General World Cup Chat

[StanSP]

3 hours ago, AKCJ said:

I've only been watching football on the tele and it's been fantastic to fall in love with football again. Caught a serious case of World Cup fever and it's been so needed after years of misery following Leicester.

 

Nice to feel excited by goals again. Buzzing for tomorrow night.

Some of the games have been genuinely entertaining as well. Even if Leicester were having a good season or on a high, I'd have felt the same as I do now. 

 

World Cup football has always been special and I know there's a load of divisive politics at hand which can't ever be ignored, but on a fundamental level it's just football and majority of the games have delivered. Even if I am falling asleep at 11.20pm and missing the majority of the action for those late games

 

[AKCJ]

3 minutes ago, StanSP said:

Some of the games have been genuinely entertaining as well. Even if Leicester were having a good season or on a high, I'd have felt the same as I do now. 

 

World Cup football has always been special and I know there's a load of divisive politics at hand which can't ever be ignored, but on a fundamental level it's just football and majority of the games have delivered. Even if I am falling asleep at 11.20pm and missing the majority of the action for those late games

 

There's been very few games that hasn't had jeopardy of some sort.

 

A lot of the tiny nations have stepped up. The big players have largely performed. England were class. The host teams have all performed well. 

 

 

The only problem has been kick off times (that's to be expected) but I've enjoyed waking up and watching the highlights on the iPlayer without knowing the scores of overnight games. 

[Muzzy_no7]

I’ve enjoyed watching the likes of Austria and Canada..real breaths of fresh air. 
 

Uruguay however I have no idea what Bielsa is trying to do.

[skolfoxes]

4 hours ago, AKCJ said:

One question i've had re. the American tipping culture...

 

Are you expected to tip the person that pours your beer at a football stadium?

 

I can understanding tipping someone that serves your table or even the person that brings beer to your seat. But if you go downstairs and queue for a pint are you expected to leave a tip?

Went to Fenway Park last year for a Red Sox game, they literally have cans of beer in fridges and you pick up what you want, walk to front of the line, and put everything down on the counter. 

 

The machine on the counter somehow knows what you've got without needing to scan and all the attendant did was open the can for you, when it comes up to pay it asks for a tip (with 10%, 15% and 20% suggestions) and they're standing over your shoulder.

 

Being an absolute pussy I clicked 15% tip, went back to the seat and my mate who lives there was like 'nah you don't have to tip them' so didn't from then on and no one batted an eyelid.

 

I think it's different in bars where it's often the same person serving you each time and if you don't tip they'll just pretty much ignore you.

[davieG]

This Is Football ·

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The 2026 World Cup is proving to be a huge commercial success for American broadcasters, with Fox Sports and Telemundo both reporting significant jumps in viewership compared to Qatar 2022.

According to Nielsen data, Fox and FS1 have averaged 6 million viewers across the first 16 group stage matches, a 128% increase on the last tournament. Telemundo, whose coverage is also streamed on Peacock, has averaged 7.5 million viewers across their first 12 matches of the expanded 48-team tournament, a rise of 234%.

The standout figure came from the USMNT's opening game, a 4-1 win over Paraguay in Los Angeles, which drew 18 million viewers on Fox and its streaming platforms, plus a further 9.5 million on Telemundo. The combined total of 27.5 million set a new record for the most-watched World Cup match on both English and Spanish language television in the United States. It is the first time the tournament has been played on US soil since 1994, and numbers are expected to keep climbing the further Mauricio Pochettino's side progress.

Patrick Rishe, director of the sports business programme at Washington University in St Louis, said hosting the World Cup in North America has clearly had a major impact on ratings. Fox Sports president of insights and analytics Mike Mulvihill added that for many years sports audience numbers were under-counted, and that capturing viewing at fan fests, bars and watch parties is hugely valuable, estimating that more than 150 million people will have watched at least some part of Fox's coverage by the end of the tournament.

Fox paid $485 million for the English-language broadcast rights and has already recouped $250 million through in-game advertising tied to the controversial 3-minute hydration breaks introduced in each half. Mulvihill described the impact as being like having 2 NFL seasons in a single year. By comparison, Fox pays $2.25 billion annually for its NFL rights, meaning the World Cup fee represents just 21.5% of that figure, a bargain unlikely to be repeated when FIFA next sells its broadcast rights.

 

 

 

FIFa are going to make these Hydration/Advert breaks standard for all International games I'm convinced. With a view to making it 4 quarters eventually  with 10-15min quarters and 30 mins half time. It's coming.

[Footballwipe]

Also note that FOX got the TV rights for about 1/3 of what they're worth as FIFA did a sweetheart deal to stop them from taking legal action over their shift of 2022 to the winter, right in their prime NFL/College season.

[AyewJoking]

some games have been so crap i had to change channel but some very good games too and synical 43 year old me still feels the "magic" of the World Cup.

 

 

[Nalis]

Every world cup tries to force everyone to think theirs is the best.

 

Qatar was crap but got lucky they happen to be the venue of one of the best finals 

[Super_horns]

The Golden boot race is going to be very competitive and high scoring - almost be a record total I suspect.

[Fox92]

1 hour ago, Super_horns said:

The Golden boot race is going to be very competitive and high scoring - almost be a record total I suspect.

I was thinking the same. Usually between 5 and 7 wins it. Mbappe scored 8 last time which won it (obviously including a hat trick in the final).

 

This year Messi is already on 5 and Mbappe and Haaland are on 4, after only 2 games. Be interesting to see if Kane can get up there now we've got the "easier" games of the group remaining.

