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

You can't really make a rule that would stop this without stopping the US from using the likes of Julian Gressel or Carlos Llamosa. Adults who moved for work, stayed, and got citizenship. FIFA added the 5-year residency rule to eliminate quickie citizenship loopholes such as Regis, but all of these UAE guys have met the 5-year requirement. Going further would put FIFA in the business of declaring some countries' naturalizations to be more legitimate than others.

 

8 minutes of stoppage time isn't weird at all for a game that has had zero pauses in the second half lol.

Good ole AFC

 

GABON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A lucky deflection slips into the tightest of angles

 

Whoa!! Gabon equalizes in the 89th!

 

OHHHHH

Lemina find pay dirt for Gabon!!

 

You should buy a powerball ticket

 

Figured as much, I'm just frustrated, because it is quite obviously, just a factory scheme, to build a fake national team. It's one team when the team was hosting, but it's something else entirely when they're thieving world cup slots in competitions w/o the hosting autobirth (which was corrupt enough). Seems like in the past, going back to the thirties there was always shenanigans (looks like Italy was kind of notorious for rolling out South Americans in the thirties), but now it's literally an operation being run like out the back door, some seemingly ad hoc, others, clearly preplanned and organized for the long term to rig qualifications.

 

Lucky deflection caught the Nigerian keeper on the wrong foot.

 

My parlay just struck gold too. haha! like I said, aint no way both teams didn't score in regular time. Their defenses are the worse left in the CAF Play-offs lol

 

Man, I put the odds at that happening at like 1 in 350. I'm stunned.

 

UAE scores in injury time but it's offside apparently. They've been pushing hard and causing a lot of havoc in the Iraqi box.

Yep, definitely offside.

 

Great offside call from the side ref.

 

Yep. But I would be fine with it. It doesn't seem like the legitimate cases occur all that often, especially since the countries you are likely to move to for work tend to have a stronger player base (given the league itself).

But maybe I'm wrong about that.

 

ngl, I knew it was a matter of time bro. Even if it meant being a stoppage time winner. "analytics" lol

 

It's a weird brand of karma as it sounds like Gabon might have been hosed on a penalty (I didn't see it), and absolutely had the worst luck on the planet to give up that opener. Otoh, Nigeria has played them off the field all night: 11-2 in shots, 7-2 in sogs.

Just as that was happening or just after, UAE scored to take a 2-1 lead in the 97th minute, but VAR ruled it offsides.

 

Yeah but 1 shot through 87 minutes is some kind of analytics too lol. You can't score if you don't shoot (well, other than own goals).

 

Really happy for Iraq. Now they host a game for a ticket to the playoffs, and looking at the intercontinental playoffs, I'd kinda like their chances. Concacrap is going to send absolute dregs, Oceania is going to send dregs, Conmebol is sending a dreg after Venezuela fumbled away its slot. I'd give Iraq a legit shot at making it, if they can pull this off. I think it probably comes down to whether or not teams like Panama inexplicably end up in the playoff rather than directly qualifying.

 

Norway finally on the board with a Sorloth header.

 

OMG Osimhen alone on a breakaway to win it for Nigeria and does..... that

 

Wow Osimhen with a golden chance to avoid extra time and he puts it wide

 

2-0 Norway. Sorloth again.

 

Oshimen really is a garbage striker for the NT. how do you miss that??

 

If memory serves, he's been much worse for Nigeria than for club w/a lot of wtf performances in big moments. Otoh, this is a water logged, pouring rain match, its like the 99th minute so that probably played a role.

 

Yea, but analytics said they were due for one even if it was their only shot on goal. They scored 22 goals in WCQ, it was all a part of the plan lol

 

3-0, looks like Haaland is WC bound if he can stay healthy. And seriously, wtf Italy, you gunning for 3 straight failed qualification campaigns, seriously? And let's not forget they were total --- at WC '10 and WC '14 too. Wow, here's a stat you'd never imagine you'd hear. Since Italy inexplicably won WC '06, they've won 1 World Cup Match. ONE, in the ensuing 20 years.