no wonder they would give him their vote, and in alot of ways he has earned those votes.
Apparently there is the possibility of using other means to have him banned from football activity like Blatter was, but I'm not sure how likely that is.

As much as we all hate Infantino, the WC expansion has actually worked this year. Tons of amazing storylines with the smaller nations that normally wouldn't make it into the World cup otherwise with the near Cinderella, giant-slaying story with Cabo Verde. It's worked out to his benefit and he'll continue to mop up smaller nation votes with promises to expand to a 64 team tournament soon.

WombaT

Northern Ireland27188 Posts

July 07 2026 16:16 GMT

#3083

On July 08 2026 00:58 FlaShFTW wrote:

Show nested quote +

On July 07 2026 18:50 Jockmcplop wrote:

On July 07 2026 18:46 WombaT wrote:

On July 07 2026 18:00 Bacillus wrote:

A few decent stories, but a pretty shit format for the first round thru the second.

Best 3rd place teams getting through is always wonky, same with the expanded Euros. Really not a fan of that system at all given disparities in the strength of groups. Additionally, team x can be up first and trying to guess what goal difference might be sufficient ahead of time, and team y can be playing days later and know exactly what they need.

It’s also worth noting that Cape Verde would have qualified for a 32 team World Cup, so too a team like Norway from another region.

There’s not really a team incapable of qualifying for a 32 team tournament, but capable of doing so with 48 that’s really done all that much.

It has been a good tournament, but outside of organising a tight ship it’s really not on FIFA and due to the individual nations.

Other things FIFA have had control and influence of, from pissing over their own disciplinary mechanisms, to preposterous pricing have all been a net negative

justanothertownie

16338 Posts

July 07 2026 16:36 GMT

#3084

At some point Argentina should reevaluate if Messi should be on penalty duty.

Dan HH

Romania9226 Posts

July 07 2026 16:39 GMT

#3085

Penalty goals are too impure for Messi

WombaT

Northern Ireland27188 Posts

July 07 2026 16:49 GMT

#3086

Interestingly Messi’s penalty record is basically the exact same as the xG for a penalty. So he is about as statistically close to being average at penalties as is possible.

Acrofales

Spain18356 Posts

July 07 2026 17:23 GMT

#3087

On July 08 2026 01:49 WombaT wrote:
Interestingly Messi’s penalty record is basically the exact same as the xG for a penalty. So he is about as statistically close to being average at penalties as is possible.

Hm. Maybe. But in World Cups he's far below average.

Also. LOL!

E: VAR really really shouldn't have overturned this. Yes, there was a little tug at the jersey, but there's about a 1000 of those a game.

justanothertownie

16338 Posts

July 07 2026 17:25 GMT

#3088

It was not a tug on the jersey. He stepped on his foot.

Poopi

France12990 Posts

July 07 2026 17:29 GMT

#3089

I could not see, why was the second goal disallowed??

gTank

Austria2644 Posts

July 07 2026 17:31 GMT

#3090

On July 08 2026 02:23 Acrofales wrote:

Show nested quote +

Wonder why VAR didnt overturn the goal against austria where the argentinian player clearly fouled before the goal....

The plot thickens a lot right now.