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

Injuries aside, the nest team almost always wins in the NBA.

It is powerfully hard to luckily win 4 out of 7.

 

Pelicans?... Hawks?????....

 

France can only face the Netherlands in R32 if France wins the group and the Netherlands finishes third.

 

I think Mora is an excellent player. I think the two of them in the midfield is a real issue defensively at this level against a team that can exploit it.

Luckily for you, I don't think anyone in your group can.

 

My point is ... there are always injuries. Always. Every damn year. And it's the same with the World Cup. Whether it is injuries or close calls, no one storms through a dominant team with no close calls and no good luck.

I mean, if we're calling lucky bullshit, the English shouldn't even have a single World Cup win. Because 1966 was bullshit -- Brazil was the best team but because soccer didn't have ********ing cards yet, they were kicked in the shins out of the tournament.

I can make this kind of argument for every winner of every year. 2022 Argentina was a worthy winner.

 

Aren't the other teams practicing at elevation to acclimate? If so that advantage won't be as much as teams coming in for one game. If the teams don't do that they are dumb.

 

What Serbia team was rolled out this past week? Outscored 8-1 by Cape Verde and El Tri?!?!

 

With the exception of South Africa, none of the teams are based in Mexico City, so no, they wouldn't have enough time to acclimated appropriately, atleast not as much as Mexico would have until that point.

Assuming Mexico tops their group which is possible, both RD of 32 of 16 games will be at Azteca against opponents who would've played all their prior games in the US.

 

Are any in say Colorado instead? The US used to have camps in Colorado before they played in MX.

 

^^ and you'd still be off by 2,000 feet

No, there are no WC teams setting a home base in CO

A map of all the base camps for FIFA World Cup 2026🗺️ pic.twitter.com/gP6SHFje0m

— Khel Now World Football (@KhelNowWF) June 3, 2026

 

A google search on the topic is really interesting.

Both the USSF and MLS clubs put a lot of study into this question of training at altitude.
There's this Center for Health, Innovation, and Performance at the USSF studying it.

 

There are, and the USMNT used them at some point, maybe up to a decade ago. If I recall correctly, they determined that it wasn't useful, and that it was better to just show up the day before and play.

 

LMAO climate change has wreaked havoc on North America. The East Coast and California have undergone significant weight loss. Boston may as well be Atlantis.

 

Columbus looks like beachfront property now.

 

"San Francisco Bay Area". To get there, head east from Reno.

 

Haha that's funny, didn't even notice before. Apparently I'm not too far from the coast now.

I am going to assume that the editor altered the map to fit all the right side labels.

 

Nah, the map is simply AI-generated. It's an absolute atrocity. Everything on it looks incorrect other than South Dakota.

 

We think we've got it bad? Look at Mexico!

 

You'd think Brazil would at least have 1 or 2 kids of former players who happened to have been born in Spain or whatever (like Reyna and Berhalter).

 

I assume Bosnia's camp is in Sandy, UT--the suburb where RSL plays--and not somewhere in central Idaho?

 

Good article here about the commonalties between previous winners

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7332383/2026/06/05/anatomy-of-world-cup-winner/

 

I mean it doesn’t guarantee they win but the altitude is absolutely a real advantage against teams that are not acclimated.

The round of 16 game for England at the Azteca is very much a potentially tricky one given they won’t have any time to acclimate.

 

Although as Mexico has more players abroad, maybe their advantage of playing games in Mexico City at alttude erodes just a little.

At some point if your guys aren't playing there week in and week out................their bodies aren't accustomed to the altitude either. Yes, they have the experience of playing at altitude. But so do others.