FIFA World Cup 2026

[Yommie]

Spain vs Argentina promo

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[Master Chief]

@Aziqbal

England should have been playing Egypt

Egypt shouldn't have been in R32, let alone R16. A goal by Iran was disgracefully disallowed by cheating FIFA VAR. The goal should have stood and EGY knocked out of the WC and braveheart Iran stride into R32. The Egyptians should be ashamed of themselves.

Regards

Egypt had indeed already assured qualification before their final group G match vs. Iran.

Bel 1 - 1 Egy
NZ 2 - 2 Iran
Bel 0 - 0 Iran
Egy 3 - 1 NZ

Points at this stage:
Egy 4
Bel 2
Iran 2
NZ 1

Egypt could not finish 4th from here. Therefore, Egypt would have been AT LEAST 3rd place with 4 pts and every 3rd placed team on 4 pts qualified.

Iran's disallowed goal against Egypt was indeed offside.

I'm curious as to why you have fallen for the youtube propaganda clearly posted by people who don't seem to understand the offside rule.

 

[Master Chief]

When are the finals?

Sunday 8pm UK time.

 

[Aziqbal]

They remind me of the hords of the orcs lmao

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totally classless and I mean no class at all

but then again they also support Israel

Yamine Yamal will inshallah raise the Palestinian flag after they defeat Argentina

 

[K2RULEZ]

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[K2RULEZ]

Ex-Spanish PM Rajoy: French World Cup team is playing 'without Frenchmen'

Rajoy's comment, an apparent reference to the fact that the French men's World Cup squad includes people who either have immigrant backgrounds or hail from former French colonies, sparked widespread condemnation.

Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has sparked controversy after saying that France's football team plays "without Frenchmen."

Ex-Spanish PM Rajoy: French World Cup team playing 'without Frenchmen'

Rajoy's comment, an apparent reference to the fact that the French men's World Cup squad includes people who either have immigrant backgrounds or hail from former French colonies, sparked widespread condemnation. #EuropeNews

www.euronews.com

 

[K2RULEZ]

For anyone thinking that Spain or any other European nation is a role model for the rest think again.

 

[ghazi52]

 

[ghazi52]

How Argentina gained a foothold after England's start​

In the first half, England looked to press Argentina high.

Wingers Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers were tasked with pressing the two Argentina central defenders – angling their body in a way that made finding the full-backs harder for goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and his centre-backs, Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez.

For Argentina, it felt like the simpler passes were on through the middle of the pitch, but in playing these they fell into England's trap early on.

Rogers and Gordon pressed to prevent Martinez finding his full-backs. Harry Kane and the midfielders took a more man-to-man approach centrally. Martinez went long from this situation.
Jude Bellingham was positioned deeper than Argentina might have expected. Rather than leading the press, he was being asked to pay close attention to Enzo Fernandez. Declan Rice did the same with Alexis Mac Allister and Elliot Anderson found himself paired up to Messi.

England wanted to physically bully Argentina when the World Cup holders tried to play their famously central-focused football.

The England midfield trio, showing energy early on, did well to stifle Argentina. Anderson in particular was snappy, early to his duels, smothering Messi well.

In the 10th minute, Anderson intercepts a pass intended for Lionel Messi. This front-footedness and anticipation was seen throughout the first half.
But Messi, like Fernandez and Mac Allister, began to grow into the game.

 

[ghazi52]

How Messi masterclass mangled England hopes​

England gave Argentina & Messi 'too much respect'

England scored through Anthony Gordon in the 55th minute and held the lead for half an hour.

Fernandez struck a brilliant equaliser in the 85th minute, after Messi picked him out near the edge of the penalty area.

Lautaro Martinez then won the game in stoppage time with a header from Messi's cross.

Between Gordon's goal and Argentina's equaliser, England had only 12% of the ball which meant they spent most of the second half defending in deep positions.

It became a tussle of Argentina's attack versus England's defence, which lived a charmed life for a while.

Argentina persisted though, with Messi exploiting weaknesses in England's structure and flaws in individual players' habits to inspire his side's comeback.

After getting some joy against Messi in the early stages of the game, Anderson's front-footed approach became less effective with Messi adapting on the fly to his direct opponent's playing style.

In fact, Messi began to use Anderson's aggression against him. He held the ball for as long as possible, drawing the 23-year-old out, before flicking the ball around the corner for team-mates in the knowledge there was now space to attack in the zone Anderson had vacated.

 

[ghazi52]

Recognising space and creating tension​

England focused on blocking space centrally, looking to defend their lead and stop Argentina playing their natural game.

Messi left his central position and instead stood where space emerged. Against England's deep and centrally compact shape, this space was either deep – in front of England's block – or wide on the right touchline.

By moving into these empty spaces unmarked, Messi was either free to receive the ball with time and space, or he would drag players towards him, disorganising England's block and opening up space elsewhere.

The positions he took up were unorthodox, but they allowed him to grasp control of the game with his familiarly impressive dribbling and passing.

Messi took up positions in empty spaces, which posed difficult questions for England's defenders who had to decide whether to hold their shape or apply pressure

 

[ghazi52]

How Argentina undid Tuchel's tactical tweaks​

Argentina committed many attackers into the box when the ball was crossed, which explains Tuchel's move to a back five – looking to gain numerical equality in the box.

But the England head coach's decision to move to a 5-3-2 suited the game Messi had decided to play.

With England's back five pinned deep, the three central midfielders struggled to cover the width of the pitch.

Messi recognised this and was able to then play closer to goal but still in that deeper, right-sided role.

England's 5-3-2 was drawn towards the ball on the left side of the pitch. Shifting play towards the right, Messi would hold his position in space outside the third central midfielder of England, in this example, Morgan Rogers.

 

[ghazi52]

Why England's loss to Argentina felt like most painful in 60 years of hurt​

Jude Bellingham and his England team-mates were dejected at the full-time whistle
Phil McNulty
Chief football writer in Atlanta
16 July 2026

England's years of hurt will now stretch beyond 60, but the late collapse to a World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina may just be the most painful wound of all.

The clock inside the magnificent Atlanta Stadium showed England were five minutes of normal time away from ending the wait for a men's World Cup final that stretches back to 1966, when they lifted the Jules Rimet trophy at Wembley.

England's players and head coach Thomas Tuchel had immortality in their hands as they led through Anthony Gordon's 55th-minute goal.

Their grasp, however, was being loosened by catastrophic decision making from Tuchel that instigated wave after wave of Argentina attacks orchestrated by Lionel Messi.