Well ... lucky for him, futebol is not about elasticos and pedaladas. It's about scoring goals and playing as a team. But yeah, people saying he has 2 more WCs at a high level and given his style of play, I very much doubt it. I am not sure I see him transforming his game the way CR7 did.
The final is set. Current WC and CA Champs vs Euro Champs. On paper, I guess it couldn't be more perfect. It's bizarre how Argentina turned what was an easy path to the final into a campaign of heroic games with a bunch of late game drama. This feels like that Madrid run to the CL title with all of those miracle comebacks. Only Madrid actually played very good teams. I do hope the ref at the final sets the tone early with cautions with Argentina. They get to play quasi Libertadores style with hacking and dirty tricks and keep getting away with it. Spain have the better collective but Argentina has the edge in grit. If it becomes a chippy match of attrition, I think Argentina will have the edge. Also concerned how Spain defends crosses. Argentina has shown to be pretty competent in that department.
One thing not being talked about is that Argentina will have the edge if goes to the Penalty Shootouts. They now hold a better shootout record than Germany with 6 wins and 1 loss, (versus Germany's 4-1 record). Their one loss coming exactly to Germany playing at home in '06. So potentially they have the advantage of playing for a draw. It's not an automatic win, but Croatia has show in the last 2 world cups that you can strategize around that.
It was like one of those “Friends of Romário” vs “Friends of Cafu” matches . Lets not defend too hard so nobody gets hurt type of thing .
I think Thomas Tuchel should take a lot of the blame. His roster strategy and England's semi-final collapse remind me of Dunga’s squad selection and Brazil’s 2010 World Cup exit. It is the delusion that a rigid system can outsmart raw creativity. Just as Dunga left behind generational talents like Ronaldinho, Neymar, Ganso etc. for a rigid, pragmatic midfield, Tuchel cast aside Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold etc. When the opponent’s pressure built and a creative outlet was desperately needed, both managers turned to a flat, empty bench. In 2010, almost nobody outside of a handful in Brazil believed Dunga’s creatively starved squad could win the World Cup, just as the English media debated Tuchel’s stubborn approach. The icons Dunga left off carry greater historical weight; however, Dunga (an icon himself) has the excuse of a trophy-laden lead-up to the tournament and a second-half red card against the Netherlands. Tuchel’s voluntary retreat into a low block and his self-inflicted capitulation with 11 players still on the pitch is much worse; it is an act of tactical cowardice. The lessons are clear: First, when you have magicians at your disposal, never leave them behind. Put them on the bench if necessary, but never strip your squad of elite talent just to implement a rigid tactical vision. Elite managers must learn to win in different ways; this is precisely where a coach like Carlo Ancelotti has excelled; a philosophical opposite to Tuchel/Dunga, he can blend pragmatism with the structural freedom to let superstars improvise. Second, stubborn managers and entitled superstars must learn to check their egos at the door. Dunga clashed with Ronaldinho, and media reports suggest Tuchel had similar issues with some of England’s talented players. Here also the Ancelotti archetypes prevail, as they act as facilitators, not fighting egos but moulding them into a collective unit. The price of manager/player hubris is not only paid by the team but by an entire nation. A World Cup cycle is a colossal economic and emotional investment. Millions in public funds are poured into national facilities, academy investments, tournament organization, and player scouting. Heavy corporate sponsorship is involved. Most important is the profound sacrifice of the ordinary consumer, whose hard-earned income is spent to consume the sport. To let hubris ruin all that investment is unforgivable.
But no end result. I think it benefits Argentina. If Argentina does get a chance, they're not gonna waste it because of the psychological thinking of "it might be all we get so don't squander it".
the first yellow card on Enzo was BS so the red card is BS. Argentina losing their temper though, Dunno how much longer they can hold it together.
That's what Spain do generally, so much possession but they don't do much with that. 1 goal at max ( 2 in some cases )
This Spanish squad is even better than the 2010 one. The 2010 squad was sitll beatable, as Switzerland and also USA in the confed cup proved it. You just can't to shit against the 2026 team. Belgium who were the only ones to score against them are looking like heroes right now.
This is Spain's identity, the tiki taka passing with a lot of possession. I think we should go back to our identity, with a modern twist to stay competitive. We may not win that way either, but damn, at least we can be proud of the boys.
Spain won the 2026 World Cup final with total, complete, and categorical justice. They hammered Argentina, had the majority of possession, and this while their opponents did not have a shot on goal during the first 90 minutes. This was probably the most dominating World Cup final in the 21st Century. Brazil, who lost 3-0 to France 28 years ago, was not this subpar then, and even Paraguay with its limitations tried more against France than Argentina did against Spain. Spain's road to the title included, after Austria: Portugal, Belgium, France, and Argentina. Spain defeated the last two champions and the 2022 finalists. Spain allowed one goal during the entire tournament. Much respect to the new champions. Credit to Argentina for a historic run, which their fans will remember with those come-from-behind wins. But this was an aged, tired team, and Messi eventually ran out of rabbits to pull out of his hat, and England showed during the first half of their match that Messi could be neutralized. At 39, he probably leaves the World Cup for good, thus initiating a rebuilding process. His country will host (well, one match) the next World Cup and therefore will not participate in WCQ. Shame on Leandro Paredes for besmirching his team's second-place finish by committing assault on Eric García after the final whistle. I had a feeling at least one Argentine was going to go sore loser mode after the end of the match and sure enough, I was right. It's over at last. Back to club football and onto Ancelotti's first full cycle with Brazil.