2026 World Cup

[CWC1983]

3 hours ago, Vacamion said:

 

BBC Reporting Scotland (what we get up here instead of East Midlands Today) has run an hour long special, interviews with players, spectators, even with the commentators.

 

They interviewed some of the players as they emerged from their hotel.

 

I know these guys are pros and treat their bodies like a temple, but Kiernan Tierney looked ROUGH.

 

Eyes like a black sheep's rude bits.

 

I wondered what he was drinking last night - pints of Uranium?   

Spent all day going through social media watching the goals, the fan reactions in the stand, the fans in various pub across the county and anything else from last night. 

 

Came across the clips of the players emerging from the hotel this morning (blythwswood square)  and good on them for giving interviews on the move. 

 

Kenny McLean looks a grandad on the pitch, but a young wee ned on the streets 😀.

 

I'd imagine Kieren would be a Magners drinker....

[Jattdogg]

Scotland to win world cup finals over england? Lol

[The Year Of The Fox]

19 hours ago, The boy Linacre said:

So I've just retired and am pretty keen to go to at least a few games (any will do).  I applied for the Visa early ticket draw, no luck.

 

Then I also got this, I registered a year ago etc.;
Entry Completed

Your entry for the FIFA World Cup 26™ Early Ticket Draw has been completed. Thank you for submitting your entry.

A random selection draw will take place, which will determine if you are successful in being selected to purchase tickets. FIFA Ticketing will begin notifying you of your results no earlier than 7 November 2025.

If you are successful in the Early Ticket Draw, you will be given a date and time slot to purchase tickets (subject to availability), with time slots starting from 12 November 2025. Being successful in the draw does not guarantee that tickets will be available for any or all matches, as tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis and are subject to availability.

 

Anybody who might be going had any luck in any of these draws??  Wanted to get a jump on the draw at the beginning of Dec, but looks like no luck.

Value any suggestions

I’ve no intention of going, so can’t help there. 
 

All I can say is that you should still travel even without a ticket. Tournament football is brilliant to be around and you’ll likely pick tickets up out there 

[The boy Linacre]

4 hours ago, The Year Of The Fox said:

I’ve no intention of going, so can’t help there. 
 

All I can say is that you should still travel even without a ticket. Tournament football is brilliant to be around and you’ll likely pick tickets up out there 

Went in 1990 & Euro 96 but that was easy

[Scotch]

Talk again about Harvey Barnes switching to Scotland and I'm not sure how I feel about it. 

 

We've approached him a few times and he has knocked us back. You dont want players who aren't committed waltzing in and taking the place over lads who have done the graft to get us there but at the same time....

He's a cracking player in a position we are light in. Having him, McTominay and Gannon-Doak behind the striker with Ferguson and McGinn behind them would realistically be one of the better midfields at the world cup. 

[Sir Steve Howard]

25 minutes ago, Scotch said:

Talk again about Harvey Barnes switching to Scotland and I'm not sure how I feel about it. 

 

We've approached him a few times and he has knocked us back. You dont want players who aren't committed waltzing in and taking the place over lads who have done the graft to get us there but at the same time....

He's a cracking player in a position we are light in. Having him, McTominay and Gannon-Doak behind the striker with Ferguson and McGinn behind them would realistically be one of the better midfields at the world cup. 

He is English at the end of the day and before the injury he got for us in 2021 he was tearing it up and deserving of place in England squad.

Now though nowhere near England squad so would work well for all parties if he went for Scot

[Scotch]

1 minute ago, Sir Steve Howard said:

He is English at the end of the day and before the injury he got for us in 2021 he was tearing it up and deserving of place in England squad.

Now though nowhere near England squad so would work well for all parties if he went for Scot

Oh, I don't blame him for knocking us back. Not at all. Especially since the connection to us is through grandparents. Not even like what McTominay has with his dad being Scottish. I just worry about the harmony of the squad when players start getting dropped for guys who don't really want to be there and are just doing it as a last resort to play at a WC. 

 

That being said, on the field it would improve us massively and give us balance to the side. 

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

Barnes would be 100% withdrawing from squads due to injury after the World Cup if Scotland called him up. The timing of him suddenly fancying it is hilarious, not even trying to hide barely being arsed, fair play.

[Finnegan]

45 minutes ago, Scotch said:

realistically be one of the better midfields at the world cup. 

 

The words "one of" doing a lot of heavy lifting there

 

[NAKC20]

Wales at home to Bosnia & Herzegovina in the play offs

[NAKC20]

Republic of Ireland away to the Czech Republic

[Finnegan]

Not a great draw, Italy probably the only team in the whole thing (other than the Irelands but that's just because I wanted us all to qualify) I wanted to avoid. Not that I'm assuming we'll beat Bosnia. 

 

The draw implies we'd be at home if we win, though. Surely the highest seed (Italy) are at home? 

 

Edit: home / away in the final was drawn randomly (semi 1 vs semi 2) per path. Way to over complicate, FIFA. 

 

Edited 20 November 2025 by Finnegan

[shen]

4 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

Not a great draw, Italy probably the only team in the whole thing (other than the Irelands but that's just because I wanted us all to qualify) I wanted to avoid. Not that I'm assuming we'll beat Bosnia. 

 

The draw implies we'd be at home if we win, though. Surely the highest seed (Italy) are at home? 

 

Good memories of play-offs in Dublin. I'll be jealous of North Macedonia 

[Super_horns]

Tough ties for all the home nations and Irish .

Wales at home twice potentially though .

Intercontinental play off draw .

New Caledonia/Jamaica v DR Congo
Bolivia/Suriname v Iraq

[purpleronnie]

21 minutes ago, Super_horns said:

Tough ties for all the home nations and Irish .

Wales at home twice potentially though .

Intercontinental play off draw .

New Caledonia/Jamaica v DR Congo
Bolivia/Suriname v Iraq

Wales at home will test any team, italy aren't close to the team they used to be.,,,of course were assuming they'll get past Northern Ireland.

 

Rep Of Ireland I don't think will fear the czech's and denmark at home, pfft pretty decent draw imo.

[Finnegan]

20 minutes ago, purpleronnie said:

italy aren't close to the team they used to be

 

They'll be extremely fired up and they have a lot more quality than us. 

 

[purpleronnie]

1 hour ago, Finnegan said:

 

They'll be extremely fired up and they have a lot more quality than us. 

 

But you always think you're going to lose.

[Finnegan]

22 minutes ago, purpleronnie said:

But you always think you're going to lose.

 

I'm a Wales and Leicester fan, do you expect me to have any optimism left?

 

[Lionator]

4 hours ago, Finnegan said:

 

They'll be extremely fired up and they have a lot more quality than us. 

 

Didn’t help them in the play offs for the last two world cups. At home you can beat them. 

[Scotch]

Do all the play off winners go into pot 4? 

[RowlattsFox]

Seeing the pots reminded me there are 12 groups, what a absolute farce. 

[Super_horns]

1 hour ago, Scotch said:

Do all the play off winners go into pot 4? 

Not sure if it’s been decided yet .

[shen]

2 hours ago, Scotch said:

Do all the play off winners go into pot 4? 

It's probably down to World Cup performance and FIFA rankings as well as federation. Isn't that how it's usually done? Mainly to ensure that the big South American and European teams avoid eliminating eachother at the group stage. 

If Italy qualify, there's no chance they'll be in the same pot as e.g. Curacao.

[RowlattsFox]

Surely they'll be in pot 4 because the draw is made before the playoffs? 

[Corky]

It is groups of three now? No need for Pot 4?