FIFA World Cup '26: News & Analysis

Is it. just me or is it extremely unfair that some african countries are allowed to. play. their. matches at home and others arent not?

and as an example, in can qualifiers Lesotho played their home match against Morocco in Morocco.

 

Happens in Asia as well. I don't know Lesotho's circumstances but in round 2 we played our away game against Palestine in Kuwait and our away game against Lebanon in Canberra.

 

Current Skybet odds:

Spain 11/2
Brazil 6/1
France 13/2
England.7/1
Argentina 8/1
Germany 10/1
Portugal 12/1
Netherlands 16/1
Belgium.25/1
Italy 25/1
Uruguay 28/1
USA 33/1
Colombia 40/1
Croatia 50/1
Denmark 50/1
Mexico 50/1
Japan 66/1
Morocco 66/1
Switzerland 66/1
Canada 80/1

Italy look like a good bet as they're inconsistent as hell and Morocco's odds look generous.

 

Many African countries do not have stadiums that fulfill criteria set by CAF so they have to play on neutral grounds. Morocco itself offered their stadiums free of charge to many FAs so Lesotho hosts Morocco in Morocco. South Africa also offered their stadiums but you have to pay a certain fee.

Some countries already built new grounds like South Sudan which acted like home ground for - Sudan.

Asia has other issues due to war.

 

meanwhile in Europe, Bosnia is still allowed to play in Zenica, Bulgaria plays in Sofia and both stadiums are not much better than many grounds of those countries of CAF prohibited to play qualifiers on home soil.

 

Bosnia's stadium was refurbished and a new pitch with drainage installed in 2018 and the stadium in Sofia is just fine.

 

US sandwiched between Italy, Belgium and Colombia. Talk about overrated!

 

Yes, and Bulgaria played its last home game at a brand new stadium in Plovdiv (the pitch wasn't in good condition, though).

 

Excuse the ignorance, but what is happening in Lesotho? I mean, I know there is a problem with gangs but not sure I see the threat to football.

 

The stadium facilities don't meet FIFA or CAF standards.

 

And playing at that altitude and in the cold would be an absolutely maseru-ble experience....

 

Ghana also now has no stadium able to host NT games; will have to play home games abroad.

 

I think the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be a better test for the USA to see if the USA is ready for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. No doubt lessons will be learnt from the fiasco at the 2024 Copa America Final.

Also some people are using the social media to smear the USA as host of this World Cup. They want to hit the USA harder than the press for Qatar in 2022.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is going to he memorable!! https://t.co/HAP8h0PRNN

— Alvari Athanasius CLONE (@SirAlvari) September 17, 2024

 

The fiasco at the Copa America final had nothing to do with FIFA or US Soccer. If CONMEBOL had followed FIFA security procedures it probably would never have happened.

 

I agree.

 

FIFA has confirmed that tickets will be sold exclusively on FIFA.com should put the ticketmaster doomers to bed.

 

I wouldn‘t be so sure. tickets were always sold thru fifa.com, but the partner in the background has changed over the years. fifa used their ticketing engine under wrap of fifa.com

 

As long as we don't have to pay any of those outrageous fees charged by TM

 

Kansas City is probably one of the cities I am most looking forward to going to during the World Cup.
It is the most drivable for someone like me in the Midwest. It is known for very good BBQ (my favorite cuisine.) The last few World Cups they have hosted what seems like some of the best watch parties the USA has had to offer and they seem quite fun in their power and light district
.

 

Fook KC Missouri!
What is KC Kansas bringing to the 2026 FIFA World Cu

 

schedule is up:
https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/1be9ce37eb98fcc5/original/FWC26-Match-Schedule_English.pdf

 

Thanks. Does that have any new info??

First time I'm noticing the "We Are 26" logo. Looks like of dumb me thinks.