World Cup Match Thread and talk (merged)

Quoted from promotion plaice

Wow

https://metro.co.uk/2022/11/20.....12/?ito=newsnow-feed

If that happens, they should just pack their bags and get on a plane home.

Quoted from toontown

Hopefully Qatar will have spent 200 billion plus in building and bribes etc and will lose every game and fail to score a single goal.

The problem with this is they won't care. Loose change to them. They got what they wanted.. They get to watch lots of football in their own country, their own country qualifies and they've revamped and built more buildings.. Not to mention put Qatar 'on the map'

Qatar is now in the record books, first home team to lose an opening match in a world cup.

I’ve been thinking about players refusing to play etc and I wonder if FIFA have essentially threatened countries, forcing them to play and so forth. A kind of ‘you’re contracted to play, if you don’t we’ll ban you from other tournaments’ type situation, and let’s be honest, we wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what they had done.

That first game was weird; the dodgy VAR call, the atmosphere was forced and I know Dion Dublin is a terrible commentator but it felt like their commentary was forced, like they’d been told to say positive things regardless.

No doubt the tournament, once complete will be seen as a success but in truth, it’s the tournament nobody wanted and it’s a World Cup that has had little fanfare really, and rightly so.

Such a shame though because it is the World Cup and it should be a spectacle.

As for Messi, he’s always been my GOAT and I guess, for him to win it would literally seal that. Of course I want England to win but I win t be sad if we don’t, winning this World Cup would always feel tainted…

Quoted from aldi_01

As for Messi, he’s always been my GOAT and I guess, for him to win it would literally seal that.

Having this conversation with another football fan just yesterday and he stated what you said Messi was his greatest player ever. For me its a tough one as certainly going forward Messi was probably the best going forward at his peak eg the way he took people out of the game with them direct runs was mesmerising .However for an all rounder for me the greatest was Pele and pure skill it was Ronaldinho.

Quoted from Rick12

Having this conversation with another football fan just yesterday and he stated what you said Messi was his greatest player ever. For me its a tough one as certainly going forward Messi was probably the best going forward at his peak eg the way he took people out of the game with them direct runs was mesmerising .However for an all rounder for me the greatest was Pele and pure skill it was Ronaldinho.

There’s arguments for many a player; zidane, Messi, ronaldo, Pele, Maradona, Ronaldo (the real one) and Ronaldinho etc…


The game has moved on though and once upon a time, the World Cup was the global stage, it was the only time folk in England did really get to see people like Pele, Maradona, Cruyff et al unless you played against them in Europe.

As an elderly fan once said to me, Pele was an amazing at world cups but I didn’t know if he was bobbins in the league, and he has a point. You can now watch any league at any time should you so wish and the champions league has become the ultimate for a player, especially club player but, however much folk want to hate it, I’d argue it is THE game in world football now.

In that context Messi/Ronaldo and Zidane have definitely proved themselves, in fact Zidane has the lot, as a manager too.

Things change and players of generation are remembered fondly, I just prefer to look back and think how lucky we’ve been to see some absolute wizards play football. Perhaps comparisons are futile and we should just embrace the fact we’ve seen them, and in the case of Messi and ronaldo, at the same time. Peak Ronaldo and Messi is off the scale…

If the armband thing gets the players annoyed then great. The dentist chair did the same in 96. Use the anger positively.

Quoted from aldi_01

As an elderly fan once said to me, Pele was an amazing at world cups but I didn’t know if he was bobbins in the league, and he has a point.
Things change and players of generation are remembered fondly, I just prefer to look back and think how lucky we’ve been to see some absolute wizards play football. Perhaps comparisons are futile and we should just embrace the fact we’ve seen them, and in the case of Messi and ronaldo, at the same time. Peak Ronaldo and Messi is off the scale…

Ive been a big admirer of Pele for a long while now and I think he would of cut it in any league even now hypothetically. Ive seen footage of him on you tube and his skillset is almost that on a par with Ronaldinho my favourite ever.For me an absolute genius.The Mozart of football ❤️🕯️ . .

I take on board what your saying though eg perfection in a football player will never happen but as the little Spanish maestro Andres Iniesta once said some are close .

We are not wearing the armband now. Hope we have been practicing the goal celebrations. Hopefully a dentist chair moment we will watch over again.

Quoted from lukeo

The problem with this is they won't care. Loose change to them. They got what they wanted.. They get to watch lots of football in their own country, their own country qualifies and they've revamped and built more buildings.. Not to mention put Qatar 'on the map'

If they wanted revamped and built more buildings, why didn't they just do that they have enough dough?  Most of the 'putting Qatar" on the map is negative but intrinsically,you are right,  they won't care.