World Cup 2026

[Northumbriana]

I think a case could be made for every player, official manager of all the teams that took part at the world cup to be given a commentary medal showing they took part, and only the cup should be awarded to the winner,

No. Everyone else should be jeered and derided like the losers they are. It's the only way they'll learn.

 

[EYFanatic]

And as for VAR, they review everything in the background don’t they? Yesterday they just didn’t consider anything to be a red card offence, which is fair enough. There really weren’t any

Really...?
So you don't consider an elbow to the back of the neck that could have done serious injury or damage to be a red card offence?

 

[Northumbriana]

I'm not so sure if Tuchel will remain in charge as given Tuchel expressed disappointment in the team post Norway and Argentina matches I have to wonder if there might be a disconnect between him and some of the players? And seeing as Tuchel pretty much did what Southgate did in a World Cup semi-final maybe the FA will be asking questions. Last night is the type of match we should have expected better from under a different manager.

If the FA speak to anyone else I hope one of the questions will be what would they have done differently against Argentina post Gordon's goal. I don't think Pep would be too much of a long shot.

 

[YorkshireBear]

And this English "gallant losers" mentality is why we'll never win a World Cup in my lifetime. If your objective is to win the World Cup, which England's surely must have been, then going out in the semi finals is just as bad as going out in the group stages - it's failure whichever way you look at it.

I'm a fan I had no influence on the outcome. I don't take the same attitude in work I have control over, as my colleagues would attest to.

Me being miserable all day and criticising tuchel isn't going to help me so I chose to see the positives.....

 

[brad465]

I'm not so sure if Tuchel will remain in charge as given Tuchel expressed disappointment in the team post Norway and Argentina matches I have to wonder if there might be a disconnect between him and some of the players? And seeing as Tuchel pretty much did what Southgate did in a World Cup semi-final maybe the FA will be asking questions. Last night is the type of match we should have expected better from under a different manager.

If the FA speak to anyone else I hope one of the questions will be what would they have done differently against Argentina post Gordon's goal. I don't think Pep would be too much of a long shot.

The FA came up with St George's Park and other elite player academy structures that has helped produced several of the star players in the current national team, and the result is clearly visible in the 2018-2026 form being far better than the 21st century prior to this.

If the limiting factor is now how the national team is managed, perhaps what the FA need to do is expand the academy setup to include coaching/management. As a bonus, we might get better English managers in the Premier League and potentially exported abroad as well, as this is clearly something we cannot do well (of the 20 Premier League clubs in the upcoming season, only 5 of them are British, compared to 12/20 La Liga managers being Spanish).

 

[martin butler]

If the manager has lost the dressing room, then there's only the door marked exit, I will agree, the FA do need to do more for coaches and managers, Now i suppose the question will be, is Tuchel the right man going forward to the Euros,

is it time to change now? My view is that the England manager should always be someone who has had success in the British and euro league, so Someone like Pep, might be a good option, especially if some England players played under him at club level.

 

[Trackman]

Third place would still be the best performance at a World Cup in 60 years.

Honestly I don't think we should be too unhappy with the result overall, especially if we can win the playoff.

That's the way I look at it too, nothing to be ashamed of, and I think England were seeded fourth.

The "bronze" game is an utter waste of time and energy. Just say that both sides defeated in the semi finals finished third, give them all a medal and send them home. Hardly anyone cares about this game.

I remember the last Euros sweep at the local pub, these were sealed envelopes with your name on it (£10 a go) and opened after the final. During the semi-finals I looked at the prize list and it mentioned the 3rd place play off prize - I had to break the news to them there isn't one, all the bar staff and landlord/landlady were googling this on their phones as they didn't believe me! There was a 3rd place playoff in the Euros once upon a time.

 

[AlterEgo]

My view is that the England manager should always be someone who has had success in the British and euro league

Why? International teams don't play there.

 

[Northumbriana]

The FA came up with St George's Park and other elite player academy structures that has helped produced several of the star players in the current national team, and the result is clearly visible in the 2018-2026 form being far better than the 21st century prior to this.

