World Cup 2026

[coalman]

3 hours ago, CSA96 said:

FIFA President Gianni Infantino: 

“I have seen the public comments regarding the decision of the independent FIFA Disciplinary Committee related to the suspension of Folarin Balogun, and I would like to reiterate a fundamental principle of FIFA’s governance.

“FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them. Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected.

“Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues. During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies. That is how FIFA’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold.

“I read the decisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee when they are issued. Sometimes I am surprised by them. Sometimes I agree with them, and sometimes I disagree.

“What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them. Whether we personally like a decision or not is irrelevant. Respect for independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and the credibility of FIFA at all times.”

Methinks the baldie doth protest too much.

[adrian lord]

POR-SPA is a muted affair so far. 

Chris Sutton is incredibly disagreeable. 

[Dark Munster]

38 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

Southgate has completely changed the culture around the international team and it's relationship with the fans. He's laid the foundation for future sides to genuinely compete in a way we never could from late 90s to mid 2010s because of the club cliques.

One thing I give Southgate credit for, is he took penalty shoot outs seriously, getting the squad fully prepared for them. Except for Venables, all his predecessors didn't bother ("why practice, you can't replicate the pressure of the real one?" bullshit). Hence England's appalling record before he took over. Venables did have 5 players fully prepared, but didn't realise that it could go beyond 5 kicks. As we found out in the Euro semi-final at Wembley against Germany in 1996.

[Window Cleaner]

A half of good saves and wasted chances.

[Lord Duckhunter]

18 minutes ago, Dark Munster said:

One thing I give Southgate credit for, is he took penalty shoot outs seriously, getting the squad fully prepared for them

Yeah it was great the way he brought 2 subs on specifically to take penalties….and then both missed. 
 

There’s a reason he hasn’t got a job since leaving the England job. I doubt there’s one set of premier league supporters who would want him as manager. 

[Convict Colony]

25 minutes ago, adrian lord said:

POR-SPA is a muted affair so far. 

Chris Sutton is incredibly disagreeable. 

agree and I was only watching for the hotties and random US celebs no one knows until the commentator is fed "that Christy mcfuck fuck, famous woman's football in the US in the 80s" and seen none.

[Stripey McStripe Shirt]

Hilarious how shit Ronaldo is these days. Mad that he still gets selected for international duty.

[Sheaf Saint]

29 minutes ago, coalman said:

Methinks the baldie doth protest too much.

It's mental isn't it. 

We all know he's lying.

He knows that everyone knows he's lying, and he also knows there's absolutely fuck all anyone can do about it.

[revolution saint]

Appreciate they’re good technical teams and all that but Spain v Portugal is very dull.

[Sarnia Cherie]

13 hours ago, Badger said:

I wonder what the lead news item is in Scotland this morning 

I have a Scottish son-in-law who has been as much fun as a dose of haemorrhoids since Scotland's pathetic performances and early exit.  He is full of the joys this morning. 

[Oldandtired]

16 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

It's mental isn't it. 

We all know he's lying.

He knows that everyone knows he's lying, and he also knows there's absolutely fuck all anyone can do about it.

He's obviously learnt a lot from his time in America.

[Sheaf Saint]

Well I was expecting this game to be the battle of the Iberian Peninsula, but it's been drab so far. Both teams happy to play for penalties it seems.

[egg]

2 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Well I was expecting this game to be the battle of the Iberian Peninsula, but it's been drab so far. Both teams happy to play for penalties it seems.

Yep. Really boring game. That said, Norway/Brazil, us/Mexico, are hard acts to follow. 

[John Boy Saint]

I have to say reading all this cobblers about Southgate is just like a Saints game match thread “this is s**t” “this is terrible” “ he should’nt be near the team” 2 minutes later every pit pony wearing a Saints shirt is a bleeding god because we’ve smashed in 2 goals. 

For England  International tournaments, after the hullabaloo of 1966 we have been pretty pants flattered to deceive - no World Cups from 1970 to 1982 (where we got nobbled) - in general we had been pretty grim for well over 20 years.  Then a quiet chap turns up who “missed that bloody penalty” - “did bugger all a Boro” - but he gets hold of England and suddenly there is hope, we are getting in and around the business end of tournaments - yes we should have won one of them, at least,  but England were where everyone with an opinion thought they should be in the tournaments in the 20 plus years previously. 
He deserves all the plaudits he’s got from within Football - yes we could have done better - but after 20 years of abject tournament performance Gareth Southgate gave England fans hope more tangible than many had felt before and not just once.

That’s my  tuppence ha’penny worth - he doesn’t deserve the some of the slagging he’s been getting on here! 

[whelk]

3 minutes ago, egg said:

Yep. Really boring game. That said, Norway/Brazil, us/Mexico, are hard acts to follow. 

Norway Brazil was pretty shit until the last 20 mins

[Saint Pete]

4 hours ago, CSA96 said:

FIFA President Gianni Infantino: 

“I have seen the public comments regarding the decision of the independent FIFA Disciplinary Committee related to the suspension of Folarin Balogun, and I would like to reiterate a fundamental principle of FIFA’s governance.

“FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them. Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected.

“Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues. During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies. That is how FIFA’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold.

“I read the decisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee when they are issued. Sometimes I am surprised by them. Sometimes I agree with them, and sometimes I disagree.

“What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them. Whether we personally like a decision or not is irrelevant. Respect for independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and the credibility of FIFA at all times.”

Absolute bullshit from the corrupter in chief but what else would we expect? So these independent Fifa disciplinary committees are just applying the rules and regs as they always would do, yet have done something that has never happened in a World Cup before with red cards?! OK... 

And he seems to be trying to distance himself from the decisions they make as they are "independent" and sometimes he agrees with them and sometimes doesn't. So is he saying that he as Fifa President isn't independent then?! 

[Turkish]

And there it is, injury time winner for Spain 

[Turkish]

36 minutes ago, Stripey McStripe Shirt said:

Hilarious how shit Ronaldo is these days. Mad that he still gets selected for international duty.

He was shocking in the last euros too, still plays every minute of every game somehow 

[Stripey McStripe Shirt]

Just now, Turkish said:

And there it is, injury time winner for Spain 

Thank fuck it's not going to extra time.