 

Just looking back at the figures actually and incredible that Gerd Muller scored 10 in 1970.

[Raj]

Is that ball abit different- some of them strikes are just going thro the goalies hands!

.

 

 

[leicsmac]

24 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

I was thinking the same. Usually between 5 and 7 wins it. Mbappe scored 8 last time which won it (obviously including a hat trick in the final).

 

This year Messi is already on 5 and Mbappe and Haaland are on 4, after only 2 games. Be interesting to see if Kane can get up there now we've got the "easier" games of the group remaining.

 

Just looking back at the figures actually and incredible that Gerd Muller scored 10 in 1970.

And Just Fontaine scored 13 (in six games) in 1958!

 

Think that record will take some breaking. 

[Silebyfox_89]

Got England, Croatia & Portugal (3+ goals in match) at almost 2-1 odds

[Super_horns]

1 hour ago, Raj said:

Is that ball abit different- some of them strikes are just going thro the goalies hands!

.

 

 

Joe Hart seems to think so .

[AKCJ]

31 minutes ago, Super_horns said:

Joe Hart seems to think so .

He's a brilliant pundit. Very articulate and he explains things rationally.

 

Most ex-keeper think too highly of themselves and think every shot should be saved or that "i'd have saved that".

 

His piece about goalkeepers being caught out by the pace of the ball was great.

[Muzzy_no7]

2 hours ago, Raj said:

Is that ball abit different- some of them strikes are just going thro the goalies hands!

.

 

 

There’s no doubt this ball is different to what most goalkeepers are used to.

 

Several goals now would’ve been relatively routine saves but because of the characteristics of this ball they’ve resulted in goals. 

[Lionator]

The permutations thing is so funny because so many people are trying to work things out but you won’t know a thing for sure until the final group game is completed. And I say this as an autistic man that loves a spreadsheet.  

[AKCJ]

9 minutes ago, Lionator said:

The permutations thing is so funny because so many people are trying to work things out but you won’t know a thing for sure until the final group game is completed. And I say this as an autistic man that loves a spreadsheet.  

The amount of people convinced we're going to play Portugal...

[CornwallFox]

Mbappe is definitely going to end his career as the highest world cup goalscorer by an absolute country mile. The lad is incredible. Despite Dembele's balon d'Or, mbappe is very much true star player. 

[shen]

5 minutes ago, CornwallFox said:

Mbappe is definitely going to end his career as the highest world cup goalscorer by an absolute country mile. The lad is incredible. Despite Dembele's balon d'Or, mbappe is very much true star player. 

Barring injury, yes. Unlike Messi, Mbappé's game is very much about speed. He could drop off massively, especially if he gets a bad injury.

[AKCJ]

8 minutes ago, CornwallFox said:

Mbappe is definitely going to end his career as the highest world cup goalscorer by an absolute country mile. The lad is incredible. Despite Dembele's balon d'Or, mbappe is very much true star player. 

He's also had the fortune of playing in one of the best national teams of all time. 

 

He'll finish on 30+ goals. I just hope Messi can bag enough to stay ahead of him for now and also to not be that far behind Mbappe's final total.

[Lionator]

3 hours ago, AKCJ said:

The amount of people convinced we're going to play Portugal...

You can work out roughly who we’d play especially later on through who’s winning groups but aside from that, guess second round match ups is literally impossible right now due to the amount of teams. 
 

I think the one you really want to avoid is Mexico in the last 16 at the Azteca which does kinda look nailed on. They’re not a great team but altitude, home crowd, our history there, it gives me bad vibes. 

Edited 23 June by Lionator

[AKCJ]

13 minutes ago, Lionator said:

You can work out roughly who we’d play especially later on through who’s winning groups but aside from that, guess second round match ups is literally impossible right now due to the amount of teams. 
 

I think the one you really want to avoid is Mexico in the last 16 at the Azteca which does kinda look nailed on. They’re not a great team but altitude, home crowd, our history there, it gives me bad vibes. 

If you can't beat Mexico then you might as well pack up and go home. Not a great side at all. Yes they're top of their group but it's a piss poor group (no surprise all three hosts have dead easy groups).

 

I get the point about altitude but they'll be sure to acclimatise. Plus it's a nice temperature there. Only low 20s with plenty of rain in the air.

 

Would rather finish 1st and play Mexico than come 2nd and play Spain.

 

I think the ultimate way out of the group would be to finish 3rd and play Colombia in the RO32 and then play Canada in the RO16  

[shen]

1 hour ago, AKCJ said:

He's also had the fortune of playing in one of the best national teams of all time. 

 

He'll finish on 30+ goals. I just hope Messi can bag enough to stay ahead of him for now and also to not be that far behind Mbappe's final total.

You obviously need luck with timing, sure. But I don't think France have had many dead-easy group stage matches either in their last few WCs. Their group this year is arguably the toughest of them all. Question is how good will Mbappé be at 35 years of age for the 2034 WC?

[theessexfox]

3 hours ago, Lionator said:

You can work out roughly who we’d play especially later on through who’s winning groups but aside from that, guess second round match ups is literally impossible right now due to the amount of teams. 
 

I think the one you really want to avoid is Mexico in the last 16 at the Azteca which does kinda look nailed on. They’re not a great team but altitude, home crowd, our history there, it gives me bad vibes. 

Looks like it’ll probably be Mexico vs Uruguay in the R32 to me (not sure if I’m being stupid), which could be a toss up.