I'm not sure if "Pro Sports" is the right location but all of the players are professionals so sure, why not.

(11-26-2025 03:57 PM)BePcr07 Wrote:  I'm not sure if "Pro Sports" is the right location but all of the players are professionals so sure, why not.

You found the right spot

I agree, this is a good spot for this thread. 42 teams have already qualified with 4 spots remaining out of Europe (4 4-team playoffs) and 2 spots from the inter-confederation playoff (2 NA, 1 SA, 1 Asia, 1 Africa, 1 Oceania; 2 3-team playoffs). These final 6 spots will be determined in late March (the 26th and 31st).

(11-26-2025 11:25 PM)GoBuckeyes1047 Wrote:  I agree, this is a good spot for this thread. 42 teams have already qualified with 4 spots remaining out of Europe (4 4-team playoffs) and 2 spots from the inter-confederation playoff (2 NA, 1 SA, 1 Asia, 1 Africa, 1 Oceania; 2 3-team playoffs). These final 6 spots will be determined in late March (the 26th and 31st).

I don't like a couple things about this draw. First, they are manipulating the draw by strategically placing the top 4 ranked teams (Spain, Argentina, France, England) in opposite parts of the bracket rather than letting the chips lie where they fall. Second, I preferred back when pots were geographically distributed rather than by ranking which is more of a minor issue.

Draw today was favorable for the USMNT.

I have tickets to a group game in Houston. Glad to see I have a shot at seeing Portugal and/or Colombia. Find out tomorrow what game it will be.

(12-05-2025 04:49 PM)slycat Wrote:  Draw today was favorable for the USMNT.

I have tickets to a group game in Houston. Glad to see I have a shot at seeing Portugal and/or Colombia. Find out tomorrow what game it will be.

Shockingly favorable for USMNT. Strong favorite to win the group which is a scary thought. I suspect there will be a disappointing game like a draw with Australia or a sneaky loss.

(12-06-2025 12:48 AM)BePcr07 Wrote:  

(12-05-2025 04:49 PM)slycat Wrote:  Draw today was favorable for the USMNT.

I have tickets to a group game in Houston. Glad to see I have a shot at seeing Portugal and/or Colombia. Find out tomorrow what game it will be.

Shockingly favorable for USMNT. Strong favorite to win the group which is a scary thought. I suspect there will be a disappointing game like a draw with Australia or a sneaky loss.

Yeah they got pretty lucky.

I did too for my tickets. Got Portugal vs Uzbekistan. Worth it to see Ronaldo.

There's articles regarding the future of the 2026 World Cup remaining hosted by Mexico and the United States with regard to safety. The U.S. arm appears silly conflating the political climate of the U.S. with actual violence in Mexico. I suspect the games in Mexico will remain in Mexico but, hypothetically, if they don't - where might they send those games?

Mexico has 3 host cities: Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara

Cities that voluntarily withdrew or were rejected in the final round: Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Edmonton, Los Angeles (2nd Site), Minneapolis, Montreal (2nd Site), Nashville, Orlando, Washington D.C.

I would suspect the 3 replacement cities would be: Chicago, Denver, Washington D.C.

I would move the Mexico City games to Denver (both are highly elevated). I would move the Monterrey games to Chicago and the Guadalajara games to Washington D.C.

Chicago games:
- South Africa vs South Korea
- Tunisia vs UEFA Path B
- Japan vs Tunisia
- Round of 32

Denver games:
- Mexico vs South Africa (opening game)
- Mexico vs UEFA Path D
- Colombia vs Uzbekistan
- Round of 32
- Round of 16

Washington D.C. games:
- South Korea vs UEFA Path D
- Mexico vs South Korea
- Spain vs Uruguay
- Colombia vs Portugal

Speculation has begun as to whether Iran will withdraw. Choosing their replacement mya not be straightforward:

https://en.as.com/soccer/world-cup/irans...f202603-n/

(03-01-2026 01:50 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  Speculation has begun as to whether Iran will withdraw. Choosing their replacement mya not be straightforward:

https://en.as.com/soccer/world-cup/irans...f202603-n/

Crazy times. I think Iran ultimately withdraws. I think FIFA should wait until the Play-Off Round is completed. If Iraq qualifies, give the open spot to UAE. If Iraq doesn't qualify, give the open spot to Iraq.