2026 WC USA (et al): Worldwide Opponents Watch [all R's]

Don Garber’s reach is far.

 

Yeah but only a matter of time till it’s 64 teams and the World Cup is basically rotating between Europe, the US, and Saudi Arabia (plus China if they ever decide they want to host).

 

FIFA discussing increasing the tournament to 64 for 2030

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6656846/2025/09/24/world-cup-2030-64-teams-trump/

Mostly driven by CONMEBOL who want more games given under current rules their participation means they wouldn’t be able to host a World Cup again till 2042.

 

Not sure if anyone caught this but South Africa have had their 2-0 home win over Lesotho overturned to a 3-0 forfeit due to playing and ineligible player. This means Benin are now top of the table and technically have their fate in their own hands with a slightly better goal difference v South Africa. However, Benin's last 2 games are away to Nigeria and Rwanda, ironically the 2 teams 3 points behind them and South Africa. Rwanda would also be a first time qualifier but also have the fixtures going against them, playing Benin and then at home to South Africa. I'd say South Africa still look favorites but not quite as certain as it was beforehand.

 

Superficially it feels like a desperate attempt to gift Nigeria a way to save their qualification, as they were essentially dead in the water without that. Now, they get Lesotho on the road, and Benin at home, a perfect gift to snatch 6 points in the final window. South Africa travels to a totally erratic Zimbabwe before wrapping with Rwanda.

If they violated the rule, they violated it, but man is that brutal, South Africa were already robbed of a spot in the final round of semifinal round qualifying in '21, and now that?!?! Just brutal. Nigeria has continued to play quite poorly, even after slowly turning around their campaign with the past two windows.

I still think South Africa sneaks through, they have the GD tiebreaker and Total Goals tiebreaker and H2H with Benin and Nigeria (well, H2H is tied but they have the other two). I still think South Africa sneaks through, but man did they give Nigeria a lifeline. I don't buy Benin at all. They've been very up and down like Nigeria, so I'm skeptical they pull this off, especially with a road trip to Nigeria.

South Africa needs to figure out how to grab 3, or at least 1 in their road trip though, or it will be squeaky bum time as they say on the final matchday.

 

Dude, not everything is a conspiracy lol, they flat out broke the rules.. that's peak CAF neglect.

 

Haiti adds some new binationals. Odsonne and Wilson Isidor both miss these set of Qualifiers. Isidor apparently still weighing his options between France(yea right! Lmao) and Haiti.

Très attendu par le public haitien, Wilson Isidor va encore tarder avant de prendre une décision concernant sa venue au sein des Grenadiers !

Dans la conférence de presse ce mardi, le sélectionneur Sebatien Migné a déclaré qu'il comprend la situation de l'attaquant de… pic.twitter.com/cvI6n1hMvV

— Caleb Jephte Pierre (@Caleb_Jephte) September 30, 2025

Big news for Haiti 🇭🇹 as they travel to 🇳🇮 and 🇭🇳 this window in #FIFAWorldCup Qualifiers!

🆕 Hannes Delcroix (Burnley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿)
🆕 Josué Casimir (AJ Auxerre 🇫🇷)
🆕 Woobens Pacius (Tampa Bay Rowdies 🇺🇸)
🆕 Tony Algarin (Reims U19 🇫🇷)

Delcroix could be massive for that backline and we… pic.twitter.com/PpyJnWlomF

— The International Window (@windowintlpod) September 30, 2025

 

I'm rooting for Jamaica, Haiti and Suriname in WCQ

 

See, "If they violated it, they violated it...." In my post.

I'm suspicious, because I've seen all manner of nonsense come out of CAF, but it's an easy thing to verify, South Africa getting hosed 4 years ago was infinitely more egregious, but there was no way to prove the ref was on the take, it was probably more classic "home town cooking" etc, and this is damn easy to prove. I cannot believe they butchered this that badly, they were basically through and going to the WC if not for that stupidity. So ridiculous.

 

I haven't read up on it but how is playing an ineligible player anything to do with a ref on the field?

 

The ref reference is to WCQ in 2021.

 

No more Tahith Chong.

