FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 - DISCUSSION AND WATCHALONG THREAD ⚽️. Part 7

[placemats]

Previous thread. https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/world-cup-2026/5553352-fifa-world-cup-2026-discussion-and-watchalong-thread-part-6?page=8&reply=153551255

Let the conversation continue.

we are not just talking about the World Cup.

Riiight.... because Rooney played in so many semi finals for England 🙄

All those pundits from the so called "golden generation" couldn't have dreamed of the results this England team has had the past 4-5 tournaments.

Rooney is an experienced footballer and (failed) manager, he knows what he is talking about

I'm including euros

Yes love Spain. Love Norway. There's just something about Argentina. Can't stand Messi I am excited for him to retire. They deserved to win tonight though.

England will go back to being bitter and broke and let down and so it goes on. Seen it too many times before.
Was hoping for a bit of a football bounce!

do you remember the last euros, when england lost to spain in the final

Thanks everyone for great threads. Been cool to be with you all ♥️♥️♥️

Agreed - at 1-0 to a team like Argentina you have to have a formation for attaching on the counter. Argentina needed to score and were playing open- all we needed was to get Saka or Rashford on the right for pace, Gordon was already troubling the Argentinian defenders and had just scored - no idea why he was removed at a critical time in the game.

Madness to think you can defend a 1-0 lead against Argentina. Our players deserved better decision making.

It is nonsense. And you know it!

Tactically this was an absolute fuck up.

even before the goal spence made a couple of runs and had no back up in the box. no idea whether the team had defence in mind or they just weren’t good enough. Suspect both because there have been moments in other games where we won because we didn’t get punished for it.

Once we sat back it was inevitable. Argentina didn’t need everything going their way. They can have as many shots as they want camped out in front of goal. They only need one (or two) to go in and the they have Messi on the pitch.

Sky reporting Arg players just unfurled a banner about the Falklands.

Since 1960 we have lost 2 euros semi finals and 2 finals. In the World Cup since 1930 we have lost in the semis 3 times (including today)

I honestly think Tuchel gave it away thanks to poor tactics. He will get slated. Taking off Gordon and Rice was ridiculous. To replace them with defenders and leave Kane and Bellingham without support was the error. Otherwise I believe we would have won. I suspect the players will feel this later as well. If I were Kane I’d be asking Tuchel “ Why did you not have more confidence in us?” Very disappointing from Tuchel in the end.

Oh dear. That didn't age well. Better luck next time.

well chat gpt is right.

Weeks ago I was watching a video on tiktok. lots of people were saying that if you tell various chat gpt apps that it is 2027, and then ask it who won the 2026 world cup, all the apps say that Argentina won it

TT won’t last now. He’ll be toast. They will need new thinking for the Euros.

The 'something about Argentina' is that they are detestable thugs. Graceless in victory and the sorest of losers. Yes, Messi too. Obviously a genius but just as unlikable as his compatriots.

But yes, after the scrap fest which was the first half they were the better team tonight.

Exactly this

My thoughts as well. 😩

People are making it out England get to the semis every tournament and then bottle it - that is simply not true

yeah it's not great.

That heat map was telling

Kane in theory, he’ll be 33 soon but another 4 years time, he’ll be 36/37. If Messi can do it, he can too. Bellingham has a younger equally talented brother, maybe he’ll play in next World Cup and it’ll be double Bellingham brilliance.