I bloody love the World Cup

[Annihilate Now!]

Lots of (justified) negative threads about Qatar and such, so just wanted a pure positive thread about the actual tournament itself.

But yeah, there's nothing else in sport like it. The drama, the emotion, the stakes.... getting so invested in a game like Mexico vs. Saudi, something you'd probably never normally watch in a million years... yeah, it's feckin' brilliant.

I'm always so fascinated by just how elated/dejected these teams that - lets be honest, realistically have zero chance of actually wining the cup - get just from staying in/going out of the tournament. That's how much it means. In the cynical world of football, and even with everything else about this tournament off the pitch... there's just something so pure about it.

 

[Yorkeontop]

48 team 2026 WC will say bleep you to your love just a bit.

 

[VP]

There's nothing else in sport like it. The drama, the emotion, the stakes.... getting so invested in a game like Mexico vs. Saudi, something you'd probably never normally watch in a million years... yeah, it's feckin' brilliant.

I'm always so fascinated by just how elated/dejected these teams that - lets be honest, realistically have zero chance of actually wining the cup - get just from staying in/going out of the tournament. That's how much it means. In the cynical world of football, and even with everything else about this tournament off the pitch... there's just something so pure about it.

Agreed. Nothing compares and I'm baffled when people sneer at international football.

 

[Idxomer]

Yep, much better than the CL and watching the same clubs play each other every year.

 

[2mufc0]

Agreed. Nothing compares and I'm baffled when people sneer at international football.

The friendlies and qualifying are rubbish, I never watch them. But tournament football is amazing esp the world cup.

 

[2mufc0]

48 team 2026 WC will say bleep you to your love just a bit.

The group stages and first knock out rounds will be a chore.

 

[kouroux]

48 team 2026 WC will say bleep you to your love just a bit.

I'm here for it

 

[Deery]

I love international tournaments and World Cup but this is a bit dead even those two games didn’t particularly grip me.

I think the best is still to come though, Senegal knocking out England will be a high point..

 

[VP]

The friendlies and qualifying are rubbish, I never watch them. But tournament football is amazing esp the world cup.

They can be but so can many league and CL group games. You need dross for the main event to shine.

 

[Yorkeontop]

I'm here for it

Judging by the quality of some of the teams we're watching right now, I'd call you an optimist my friend.

 

[Yorkeontop]

The group stages and first knock out rounds will be a chore.

And there's no going back, too much money in expansion.

 

[kouroux]

Judging by the quality of some of the teams we're watching right now, I'd call you an optimist my friend.

I don't care about the quality tbh. It's about the experience of it. I know it's a short tournament that happens every 4 years, I'll cry about quality of football in a serious manner when it comes to Utd. Other than that I am enjoying watching every game I can, even if some teams serve up some absolute shite like Poland tonight. I'll still watch it.
Discovering new teams, players, managers etc etc..it's a bit priceless

 

[CallyRed]

Don't want the PL to return. Love football during the day. Love football every day. Love pretending to work whilst watching.

 

[Mshafeek]

It really is great. And I'm sort of annoyed that some people would actually suggest that it's not. Because not only as a sporting event, the football wc is the biggest event in the world- taking into consideration how people all over the world are glued to it in immense numbers and unity. Huge screenings and celebrations the world over - there is nothing quite like it. People of all nations watching and talking football for around a month. The slogan 'football unites all' is spot on.

 

[Bepi]

Fans, outlier results and drama are always great at the WC and this instalment is not any different.

 

[rcoobc]

48 team 2026 WC will say bleep you to your love just a bit.

Why?

Forget the group stage which will be crap.

That's another 16 knockout games.

 

[Red the Bear]

Well yeah it's the world cup after all.

 

[Cloud7]

Lots of (justified) negative threads about Qatar and such, so just wanted a pure positive threat about the actual tournament itself.

But yeah, there's nothing else in sport like it. The drama, the emotion, the stakes.... getting so invested in a game like Mexico vs. Saudi, something you'd probably never normally watch in a million years... yeah, it's feckin' brilliant.

I'm always so fascinated by just how elated/dejected these teams that - lets be honest, realistically have zero chance of actually wining the cup - get just from staying in/going out of the tournament. That's how much it means. In the cynical world of football, and even with everything else about this tournament off the pitch... there's just something so pure about it.

Agreed. Nothing compares and I'm baffled when people sneer at international football.

Agreed. The passion and emotion of international football is something that club football can never come close to. I love the WC and despite all the negative stuff around this one, I am still really enjoying the matches.

 

[balaks]

I love it. According to many in here though it's shite.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

48 team 2026 WC will say bleep you to your love just a bit.

I'm staying open minded about it, and to be honest I'm not going to immediately sneer at more World Cup games (and I will watch as many as I can)

Having it every 2 years like Wenger wants however probably would dampen it.