If the limiting factor is now how the national team is managed, perhaps what the FA need to do is expand the academy setup to include coaching/management. As a bonus, we might get better English managers in the Premier League and potentially exported abroad as well, as this is clearly something we cannot do well (of the 20 Premier League clubs in the upcoming season, only 5 of them are British, compared to 12/20 La Liga managers being Spanish).

Yeah, I agree with that. Perhaps someone like Guardiola would be a good choice to oversee that alongside managing the national team?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

There was a 3rd place playoff in the Euros once upon a time.

Binned off after the 1980 tournament. 3rd place that year went to Czechoslovakia (on penalties). They'd also finished 3rd in 1960.

 

[brad465]

Yeah, I agree with that. Perhaps someone like Guardiola would be a good choice to oversee that alongside managing the national team?

He would definitely be one of the best, assuming he can adapt to the task (but I would assume so as he's adapted plenty in his management career). But this of course depends on him wanting the job and not being pinched by another club/national team first (a manager of his calibre will not remain available for long).

I had a look at Eddie Howe's background, as he's also being talked about, and, to further reinforce our lack of ability to produce high quality home-grown coaches, Howe got his coaching qualifications with the Irish FA it seems.

 

[Purple Train]

I'm a fan I had no influence on the outcome. I don't take the same attitude in work I have control over, as my colleagues would attest to.

Me being miserable all day and criticising tuchel isn't going to help me so I chose to see the positives.....

Well said.

I really don't think Tuchel's lost the dressing room. We'll see how things pan out after the play-off.

 

[43096]

standard Arg outhousery. Don't give them the rise they want.

Throw them out! Throw them out!

 

[Haywain]

Well said.

I really don't think Tuchel's lost the dressing room. We'll see how things pan out after the play-off.

Agreed. And it's typical that we should give the opposition no credit for their part in the result.

 

[EYFanatic]

You know, I have seen Arsene Wenger at the England matches... You don't suppose the legend could come out of retirement?

 

[brad465]

You know, I have seen Arsene Wenger at the England matches... You don't suppose the legend could come out of retirement?

He's 76 and I doubt he'd go back to management. Besides, if he was going to manage anyone, the French national team's managerial post is becoming vacant, I imagine he'd more likely go for that.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Third place would still be the best performance at a World Cup in 60 years.

Honestly I don't think we should be too unhappy with the result overall, especially if we can win the playoff.

Its worth remembering that before yesterday England had only been in two world cup semi finals since 1966. So a third seni final is actually achieving quite a lot when you compare historically.

 

[SuspectUsual]

The issue with just looking at the outcome is that it lacks context. I think you need to consider both the what and the how, and also the what if.

England had a place in the final of the World Cup in the palm of their hand last night, and imploded. That's why so many people are so disappointed.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Agreed. And it's typical that we should give the opposition no credit for their part in the result.

Absolutely I told anyone who would listen today, Argentina were very very good and Messi is still one of the best players in the world.

 

[brad465]

You could not make this up; somehow Messi did a charity photoshoot nearly 20 years ago with a baby that is now about to face him in the World Cup final, that being Lamine Yamal:

Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal: Bath photograph story explained before Spain vs Argentina World Cup final

BBC Sport explores a bond between two world-class footballers from different generations who appear bound by destiny

www.bbc.co.uk

The greatest footballer of all-time and the heir to his crown on the right wing at Barcelona will face each other for the first time when Argentina play Spain in Sunday's World Cup final.

Given Lionel Messi is now 39 and Lamine Yamal just 19, it is testament to the former's relentless perseverance and the latter's precocious talent that a match featuring both can take place at all, never mind in the sport's greatest fixture.

But this is far from the first time the two have crossed paths.

That happened in 2007, when a 20-year-old Messi had recently become a regular starter for Barcelona, and Lamine Yamal was only five months old.

The meeting is documented in a series of photographs taken by Joan Monfort.

They resurfaced two years ago, when Lamine Yamal helped Spain win Euro 2024, as his father posted one online with the caption "The beginning of two legends".

In the photos, a smiling Messi is cradling and bathing a tiny baby boy who would inexplicably follow so closely in his footballing footsteps.

"It is a true miracle of destiny", Monfort tells BBC Sport.

"It is serendipity - when you find something extra special, so much bigger than you ever thought.

"If you wrote this in a film it would not seem possible."

