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Topic: FIFA World Cup 2026 :Canada/Mexico/United States: Discussion Thread - page 260. (Read 57913 times)

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~snip~
Well.. this is a very interesting statistic. The conclusion I can draw out of this is:

1. There is a higher chance of an UEFA team winning the world cup, simply because far more teams from UEFA participates when compared to any other confederation (13 teams till 2022).
2. For CONMEOL, since 4.5 teams are allowed, the chances are considerably less.
3. But out of the 11 finals between CONMEBOL teams and UEFA teams, the former won on 8 occasions. This means that in one-to-one encounters (where UEFA doesn't have the numerical advantage), CONMEBOL dominates the scene completely.

In almost 100 years of history, only 8 countries in the world have won the world cup:



Of those, 3 are from South America(CONMEBOL) and 5 are from Europe(UEFA).

It looks to me that it's not a matter of having more teams, but rather, those are just extremely talented countries.

Every single one of those countries usually performs excellent. Winning a world cup is a major thing, it's not only about the number of countries participating.
legendary
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I can't help but agree with you here, Africa is actually blessed with a lot of really good players, but like you said, the real problem is lack of proper and adequate funding from the government respectively..
As an African myself, I have come across really good players on the street who if given the chance, would contribute greatly to taking African football to Great height, but unfortunately, there are no provisions set by the football federation to capture this category of people at their tender ages for proper training..

Actually lack of proper infrastructure is no longer a stumbling block. Talented players, even from little known countries will be contracted by European or Arab clubs sooner or later. Look at the Moroccan national team that reached semi-finals of Qatar 2022. A majority of the players are representing UEFA leagues. For example, Achraf Hakimi is representing Paris Saint-Germain F.C. Yassine Bounou plays for Sevilla and Noussair Mazraoui is contracted by Bayern Munich. When players are representing these clubs, the lack of quality facilities back home doesn't matter much.
legendary
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I can't help but agree with you here, Africa is actually blessed with a lot of really good players, but like you said, the real problem is lack of proper and adequate funding from the government respectively..
As an African myself, I have come across really good players on the street who if given the chance, would contribute greatly to taking African football to Great height, but unfortunately, there are no provisions set by the football federation to capture this category of people at their tender ages for proper training..

It is this type of recognition that FIFA is trying to highlight with the entry of more players in the next world cup.

Today there are many more very good teams, with great players, who need space to show their talent. Very different from a few decades ago when this was a sport only for favorite teams and "best in the world" players.

In the last Olympics we already had a lot of "surprises" with several "favorites" and I don't doubt at all that the next competition will happen the same.
legendary
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There it is UEFA 12 to CONMEBOL 10. There were 11 finals where it was CONMEBOL vs. UEFA and out of those 11, CONMEBOL won 8.

Well.. this is a very interesting statistic. The conclusion I can draw out of this is:

1. There is a higher chance of an UEFA team winning the world cup, simply because far more teams from UEFA participates when compared to any other confederation (13 teams till 2022).
2. For CONMEOL, since 4.5 teams are allowed, the chances are considerably less.
3. But out of the 11 finals between CONMEBOL teams and UEFA teams, the former won on 8 occasions. This means that in one-to-one encounters (where UEFA doesn't have the numerical advantage), CONMEBOL dominates the scene completely.

The reason why South American teams perform well in the world cup is unexplainable. Brazil have won the world cup five times, Argentina three times and Uruguay 2. Comparing the sports facilities and economic conditions of UEFA and CONMEBOL member countries, the former is more advanced and better. I think South American players are more talented and they produce some of the best stars in football history, Pele and Maradona are good examples. But we have seen a lot of improvement by the African sides, their chance of winning the world cup is also high based on Qatar's performance.
In my opinion, African teams have a ton of untapped potential and have what it takes to become a major global power. But it's tough for African teams to compete on the same level as South American teams because of their economic and structural limitations. There are not enough resources in many African countries for their national football teams to receive appropriate training and play in suitable stadiums. It's because of this that they have a hard time competing with groups from more developed areas.

