World Cup 2026 - Time for a Dutch Trophy

Their bodies broke down:
https://sporza.be/nl/2026/07/10/-to...ch-die-ook-andere-duivels-trof~1783708716333/

Tielemans, Onana, Courtois, De Bruyne all desintegrated. Doku was not healthy either.

Tielemans: "It shows that everyone was at the limit."

 

Lucky penalty calls for England. Water is wet.

 

Hold on! The Norway team was complaining that the ball hit the camera cable before Jude Bellingham equalised for England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 😳 #NORENG pic.twitter.com/Hc8sgllryA

— The Final Whistle (@Rufus_45) July 11, 2026

Before the Jude Bellingham equalizer, the ball hit the sky camera cable.

VAR missed this 😬pic.twitter.com/q3AUfgFqBw

— Underdog (@Underdog) July 11, 2026

Before England’s goal in minute 45+2 against Norway, the sensor in the Connected Ball showed no peak in the 'heartbeat of the ball' when in the air, and therefore no evidence that the ball touched the overhead wire and changed the movement of the ball. pic.twitter.com/gYf9ukfveT

— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) July 11, 2026

For the benefit of those who haven’t seen the review of the ball hitting the camera cable before England’s equaliser on Fox Sports… pic.twitter.com/TQks5POkLe

— Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) July 11, 2026

https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/match-99-qf-nor-eng-turpin-fra.2139463/page-6#post-43838052

Sigh... It is obvious the direction of the ball changed.

 

Top 4 seeds will meet in semi final just as the draw intends. Spain and France semi final is like a final for me; I hope the winner takes it all.

 

VARgentina strikes again!

 

Yup, ridiculous. In that case many other dives - including that of Harry Kane in the previous games - should have been carded. Yes, Embolo went to the ground but there was contact.

Akanji cannot comprehend decision against Argentina: 'Never experienced anything like it'

Manuel Akanji has great incomprehension regarding Breel Embolo's second yellow card. The referees decided to review the decision after initially showing a yellow card to Leandro Paredes. The VAR subsequently ruled that Embolo was guilty of diving.

"I am so proud of this team, of what we have achieved today and throughout the entire tournament. We played against the reigning world champions and they didn't stand a ghost of a chance," Akanji begins in conversation with the Swiss press. "I can't recall a single chance they created themselves. If the match had gone eleven against eleven, everyone would have seen that it would have gone our way sooner."

The Internazionale defender therefore does not hold back on the refereeing. "It is a shame to be eliminated like this, knowing that you could have won the match. Especially when the referee is against you as well: every little thing was called against us."

"I am not someone who protests against the referee, but I have never played a match that was so one-sided and in which every little thing was called. Not a single dive on their part was punished, and then Embolo gets a yellow card. But we can't change anything about it now," concludes the 30-year-old Swiss.

 

All also played a 3rd place team in the round of 32.

 

Forget the Embolo incident:

Zakaria wins the ball fairly, Switzerland on the counter, referee calls it back for a foul in favour of Argentina. How? pic.twitter.com/MxjOC8GrkV

— Fentuo Tahiru Fentuo (@Fentuo_) July 12, 2026

I don't really have a problem with either Embolo yellow

but by the same standard Argentina should have had between six to fourteen yellows in the first half and they had zero

— Michael Caley (@MC_of_A) July 12, 2026

Embolo was fouled and roughened up all game!

https://law5-theref.blogspot.com/2026/07/2026-fifa-world-cup-match-100-argentina.html?m=1

I doubt though the favourable officiating when playing against the England Power Machine will continue. The Premier League sponsors et al.

I will be rooting for Argentina, rooting for an "unintentional" handball winning goal.

 

I predicted (hoped) that Norway would sneak into the SF to continue the run of dark horses… alas

The final four teams have a common denominator. Their benches are longer. They are able to call upon and and sub in quality players in the second half to close out the games (Martinez for Argentina; Saka, Eze and James for England; Merino, Williams for Spain; and don’t get me started with France — they are just so filthy-rich especially in the attacking department ).

OTOH, Norway (not just Haaland) and Switzerland gassed out. Belgium brought in 37 years-old Witsel when it mattered.