 

[yoyothehobo]

Looking at the teams beforehand, i definitely think England were the weakest of the semi finalists and as a lot of the pundits have said, we got there through moments of individual brilliance rather than playing teams off the pitch.

We werent unlucky in the semi. We were outplayed for nearly the entirety of the second half and it was against the momentum of the match England went ahead. After that Argentina pushed very hard and just overwhelmed us to the point the midfield collapsed into the defence leaving Messi free to dictate the play. It was a fantastic response by the Argentine manager and we just couldnt respond. It also dragged Kane, who had been on the periphery the entire match further and further back and all of a sudden we had no out ball.

What is telling is that Argentina had this plan B clearly in their pocket for this eventuality and England didnt seem to have any way to regain control. The biggest complaint you could have is that after the hydration advert break is that there was no change for England in terms of tactics.

My honest reaction to the match has been. Oh well, that was good whilst it lasted. We move on.

 

[brad465]

How poetic; the master ring-kissers to present rings to the World Cup champions:

World Cup 2026: World Cup rings for winners as Donald Trump to attend final

Donald Trump will present the trophy to the World Cup final winners on Sunday, and rings will be presented to the victorious side.

www.bbc.co.uk

Fifa will present World Cup rings to the winners of Sunday's final between Argentina and Spain, which will be attended by Donald Trump.

Winner rings are a tradition in American sport, with the NFL's Super Bowl victors presented with them.

Thirty rings will be made available to the world champions, and a further 1,996 rings will go on sale to fans. Each ring will include a mini World Cup trophy in its design and an engraving in the band.

President Trump, who is to present the trophy, has not attended any of the 102 World Cup games so far, missing all of the USA's matches before they went out to Belgium in the last 16.

There is a weather warning in New York over air quality caused by wildfires in Canada, but there is no suggestion the final at MetLife Stadium will be affected.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino had already said Trump would attend the final and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has confirmed he will.

The relationship between Infantino and Trump has been at the heart of the biggest controversy at this summer's World Cup, with the US president calling the Fifa chief to seek a review of United States striker Folarin Balogun's red card.

The subsequent decision to suspend Balogun's automatic ban was heavily criticised, with questions raised about the integrity of the tournament.

Balogun was allowed to feature in the knockout game against Belgium, but the USA suffered a 4-1 thrashing.

No other red or yellow cards have been suspended during this World Cup, despite France and England appealing to have their own respective incidents reviewed.

 

[DarloRich]

lacking in class, taste and decency. The rings are tacky.

 

[43096]

You know, I have seen Arsene Wenger at the England matches... You don't suppose the legend could come out of retirement?

No thanks! Who wants a coach who has been a serial loser since 2005?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Binned off after the 1980 tournament. 3rd place that year went to Czechoslovakia (on penalties). They'd also finished 3rd in 1960.

Would I be correct that there has been a 3rd place play-off match in the World Cup for at least the last 72 years or so?

Will medals be presented this tournement?

 

[SuspectUsual]

Would I be correct that there has been a 3rd place play-off match in the World Cup for at least the last 72 years or so?

Will medals be presented this tournement?

Yes and who cares respectively. It’s a match for the sponsors and the squad players

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Yes and who cares respectively. It’s a match for the sponsors and the squad players

So do I take that match attendance tonight will be far less than in all previous 2026 World Cup matches with supporters of both the French and English teams will boycott the match.

 

[SuspectUsual]

So do I take that match attendance tonight will be far less than in all previous 2026 World Cup matches with supporters of both the French and English teams will boycott the match.

No, because supporters of the competing teams get relatively small allocations of tickets (for example England got about 4,000 for each group game)

However there are apparently quite a lot of tickets unsold for this evening

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Would I be correct that there has been a 3rd place play-off match in the World Cup for at least the last 72 years or so?

Will medals be presented this tournement?

Yes, noting that there wasn't a 3rd place play-off at either of the 1930 or 1950 World Cup finals.

Also believe the winning team tonight do receive a bronze medal or medals. And USD29mln in prize money. (USD27mln for a 4th place finish).

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Should the British television coverage of this 3rd place play-off be cancelled or are they subject to the strictures that accompanied the legal contract that they signed?