However, advancement to the elite levels of play is not out of the question for African nations. Maintaining the current level of effort to enhance the teams' infrastructure and resources is required. It would be an incredible feat if an African team were to win the International Cup, but with the proper funding, African teams might become a powerful force on the world stage.
I can't help but agree with you here, Africa is actually blessed with a lot of really good players, but like you said, the real problem is lack of proper and adequate funding from the government respectively..
As an African myself, I have come across really good players on the street who if given the chance, would contribute greatly to taking African football to Great height, but unfortunately, there are no provisions set by the football federation to capture this category of people at their tender ages for proper training..
legendary
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What will be the motivation for Messi to keep playing until 2026? For every player, the ultimate dream is like winning the FIFA World Cup. And in case of Messi, he has already achieved that milestone. So what will keep him playing on until 2026? In normal circumstances, players nearing retirement would rather pounce on opportunities which will give them financial security. And Messi already has an offer from the Saudi club Al Hilal. If he moves to Al Hilal, then in all probability he may not represent Argentina anymore. I am not saying that he will take up the Saudi citizenship (which Ronaldo is rumored to be considering). But he maybe part of the Saudi bidding team for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which may make him ineligible for the selection for Argentine national team.
I guess that there is no need to have a motivation to keep going, if that's just what you want. Doesn't need to be because he wants to win it again, sure it would be lovely if he could win it again of course, but sometimes it's just about doing whatever you want to do and what you like doing.

Like my grandfather who worked until 81 years old and no longer can work, he didn't needed the money, he wasn't getting any promotions because he owned his own business, and his business was barely breaking even, but he had money he lived off anyway, he could have retired at age 70 and never need a penny, he would be well off, but he worked anyway, why? Because that's what he liked to do, and Messi may do it just because of that.
legendary
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~snip~

I would compare this with Croatia and their lousy football league, while their national team is among the top football teams in the world. If you look at it, Croatian football teams doesn't have shiny sports facilities and training camps. But also very few players in the Croatian national team actually plays in Croatia. It's similar with Brazilian and Argentinian football players. Very few of their national team players actually play in their home football leagues. Most of them play in top European clubs.

Belgium is no exception. Before the 2022 Qatar World Cup was held, Belgium was previously predicted to be a dark horse team which might become a stumbling block for strong teams who are always more favored. but in fact, they failed to even qualify from the group phase. even though almost as a whole, the core players of the Belgian squad play at the level of Europe's top leagues.

In the 2026 World Cup, I believe there are many teams that are experiencing significant changes that can play at a high level if they are serious about being able to compete in the world championship. especially Canada, they play very much differently. in terms of game, Canada displayed a very solid game. the problem is, Canada doesn't have many players whose quality is above average. only if we look at the system they play, Canada will reform into a team that is quite tough in the world cup championship later.

For Croatia, for now there is not much player regeneration that is quite prominent. but after all, Croatia will always be counted in the championship later. because, they have built a pretty good system. the rest, Croatia must have a way to create new talent starting from its local competition.
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There it is UEFA 12 to CONMEBOL 10. There were 11 finals where it was CONMEBOL vs. UEFA and out of those 11, CONMEBOL won 8.

Well.. this is a very interesting statistic. The conclusion I can draw out of this is:

1. There is a higher chance of an UEFA team winning the world cup, simply because far more teams from UEFA participates when compared to any other confederation (13 teams till 2022).
2. For CONMEOL, since 4.5 teams are allowed, the chances are considerably less.
3. But out of the 11 finals between CONMEBOL teams and UEFA teams, the former won on 8 occasions. This means that in one-to-one encounters (where UEFA doesn't have the numerical advantage), CONMEBOL dominates the scene completely.

The reason why South American teams perform well in the world cup is unexplainable. Brazil have won the world cup five times, Argentina three times and Uruguay 2. Comparing the sports facilities and economic conditions of UEFA and CONMEBOL member countries, the former is more advanced and better. I think South American players are more talented and they produce some of the best stars in football history, Pele and Maradona are good examples. But we have seen a lot of improvement by the African sides, their chance of winning the world cup is also high based on Qatar's performance.
Definitely South Americans were always favorite football players, they manage to produce exceptionally talented strikers. I think the reason why they are so successful in football is following:
1. Football is very popular in their culture and people love it very much.
2. Most of the time, it's very warm in South American countries.
3. Parents let children to play most of the time and the relationship between neighbors and kids, people is warm. In Europe, parents push their kids to study and spend most of the time to learn school subjects and don't let their kids play that much outside. Also, relationships between people isn't that warm in Europe, people prefer to be more isolated.
Also, the current state of poverty and possibility of earning a good money gives more boost to South American kids. I mean, when you are poor and have no money but it chase it, you are more likely to succeed in life than a person who was born in a family that always had comfort.

