FIFA World Cup 2026

[Watandar]

A long but interesting read. Article covers how the US won the 2026 bid after losing 2022. It describes some of the inner workings of FIFA and how countries bid for the tournament.

How the World Cup Became Trump’s Trophy

A decade of diplomatic maneuvering, global intrigue and trilateral deal-making — and how it all ended up in one president’s hands.

www.politico.com

 

[Watandar]

I am seeing from countries I have never heard of before like "Curacao". Where is this place and how did they qualify ??

You have teams from places like Cote D Ivoire !!! How did Pakistan fail to qualify ?

 

[Dalit]

I am seeing from countries I have never heard of before like "Curacao". Where is this place and how did they qualify ??

You have teams from places like Cote D Ivoire !!! How did Pakistan fail to qualify ?

Curaçao is a tiny island colonised by the Dutch. Don't underestimate the players. In fact many big players in the Dutch national team and other European nations/clubs belong to such tiny islands in the Caribbean. They produce wonderful and physically strong players. The problem is that they don't have world class facilities. These are poor countries/islands. Often these players gain Western nationalities or are adopted by Western parents they develop into very good players.

Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling, Virgil van Dijk, Cole Palmer and so many others all belong to the Caribbean.

 

[ghazi52]

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[ghazi52]

Lyari, Karachi, Pakistan.

 

[PK781]

disappointed by the Bosnian and Paraguay teams so far........they keep playing in their half and barely made moves to penetrate the other D.
But thats a 48-team event so there will be dud matches where one team is just shit lol

 

[Yellow is Okay]

I am seeing from countries I have never heard of before like "Curacao". Where is this place and how did they qualify ??

You have teams from places like Cote D Ivoire !!! How did Pakistan fail to qualify ?

CONCACAF went from 3.5 slots in 2022 WC to 8 in 2026 WC, and the US, Canada and Mexico are already in as hosts. Asia has 9 slots, but they are spread across a much deeper pool. Outside Korea, Japan and Australia, the quality is pretty even, and the Central Asian sides have become competitive so much that I would rate them comfortably above the second-tier CONCACAF teams like Haiti, Panama or Jamaica.

 

[ghazi52]

Live....

Qatar vs Switzerland Live Streams - Buffstreams

Stream Qatar vs Switzerland live now on BuffStreams. Don’t miss a single FIFA World Cup moment!

buffstreams.plus

 

[ghazi52]

Fans on concourses instead of in seats, claims Fifa​

South Korea came from behind to beat Czech Republic 2-1

Mike Peter
BBC Sport journalist
12 June 2026

Fifa says numerous empty seats were visible in the near-sell-out Group A match between South Korea and the Czech Republic because of fans remaining on concourses.

Football's world governing body announced an attendance of 44,985 at the 46,000-seat Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, leading to accusations they exaggerated the number of people in the stadium.

The discrepancy followed pre-tournament criticism of ticket pricing and questions over demand for a number of matches in the expanded 48-team World Cup.

"Official attendance figures reflect the number of tickets scanned and spectators present within the stadium footprint, rather than visual assessments of seating occupancy at any given moment during the match," Fifa said.

"Fifa works closely with stadium authorities and ticketing teams to ensure all published figures are based on verified operational data.



Czech Republic are playing in their first World Cup for 20 years

Swathes of empty seats appeared after half-time in Friday's game between Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina, but steadily began to fill up.

More than 80,000 fans attended the Azteca stadium to watch the opening game between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa, and it was mostly Mexican fans in attendance at Estadio Akron for Thursday's later fixture.