2026 FIFA World Cup thread [R]

I think you meant over 40–45, and there are lots of those.

 

Us older folks have memory troubles, though.

 

Even among the soccer community here the lack of excitement regarding this summer's world cup is palpable. That is really sad - FIFA has really screwed the pooch on this one - I guess they thought they could just up the cost of attending through the roof.

 

I still can’t believe these countries are in the World Cup and Italy isn’t!

What a joke….

 

I’d imagine they’re going to have to remove or cover all the Levi’s branding?

 

Splitting the Cup between 3 nations was idiotic to begin with.

 

You're right - the Azzurri are rather a joke these days...

 

I just saw this on Facebook....

 

Forza Paraguay!!

 

I'm surprised Paraguay will be training at Spartan Village at SJSU instead of PayPal...

 

I recall Brazil scrimmaging the SF Bay Blackhawks at Buck Shaw in 1994...

Anyone know if either Paraguay or Australia will play against the Quakes at PayPal?

 

I didn’t realize Godoy was going to another WC. That’s so cool, he really deserves that.

 

I recognize Thomas Dooley and Marcelo Balboa but no one else.

 

This doesn’t seem unreasonable - sort of what is generally afforded all participating teams in international competition.

 

Ban on political criticism?

 

You left out the "directed at the team". Do American athletes face constant criticism because of this nation's leadership? That would be inappropriate and so would directing criticism AT the Iranian team because of who runs their country.

 

B

A lot of that stuff is kind of unenforceable. My guess is that either 1) FIFA says OK and then they’re here and it’s business as usual and the demands are more or less forgotten about (cause what would happen if “somebody” criticizes the team politically - they’re gonna pull the team out? - unlikely). Or 2) FIFA says no and just doesn’t want to deal with it. My guess is the former.