20 Jul 2026 13:20:00
The best team won, but overall there was a lot to dislike about this World Cup.
Let's start with the football. Some sendings off initially, but as the competiton progressed, players seemed to be getting away with all sorts, Paraguay and Argentina stand out. Whether conscious or not, it seemed Argentina were continually given the benefit of the doubt, the Egypt game in particular was the best example of applying rules inconsistently. Even last night I feared for the tesult as the ref seemed completely out of his depth.
A lot of matches were not good adverts for the game, the smaller teams packing everyone behind the ball and using low blocks to frustrate. I get why they do it, but it's horrible to watch. There were some awesome games too, with the meaninglss 3rd place game being the best of them but this is the World Cup, the pinnacle of the game.
The final was poor, if the referee had stamped down on the pettiness early on then a game of football may have broken out, but he let some dodgy challenges go and the tone was set. I hate the way Argentina play, its nasty and crass, bit if the ref let's them get away with it then they will just carry on.
As for England, I think we've covered it, Tuchel is not the Messiah and he made some terrible decisions, particularly in the semi-final. Taking players who were not fit or had not played, playing defenders in midfield, Bellingham dragged us to the semis.
Away from the football, apparently Infantino stipulated he had to be shown on screen at every game he attended, narcissism at its finest, and Gianni is a huge part of the problem, bending rules whenever he sees fit.
Alowing the US to essentially override established protocols was unnecessary and didn't improve the spectacle. Hydration breaks were there purely to allow adverts to be run and disrupted games, and do we really need a half time show and an extended break? I fear every World Cup will now do both of these things irrespective of where it is held. I know we want to put on a show but the Americanisation of the final was awful. Maybe I'm an old fart, maybe I'm not.
20 Jul 2026 15:59:29
Dreadful finals but par for the course when Trump has any involvement
20 Jul 2026 21:05:03
lol .Trump syndrome, let's blame Him for Argie behaviour, let's blame him for FIFA actions, Let's blame him for England losing, shall I go on.
20 Jul 2026 22:30:04
Blame him for armstronging the weaklings at fifa to allow a suspended player to play. Talk about pissing all over established laws of the game.
Horrible final. Hydration breaks ruined just about every game. First time I've seen half time go almost 30 mins, what an embarrassment. Rooney was asked what his favourite part about the half time show was and he said his favourite part was when it ended.
Argentina are a bunch of thugs, I couldn't be happier that they lost. I can bet they had the balon d'or lined up for Messi if they had won. They still might give it to him anyway. Possibly the best ever player in history, but the way he's often been carried by just about everyone irks me.
Anyway, look forward to United playing again.
20 Jul 2026 22:56:41
Enrubbishification or Americanisation
The World Cup was a joke
bang average no mark teams.
Political involvement on a Balagon, American by birth right who if born today there, he wouldn't be eligible and that just makes it funny
3rd place group qualification rewarding mediocrity.
Argentina clearly with a bye to the semifinals.
Refreshment breaks.
Too many teams.
Too many games.
Ticket prices.
Americans
Celebrity spotting
Diluted quality, spread thin for maximum ROI.
Russia>Qatar>USA
Progressively more corrupt.
Hosting World Cups in 3rd world bent countries isn't the way.
20 Jul 2026 23:11:44
Trump and the Argentine president are cut from the same cloth. Spain is Trump's least favourite European country, particularly because they refused to allow US troops use their bases.
Spain has a social democratic government and their team is a classic example of a "socialist" team in that it's greater than the sum of its parts. Other than Lamine Yamal, who didn't shine particularly, it's not a team relying on individual stars. Simon Critchley, in his very enjoyable book "What we Think about when we Think about Soccer/Football" cites Sartre's turning to football when thinking about the nature of organization. As Critchley notes: "What is taking place in an organized team is a never ceasing dialectic between the associative, collective activity of the group and the supportive, flourishing individual actions of the players whose being is only given through the team."
It's really the antithesis of most major American sports, with the continual stoppages allowing each play to be called by a management team.
The World Cup may have succeeded here both financially and as a spectacle, but let's hope the Americanizations that were adopted never take off.
Spain showed us that the sport, which is a metaphor for life, is all about the collective. Not even Messi could negate that.
21 Jul 2026 08:54:08
And football's showpiece starting late, because America had to have their anthem played.
Best moment was, 'F**k you, Gordon' ?