The reason for world's best players from Europe or South America is that they take football as their most favourite and first sport as Asia have cricket. 
Europe train football to kids from their childhood and they play football everywhere its school,  clubs , or college universities they have football everywhere so they become extremely fine and polished with time .
Unfortunately this don't happen in Asia or other countries.
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The reason why South American teams perform well in the world cup is unexplainable. Brazil have won the world cup five times, Argentina three times and Uruguay 2. Comparing the sports facilities and economic conditions of UEFA and CONMEBOL member countries, the former is more advanced and better. I think South American players are more talented and they produce some of the best stars in football history, Pele and Maradona are good examples. But we have seen a lot of improvement by the African sides, their chance of winning the world cup is also high based on Qatar's performance.

I would compare this with Croatia and their lousy football league, while their national team is among the top football teams in the world. If you look at it, Croatian football teams doesn't have shiny sports facilities and training camps. But also very few players in the Croatian national team actually plays in Croatia. It's similar with Brazilian and Argentinian football players. Very few of their national team players actually play in their home football leagues. Most of them play in top European clubs.
Maybe playing at a top European club makes it easier for players from Croatia to get calls from the national team and it seems that this is also a natural thing for other big national team players at this time. When a player only plays in a local league, of course they will receive less attention from the national team coach and indeed they should be able to prove in the eyes of the world, especially in the top European leagues so that they can get a definite place in the national team.
legendary
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But I don't think you can compare the Croatian league with the Brazilian or Argentinian ones. By the way, most of the Croatian national team players also play for European clubs. It's just that South American football has always been top class. That's where we know most of the stars from, including Pele, Maradonna, Ronaldinho. And of course the new star, Messi.

The quality of Brazilian and Argentinian football leagues is incomparable to Croatian football league. I was comparing the situation where all the best players are playing in the top European clubs. All the South American stars that you mentioned played in the European clubs in their best years. It's the same with the best Croatian players.
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The reason why South American teams perform well in the world cup is unexplainable. Brazil have won the world cup five times, Argentina three times and Uruguay 2. Comparing the sports facilities and economic conditions of UEFA and CONMEBOL member countries, the former is more advanced and better. I think South American players are more talented and they produce some of the best stars in football history, Pele and Maradona are good examples. But we have seen a lot of improvement by the African sides, their chance of winning the world cup is also high based on Qatar's performance.

I would compare this with Croatia and their lousy football league, while their national team is among the top football teams in the world. If you look at it, Croatian football teams doesn't have shiny sports facilities and training camps. But also very few players in the Croatian national team actually plays in Croatia. It's similar with Brazilian and Argentinian football players. Very few of their national team players actually play in their home football leagues. Most of them play in top European clubs.
But I don't think you can compare the Croatian league with the Brazilian or Argentinian ones. By the way, most of the Croatian national team players also play for European clubs. It's just that South American football has always been top class. That's where we know most of the stars from, including Pele, Maradonna, Ronaldinho. And of course the new star, Messi.
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There it is UEFA 12 to CONMEBOL 10. There were 11 finals where it was CONMEBOL vs. UEFA and out of those 11, CONMEBOL won 8.

Well.. this is a very interesting statistic. The conclusion I can draw out of this is:

1. There is a higher chance of an UEFA team winning the world cup, simply because far more teams from UEFA participates when compared to any other confederation (13 teams till 2022).
2. For CONMEOL, since 4.5 teams are allowed, the chances are considerably less.
3. But out of the 11 finals between CONMEBOL teams and UEFA teams, the former won on 8 occasions. This means that in one-to-one encounters (where UEFA doesn't have the numerical advantage), CONMEBOL dominates the scene completely.

The reason why South American teams perform well in the world cup is unexplainable. Brazil have won the world cup five times, Argentina three times and Uruguay 2. Comparing the sports facilities and economic conditions of UEFA and CONMEBOL member countries, the former is more advanced and better. I think South American players are more talented and they produce some of the best stars in football history, Pele and Maradona are good examples. But we have seen a lot of improvement by the African sides, their chance of winning the world cup is also high based on Qatar's performance.
Definitely South Americans were always favorite football players, they manage to produce exceptionally talented strikers. I think the reason why they are so successful in football is following:
1. Football is very popular in their culture and people love it very much.
2. Most of the time, it's very warm in South American countries.
3. Parents let children to play most of the time and the relationship between neighbors and kids, people is warm. In Europe, parents push their kids to study and spend most of the time to learn school subjects and don't let their kids play that much outside. Also, relationships between people isn't that warm in Europe, people prefer to be more isolated.
Also, the current state of poverty and possibility of earning a good money gives more boost to South American kids. I mean, when you are poor and have no money but it chase it, you are more likely to succeed in life than a person who was born in a family that always had comfort.
legendary
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The reason why South American teams perform well in the world cup is unexplainable. Brazil have won the world cup five times, Argentina three times and Uruguay 2. Comparing the sports facilities and economic conditions of UEFA and CONMEBOL member countries, the former is more advanced and better. I think South American players are more talented and they produce some of the best stars in football history, Pele and Maradona are good examples. But we have seen a lot of improvement by the African sides, their chance of winning the world cup is also high based on Qatar's performance.