 

[GlasgowCeltic]

I’m already far too used to morning games, devastated

 

[Chief123]

48 team 2026 WC will say bleep you to your love just a bit.

It won’t. More knock out games.

 

[Chief123]

I'm staying open minded about it, and to be honest I'm not going to immediately sneer at more World Cup games (and I will watch as many as I can)

Having it every 2 years like Wenger wants however probably would dampen it.

It’ll be same number of group games. 16 extra knock out games than usual. That’s better in my view. The way it’s designed we should see more heavyweight knockout games against big teams.

 

[Knux]

Yeah, its great watching even with my country not qualifying. better when the QF’s starts

 

[General_Elegancia]

Tbf, I‘m another person who love this world-cup. It’s a memorable wc for me. Unfortunately, two of my favourite teams( Argentina and Hollander) have a chance to face each other at round8. Maybe in 50-100 years Thailand will have a chance to play in world-cup.

 

[Rood]

48 team 2026 WC will say bleep you to your love just a bit.

There will be more weak teams but will be nice to see some new countries at the World Cup

And actually there is more knock out football which is what it's all about

 

[Lay]

The greatest and most prestigious tournament. What I love, at work there’s not many football fans but World Cup comes around and there’s a buzz. Everyone is into it, they’re all supporting their countries. You don’t get that with other tournaments

 

[K2K]

I love it!

The upsets. The drama. The constant football every day. The moments that stay with you for a lifetime.

And we've not even gotten to the Knockout stages even.

 

[TheNewEra]

I want an inflatable world cup for my garden like they have at the start of games

 

[Wilt]

Prefer watching the Olympics (both summer and winter).

However, still enjoy watching the WC.

 

[Sandikan]

I spend most of a season cursing international football disrupting the much more interesting premier league games.
Friendlies are woeful, qualifiers a total cruise. Nations league pony.
Watching Kane bob around and smash some non league level team for a hatrick most games.
It genuinely makes me wonder if they should just abolish international football.


But then the World cup comes around

 

[Bosnian_fan]

It won’t. More knock out games.

Not only that. Not a single third round game od group stage will be meaningless, at least in theory.

Teams meeting in last round are actually always deciding about their final rankings in group stage, regardless of previous results.

Even if Team A had won first game 5:0, and Team B lost 5:0, in third round they have a theoretical chance to overturn it.

 

[Bangalla]

Yes, I agree wholehertedly. I was kind of skeptical before the tournament but now I am totally into it.

I have discovered I do not actually care where it is played. As long as there are fans and football I am happy.

 

[calodo2003]

Guiltily enjoying it.

 

[lefty_jakobz]

There’s been some great games in the World Cup so far and expecting a few more to come. Just been great overall just weird its in winter but its still be great. A feast of football.

 

[Yorkeontop]

I don't care about the quality tbh. It's about the experience of it. I know it's a short tournament that happens every 4 years, I'll cry about quality of football in a serious manner when it comes to Utd. Other than that I am enjoying watching every game I can, even if some teams serve up some absolute shite like Poland tonight. I'll still watch it.
Discovering new teams, players, managers etc etc..it's a bit priceless

Why?

Forget the group stage which will be crap.

That's another 16 knockout games.

I'm staying open minded about it, and to be honest I'm not going to immediately sneer at more World Cup games (and I will watch as many as I can)

Having it every 2 years like Wenger wants however probably would dampen it.

It won’t. More knock out games.

There will be more weak teams but will be nice to see some new countries at the World Cup

And actually there is more knock out football which is what it's all about

I'll begrudgingly accept being wrong but it feels pretty special as it is. More and more doesn't appeal to me.

 

[Lay]

I'll begrudgingly accept being wrong but it feels pretty special as it is. More and more doesn't appeal to me.

Nah I agree with you. It will dilute the competition. We’ll see some god awful teams competing. 32 is just right.

 

[MDFC Manager]

We need to have a winter world cup every once in a while. It's only fair I think.

 

[BarryWinks]

My country of birth is missing from this World cup unfortunately. Fortunately, my country of residence is playing it in so I have definitely been rooting for them.

Having said that, I enjoy world cups more because of the passion. There's something about players representing their countries that you almost never see when they play club football. Their singing the national anthem with so much passion, the joy on their faces when they score that world cup goal, the joy of victory and the pain of defeat is unlike any other competition, and Qatar2022 has not been short of it.

Sure, the football is not high quality, but you don't need 22 world class players on the field to feel the passion. And that's what football is ultimately all about for me.

 

[Kopral Jono]

I fecking love the World Cup. Some are shittier than others (2002 and especially 2010) but I love every one of them nonetheless, including this one. There are mental images and memories attached to each one and I tend to measure out my life with it. I've found myself remembering something from a distant past and it would be like, 'Oh, that song came out not long after the 1998 World Cup, when I was still living in...' or 'I remember that day very well. The day before Uruguay had just beaten South Africa 3-0 in the World Cup!'