🚨 Tahith Chong has torn his meniscus and will be out for 4 to 6 weeks. #EOlaBlou pic.twitter.com/CsDU33OTzy

— Curaçao Football News (FAN) (@Curacaofootbal1) October 2, 2025

 

Group D Matchday 9 in CAF wrapped up this morning with some nutty later game moments:

Eswatini surrendered a 2-0 lead to give Angola a lifeline for runner up status, drawing 2-2.

Cameroon struggled with Mauritius before finding a winner in the 57th, before adding some padding in injury time to keep close with Cape Verde.

Cape Verde struggled, falling behind 1-3 at Libya only for the goalie to surrender a goal so god awful, match fixing conspiracists like myself were left wondering, Cape Verde would tie it in the late going, and nearly find a winner, twice in the final minutes of the match before settling for a 3-3 draw.

Cameroon trails Cape Verde by 2 points with 1 match left. Cape Verde needs to win match day 10 to clinch their WC spot, Eswatini awaits. Cameroon holds a substantial GD tiebreaker, so a win is necessary unless Cameroon ties or loses to Angola at home.

 

Poor Comoros with a fighting chance to climb into a playoff slot is stuck in a monsoon at home, down a goal to Madagascar (which is currently leading in the battle for runner up slot). Disappointing Mali has the lead away in Chad, a half hour to go, and could climb into position to challenge Madagascar for the final slot on match day 10 (Mali would host the battle but they need Comoros to pull something out to have any chance).

 

Looks like Madagascar and Burkina Faso have just about locked up playoff spots to battle for the CAF ticket to next year's playoff. Egypt has qualified, Salah's last WC? We'll have an interesting finale in Group D, where Cape Verde will likely advance with a win, or a Cameroon draw or loss. Cameroon is also in good position to get a playoff spot if they can pull off a win in the final window.

In the AFC, the Saudi's came from behind to beat Indonesia, holding on late in a 3-2 win white knuckling a late red card in injury time that made it even tighter. Oman drew Qatar at home in the other playoff bracket.

 

CONCACAF WCQing is about to get juicy.

Panama has had a suboptimal start (two draws), and really needs a win on the road at El Salvador tomorrow. They're not out of it, even if they lost that game. It just starts getting dicey. Suriname is currently leading the group. They seem to have done a great job at recruiting. Their roster ain't anything to sneeze at.

Costa Rica has also had a suboptimal start with draws against Nicaragua and Haiti. Key window for them too. First up on the road in Honduras tonight.

T&T needs wins in this window or they're toast.

 

Haiti lead in Managua, 1-0 thanks to Duckens Nazon, who was there to clean up a cross from debutee, Josue Casimir.

Heavy thunderstorms has postponed the match for now..lights went out at the national stadium in Managua.

 

Don't look now, but Haiti now leads Group C on goal differential.

Haiti takes care of business in Nicaragua, whereas Honduras and Costa Rica play out a very uneventful draw in San Pedro Sula.

From what I've observed so far in this group, Haiti is my favorite to qualify from this group, while Honduras and Costa Rica are going to play for the play-off spot.

 

Duckens Nazon is a player I'm surprised we've never seen in MLS.

We'll have to see about Costa Rica.

If they go out and beat Nicaragua at home on 10/13, then they're back in business.

Heck, there's a realistic scenario in which Costa Rica is leading the group after the next round of games. They beat Nicaragua comfortably, and Haiti/Honduras draw. The Ticos certainly aren't in the most comfortable position, though. An outright winner of Haiti/Honduras will be the most comfortable.

 

C'mon that's a made up name right? Right?

 

Not the "oddest" Haitian name to grace CONCACAF.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if Nicaragua feel like Costa Rica could be their most accessible opponent for wins in this group.

Can never doubt the underdog in these Regional Rivalries either... Nicaragua and Costa Rica have never thought fondly of each other.

 

Suriname score in the 94th minute to rescue a point at home against Guatemala, but they really could have used 3 points in that one

 

I'm pretty sure Curacao's entire roster are dual nationals, not sure they have a single player born/raised in Curacao. Pretty wild.

 

Trinidad and Tobago win on the road against Bermuda.

Curacao leads Jamaica 1-0 early in the 2nd half. This might be the critical match in this group, because if Jamaica can claw back a goal then they are in the pole position to qualify for the World Cup.