I would compare this with Croatia and their lousy football league, while their national team is among the top football teams in the world. If you look at it, Croatian football teams doesn't have shiny sports facilities and training camps. But also very few players in the Croatian national team actually plays in Croatia. It's similar with Brazilian and Argentinian football players. Very few of their national team players actually play in their home football leagues. Most of them play in top European clubs.
legendary
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There it is UEFA 12 to CONMEBOL 10. There were 11 finals where it was CONMEBOL vs. UEFA and out of those 11, CONMEBOL won 8.

Well.. this is a very interesting statistic. The conclusion I can draw out of this is:

1. There is a higher chance of an UEFA team winning the world cup, simply because far more teams from UEFA participates when compared to any other confederation (13 teams till 2022).
2. For CONMEOL, since 4.5 teams are allowed, the chances are considerably less.
3. But out of the 11 finals between CONMEBOL teams and UEFA teams, the former won on 8 occasions. This means that in one-to-one encounters (where UEFA doesn't have the numerical advantage), CONMEBOL dominates the scene completely.

The reason why South American teams perform well in the world cup is unexplainable. Brazil have won the world cup five times, Argentina three times and Uruguay 2. Comparing the sports facilities and economic conditions of UEFA and CONMEBOL member countries, the former is more advanced and better. I think South American players are more talented and they produce some of the best stars in football history, Pele and Maradona are good examples. But we have seen a lot of improvement by the African sides, their chance of winning the world cup is also high based on Qatar's performance.
legendary
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There it is UEFA 12 to CONMEBOL 10. There were 11 finals where it was CONMEBOL vs. UEFA and out of those 11, CONMEBOL won 8.

Well.. this is a very interesting statistic. The conclusion I can draw out of this is:

1. There is a higher chance of an UEFA team winning the world cup, simply because far more teams from UEFA participates when compared to any other confederation (13 teams till 2022).
2. For CONMEOL, since 4.5 teams are allowed, the chances are considerably less.
3. But out of the 11 finals between CONMEBOL teams and UEFA teams, the former won on 8 occasions. This means that in one-to-one encounters (where UEFA doesn't have the numerical advantage), CONMEBOL dominates the scene completely.
legendary
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You are absolutely correct, Messi have achieved everything that is achievable in football, and so is Ronaldo as well, I personally can not find any reason why they should still be in the field of play by the age of 39 upwards, it is better to retire so as to give the younger players the breathing space to prove themselves, like I said in my previous comment, they can not play forever, even if they want to, so it is better for them to give themselves rest while the younger seize the opportunity to show what they are capable of.

Especially Messi, he has won the trophy he has always wanted. Messi got everything he has ever wanted in his career, including a whole collection of trophies and individual awards from various prestigious events. slightly different from Ronaldo, he failed to present the world cup trophy for his country. however, Ronaldo is no less great than his toughest rival. these two megastars, it's time to let a new generation appear to carry the big names of their respective countries.

In the Portugal squad, there are lots of young talents who maybe in the next 4 years their skills and experience will be honed even more. meanwhile, Argentina will also regenerate. Reportedly even, Argentina already has a wonderkid who is predicted to be Messi's incarnation, namely Lucas Roman, who is currently rumored to have joined Barcelona. I'm pretty sure, both Messi and Ronaldo will soon retire from their football career before the 2026 world cup is held.
Watching talented young athletes is exciting. Messi and Ronaldo's success saddens everyone. It's intriguing to picture football and future players without these two giants. Lucas Roman, a Portuguese youngster, is impressive. These players must live up to Messi and Ronaldo, but they can also build their own history. As a football fan, I'm optimistic
legendary
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Might be true mate but you know that it also means that it might not be true to Messi's case because just like you've said, most of the players aren't willing to see themselves performing poorly at that age, that is why they want to retire first before any of that happens. But, you know Messi is not just your average player as he's one of the rarest species in football just like CR7, so that said, he might see him again in the 2026 defending their title.

