FIFA World Cup 2026

[Captain Obvious]

All 12 group winners and 12 second-place teams advance, but also the eight best third-place teams. It is going to be a long tedious group phase, not many games you would care about as a neutral in any of the groups.

Time enough watching a few games at the 1/4 finals then, anything up to that point will be shíte.

Nearly as bad as the shadow boxing group stages in the Champions league.

Knock out stages before I'll probably watch any of this world cup. 

[RedHand88]

Looking forward to  the Uzbekistan v Doctor Congo  match. Sure to be a sell  out

Apparently they are looking at a 64  team tournament for 2034. Not sure if that will succeed , but  there's no going back to 32 or less , now we've got  a 48 team tournament .

We might just manage qualification for that one.

Nah Europe will probably be 1 of the extra 16 spots

[gawa316]

$261 the cheapest for Alegera v Jordan

USA Paraguay cheapest is $1400

[Look-Up!]

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/48514008/world-cup-fans-metlife-stadium-pay150-dollar-train-fares-nj-transit

What a shit show for genuine fans.

[JollyGreenGiant]

This will be the content World Cup.

If you remember Salt Bae's famous performance after the 2022 WC Final had ended, we will see this on steroids in the US. All the way up to (and including) Infantino and Trump presenting the trophy and standing on the winners plinth.

Of course, there will be a preference for Ronaldo to be on that plinth and the final will be a content creation extravaganza like you wouldn't believe.

Of course, any of us who recall USA '94 will be saddened by what the game has become in the interim.

[tiempo]

Prophetic Apres Match sketch in 98

No football team will win this tournament. This tournament will be won by the faceless empires of corporate greed. The Jules Rimet trophy has become hijacked by the world of big business bastards, sold to the TV networks of Satan. There will be a final on July 12th. It will have no soul. It will be Snickers versus Nike.

The US deserve to host the worst World Cup ever, I'm sure they'll go some way to achieving it through their sheer greed and lack of self awareness

[JoG2]

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/48514008/world-cup-fans-metlife-stadium-pay150-dollar-train-fares-nj-transit

What a shit show for genuine fans.

"This isn't price gouging," NJ Transit president and CEO Kris Kolluri told reporters Friday. ...gaslighting is a major part of the psyche of the states.

[J70]

As one of the suckers who has row ZZ tickets to one of the group games and who will be forced to pay this, I'm in two minds. If the costs are really that high for an already struggling transit system, why should they be borne by the NJ taxpayer? I would have considered driving, but the stadium car parking is closed for the games. The only way to get most people in and out of NYC to the games is through NJ Transit trains and buses. There are no footpaths to allow walking in from surrounding towns.

The obvious question though is what is different about these events to Giants/Jets games and the summer European soccer friendlies and stadium concerts?

[RedHand88]

This will be the content World Cup.

If you remember Salt Bae's famous performance after the 2022 WC Final had ended, we will see this on steroids in the US. All the way up to (and including) Infantino and Trump presenting the trophy and standing on the winners plinth.

Of course, there will be a preference for Ronaldo to be on that plinth and the final will be a content creation extravaganza like you wouldn't believe.

Of course, any of us who recall USA '94 will be saddened by what the game has become in the interim.

This is what I was thinking of when I was reading about the extortionate train prices. I'm sure this didn't happen in 94, so what's changed? Why is it so much more expensive now to host? Is it the extra teams? Security?

[thewobbler]

As one of the suckers who has row ZZ tickets to one of the group games and who will be forced to pay this, I'm in two minds. If the costs are really that high for an already struggling transit system, why should they be borne by the NJ taxpayer? I would have considered driving, but the stadium car parking is closed for the games. The only way to get most people in and out of NYC to the games is through NJ Transit trains and buses. There are no footpaths to allow walking in from surrounding towns.

The obvious question though is what is different about these events to Giants/Jets games and the summer European soccer friendlies and stadium concerts?

What is different?

FIFA has evolved from an organisation that greased its own members palms in an underhand, sneaky way, into a neoliberal cartel that quite openly abuses and profiteers every privilege bestowed on it by its forefathers.

Gianni Infantino is the devil incarnate.

[Tony Baloney]

As one of the suckers who has row ZZ tickets to one of the group games and who will be forced to pay this, I'm in two minds. If the costs are really that high for an already struggling transit system, why should they be borne by the NJ taxpayer? I would have considered driving, but the stadium car parking is closed for the games. The only way to get most people in and out of NYC to the games is through NJ Transit trains and buses. There are no footpaths to allow walking in from surrounding towns.

The obvious question though is what is different about these events to Giants/Jets games and the summer European soccer friendlies and stadium concerts?

What is different?

FIFA has evolved from an organisation that greased its own members palms in an underhand, sneaky way, into a neoliberal cartel that quite openly abuses and profiteers every privilege bestowed on it by its forefathers.

Gianni Infantino is the devil incarnate.

When you're a mate of Trump's you don't need to bother with backroom deals or sleight of hand.

[AustinPowers]

As one of the suckers who has row ZZ tickets to one of the group games and who will be forced to pay this, I'm in two minds. If the costs are really that high for an already struggling transit system, why should they be borne by the NJ taxpayer? I would have considered driving, but the stadium car parking is closed for the games. The only way to get most people in and out of NYC to the games is through NJ Transit trains and buses. There are no footpaths to allow walking in from surrounding towns.

The obvious question though is what is different about these events to Giants/Jets games and the summer European soccer friendlies and stadium concerts?

What is different?

FIFA has evolved from an organisation that greased its own members palms in an underhand, sneaky way, into a neoliberal cartel that quite openly abuses and profiteers every privilege bestowed on it by its forefathers.

Gianni Infantino is the devil incarnate.

Well put

Unfortunately when the  action starts, most people seem  to forget these things.  And if Ireland had qualified, thousands of Irish would have travelled , spending  ridiculous amounts of money to  support the team.

We are  all being conned, swindled and  shafted, and we accept  it. We'll  be glued to it , and we know it.

[gallsman]

neoliberal

Does anyone who uses this word actually know what it means?

What is different this time is that various levels of government are prepared to tell FIFA to f**k off. The WC is an enormous money spinner for FIFA (it is famously loss making the other three years) because it gets someone else to pay for it, be that sponsors or taxpayers. Then they f**k off and leave Joe soap paying for it for years to come. Same as the Olympics.

Of course because Infantino is so in bed with Trump, he refuses to say almost anything critical so will simply let the fans bear far more of the cost than normal.

On the NJ transit side I've absolutely no issue with them looking to cover their costs but at the prices that have been announced, there is undoubtedly an enormous margin in it for them. I'm not aware of any enormous infrastructure upgrades that have had to be made for it so essentially what you're really talking about is putting on a few more trains and buses.

[Wildweasel74]

Hey, they put in the bid to get the,World cup, u can suck up the costs like anybody else. Had they put forward this tranportation costs they wouldnt got it!!

[An Watcher]

Maybe I'm just getting older and grumpier.  Enjoyed every wc since 1986 but this one just isn't doing it for me.  Not sure if its Trump, the absence of ireland or just how shit soccer is becoming as a spectacle.  Hopefully this will change when it kicks off