With the expansion and extra knock out round to be played (some went to ET and PSO), heat and travel… being able to rotate players are such luxuries and proved to be a difference maker.

 

You can blame VAR for lots of this.
Far too much over reliance on this system that doesn’t always make sense, and it’s quite often inconsistent, and not utilized correctly to say the least.
Referee’s and their Assistant’s have taken a less proactive approach when it comes to applying the Laws of the Game, and common sense is not always correctly applied.
Slowing down video instead of real time action is a major flaw that makes everything look worse is one major flaw.

 

Yes, it is about time that the Hand of God got involved again.

 

Yet again! A yellow card for "diving" in mid field, along the touchline, player not pretending for anything, a yellow which is the second, so the player must be sent off. I've been watching football for 50+ years and I'm hardly pressed to recall a precedent even in a minor league, never mind a WC 1/4 final. FIFA has proven once again that when there is a will, there is a way.

 

The expansion of substitutions really favors the bigger teams.

Teams like Real Madrid and Manchester City are already lobbying for further expansion to 6 of even 8 subs.

This makes is harder and harder for 'golden generation' countries. When Holland won in 1988 only two subs (+ goalkeeper) were allowed.

 

The World Cup is still dominated by former champions: Argentina, France, Spain, England, (while Brazil, Germany and Italy are fading). It took a while but France broke through with a golden generation and hosted at home in 98, Spain did it with their golden generation in 2010. Croatia made 2 semi final 2018, 2022 and they fell to the category where Netherlands and Portugal are.

"We can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high...". We got some surprises in group stage, and it is not related to numbers of teams: North Korea 1966, Poland 1974, Algeria, Poland, Belgium 1982, Denmark, Belgium, Morroco 1986, Cameroon 1990, Bulgaria/Sweden 1994, Croatia 1998, Senegal/South Korea 2002, Ghana 2006/2010, Costa Rica 2014, Croatia 2018, Morocco 2022, Cape Verde/Egypt/Norway 2026.

It is not related to the number of teams. Weak teams park the bus and hold out for a draw but how many of them can maintain to go deep? Mostly 1 or 2 teams. Quarter final is dominated by European and South American with 1-2 teams from other continents.Make it 64 then top 2 will make round of 32 (no longer 3rd team), and perhaps Italy can squeeze in .

More teams may mean more countries involves in the World Cup, the water break may stay, the ticket price will keep going up as long as there is the demand, more advertising during match, more money for FIFA.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_...tino-fifa-examine-64-team-world-cup-expansion

 

Oranje ran fewer kilometers than almost any other team
https://www.espn.nl/voetbal/artikel...an-alle-wk-landen-toeval-of-teken-aan-de-wand
https://www.espn.nl/voetbal/artikel...nder-dan-nederland-het-is-ongelooflijk-triest

 

Spain outmatches France in every physical category:

https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/statistics/team-statistics

Average speed: 6.08 vs 5.95 per player (+2.2%)
High speed running: 8836 vs 8074 (+9.4%)
Sprints: 3121 vs 2849 (+9.5%)
Distance: 799554.12 vs 772073.95 (+3.6%)

Yesterday the difference in sprints made was even 19%.

 

The Spanish midfield just strangled the life out of France. Impressive display.

 

The calm control, first touch, the movement with or without ball, the drop back of the forwards to link up with midfields (which French defenders did not move up) or the drop back of midfielders to bring the ball up field (which French midfielders missed pressing/followed their men) is simply perfect. They still have the final to play but they may be on their way for the second treble (Euro 2008, WC 2010, Euro 2012).

 

Man, what a midfield.

 

They say mention/show here that Messi his top speed is higher as in 2022 and 2018. That is quite incredible really.

 

He looks kinda gassed to me. Maybe it's just that opponents are playing him tighter now. But man, what a dribbler.

 

Pickford has a good game sadly.

 

England has looked really tired this game. After 55 minutes I saw Stones, Kane, Rice breathing heavily for air.

Maybe all the kilometers with the airplane... The long season.

 

Argentina is the come back drama team this World Cup. England probably felt what Egypt felt, the win snatched away from them in last minutes as they could not hold the lead and it hurts a lot. Argentina probably feels it is their destiny; Spain will say other wise.