What will be the motivation for Messi to keep playing until 2026? For every player, the ultimate dream is like winning the FIFA World Cup. And in case of Messi, he has already achieved that milestone. So what will keep him playing on until 2026? In normal circumstances, players nearing retirement would rather pounce on opportunities which will give them financial security. And Messi already has an offer from the Saudi club Al Hilal. If he moves to Al Hilal, then in all probability he may not represent Argentina anymore. I am not saying that he will take up the Saudi citizenship (which Ronaldo is rumored to be considering). But he maybe part of the Saudi bidding team for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which may make him ineligible for the selection for Argentine national team.
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Messi's current interview suggests he may not play in the next World Cup. In fact, this year's World Cup was organized historically. And witnessing this historic event, Messi's Argentina made history and secured the World Cup. Lionel Messi is now complete in all aspects.
Lionel Messi is very satisfied with his achievements so far in football, he has won almost all competitions either in the league or in international competition with Argentina. So even if he retires later everyone will always remember the historical moment about him. But the 2022 world cup is the pinnacle of his career and with that I think he is done.

Right now we are in 2023 and the 2026 world cup starts in 4 years, which is far away, and Lionel Messi is 35 years old. He indeed got reach many achievements with many teams while playing for Argentina and the clubs he was paying there but playing at age of 39-38 in the world cup is not something many players can reach even the most professional players can't perform like the early years and mostly these players prefer to retire before everyone sees them playing for poor performance level compared to other times and I guess Lionel Messi is one these players.

Might be true mate but you know that it also means that it might not be true to Messi's case because just like you've said, most of the players aren't willing to see themselves performing poorly at that age, that is why they want to retire first before any of that happens. But, you know Messi is not just your average player as he's one of the rarest species in football just like CR7, so that said, he might see him again in the 2026 defending their title.
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Messi's current interview suggests he may not play in the next World Cup. In fact, this year's World Cup was organized historically. And witnessing this historic event, Messi's Argentina made history and secured the World Cup. Lionel Messi is now complete in all aspects.
Lionel Messi is very satisfied with his achievements so far in football, he has won almost all competitions either in the league or in international competition with Argentina. So even if he retires later everyone will always remember the historical moment about him. But the 2022 world cup is the pinnacle of his career and with that I think he is done.
I see no reason why Messi would want play the next world cup, it doesn't make any sense to me. The truth is that by that 2026 he won't even have that strength to go for a competition like that. In the next two year I'm not sure Messi will be active the way he is right now, young players will take over the space of Messi.
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~snip~
Regardless of Argentina win or lose in this world cup,  Lionel Messi would not have been playing in the 2026 world cup. He will be too aged by that time.

Lets suppose, Lionel Messi had lost the 2022 world cup final or the Argentine team was not able to reach the finals, would he had not announced his retirement and will be playing in 2026 world cup ?

Although technically he can play, but that wont help the Argentina cause. They would be needing young legs to run around and score for their team. Experience does matter in football but at same time if you are too aged, you won't be able to leave impression on the game.
Yeah, he was already too old for Qatar.

It was great that he won the world cup because that was definitely his last chance.

That's also why Ronaldo was so upset when they lost, he knew it was his last chance. And signing up with Saudi Arabia was the last nail in the coffin for him.
CR7 is no longer likely to play in the 2026 world cup but Messi is still possible because in 2026, Messi is only 38 and it seems that this is an age that is still very fit for Messi

but we'll see what the Argentina coach will do later, if there are other potential young players, it's not impossible that Messi will be on the bench even though I see the possibility that it will happen very little because Messi is still very much needed by the Argentina national team
legendary
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Yeah, and for Messi there's no need to go to the next World Cup. He can already retire at the top, having won everything. Wouldn't make too much sense to go back.

He can now simply get royalties from marketing, TV commercials, etc. Much simpler work and easy money, forever.
Even before, Messi had announced his retirement in 2016 from the Argentine national team when he failed twice in the Copa America, but he came back and finally managed to get the title he dreamed of and  the situation will definitely be very different at the 2026 world cup and at that age he will definitely experience a decline so stay in the Argentina national team may no longer be his target and usually the defending champion will have difficulty in the next WC so it would be very honorable for Messi to only as a spectator and give supports on young players from their countries who will play.
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