World Cup 2026

[JWags85]

France is a wagon, but dareisay that otherwise European football is looking overrated.

I'm not sure I agree. 7 of 12 groups were won by a European squad.  13 out of 16 made it to the knockouts (and 11 of those were by virtue of the top 2 finish).

Germany was a huge upset, but fell right into the trap of the excellent defending CONMEBOL teams playing for chaos (and even still they got screwed by VAR and probably should have advanced).  Netherlands was tremendously disappointing, but Morocco is a top 10 squad and it was really a coin flip.

Spain looked pathetic against Cape Verde, but they still won their group and have yet to concede.  Norway has looked very dangerous and incredibly cohesive and you can't take anything from the France match.  Portugal and England both had bad draws to inferior squads, but I don't think have looked all that terrible (Colombia isn't a pushover by any means so that's not all that much of a black eye for Portugal).

I think there is FAR more parity in world soccer these days.  I think the historic European giants aren't heads and tails above everyone anymore, but I don't know if I would consider it overrated.  If we see 2 or more of Norway, France, Belgium or England sent home in the next 48 hours, then I would be willing to revise my statement.

[pbiflyer]

Dutch deserved to lose that one

Video of their PKs.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IVP9WUGdgPg&pp=ygUSanVzdCBhIGJpdCBvdXRzaWRl&ra=m

[jesmu84]

Dutch v Morocco:

https://x.com/i/status/2071778913160704394

https://x.com/i/status/2071801927013114298

https://x.com/i/status/2071787769295184196

https://x.com/i/status/2071805168379715601

Let's just get on with giving GKs a halo on corners and free kicks like a punt returners. Would eliminate a ton of BS

[panda]

Koeman is a joke. Tactics, formation, everything was pathetic. I saw a tweet that said the Dutch have had 0 wins, 6 draws, and 8 losses against top 25 sides with him in charge.

Zlatan savaged him in the break before PKs and for good reason. Basically said, paraphrasing, all he's ever known from Dutch soccer, both playing at Ajax and internationally against them, is that they have an attacking mentality. Fearless, throwing men forward, it's their identity, and Koeman abandoned it. Even if they advance, they are hopeless unless they remember their identity.

Henry then accurately called out the 5-4-1 formation they came out in was very defensive and fearful. Just absurd. Especially since they were gelling so well on offense in the group stage and Morocco struggled getting going offensively.

Also, not for nothing, Koeman subbed off Gakpo and De Jong in the final 10 min, after subbing off Brobbey in the 72nd and Graverberch in the 87th, so that's why the PK lineup featured a bunch of inexperienced head scratching choices, multiple guys taking their first penalties in a Dutch kit.  So with an extremely defensive and shell mindset, presumably looking towards penalties, you take off 3 of your best and most experienced players plus Brobbey, who had been in exceptional form.  Just baffling man management after a blinder of a tactical failing.

Also, while not directly an error in the game management, what a mismatch in keepers.  Bono was unreal, incredibly experienced, and in exceptional form.  Meanwhile, Verbruggen is...fine but seemed to be completely mentally toast after he fumbled the second PK into the net.  But a huge downgrade when for decades the Dutch had Van der Sar, Stecklenburg, Krul, and Cillisen, keepers who were elite and desired by the top clubs in the world (maybe not Krul, but he was an everyday PL keeper for a decade and considered one of the best penalty savers in the world)...to a guy who just became first choice keeper for Brighton last year (after being a backup in the Belgian league and splitting time with a journeyman early on), Flekken, who was a journeymany before getting some legs at Frieburg and Brentford, but certainly not an elite keeper, and Roefs from Sunderland who may turn out good but has just one cap and was only along for experience gaining.

Still don't know why van dijk didn't take a penalty.

[Pakuni]

I'm not sure I agree. 7 of 12 groups were won by a European squad.  13 out of 16 made it to the knockouts (and 11 of those were by virtue of the top 2 finish).

Germany was a huge upset, but fell right into the trap of the excellent defending CONMEBOL teams playing for chaos (and even still they got screwed by VAR and probably should have advanced).  Netherlands was tremendously disappointing, but Morocco is a top 10 squad and it was really a coin flip.

Spain looked pathetic against Cape Verde, but they still won their group and have yet to concede.  Norway has looked very dangerous and incredibly cohesive and you can't take anything from the France match.  Portugal and England both had bad draws to inferior squads, but I don't think have looked all that terrible (Colombia isn't a pushover by any means so that's not all that much of a black eye for Portugal).

I think there is FAR more parity in world soccer these days.  I think the historic European giants aren't heads and tails above everyone anymore, but I don't know if I would consider it overrated.  If we see 2 or more of Norway, France, Belgium or England sent home in the next 48 hours, then I would be willing to revise my statement.

I'm not terribly impressed by teams winning groups that they were set up to win handily, especially when they don't look impressive doing it.
Switzerland won a group by tying the 59th ranked team in the world, and beating the 30th and 61st.
Germany beat the 31st and 82nd ranked teams, and tied the 24th.
Belgium beat the 57th ranked team - which was somehow playing worse than that - and looked meh drawing 21st and 26th.
England, Portugal and Spain had poor showings in draws against weak opponents.

Overrated doesn't mean they're bad or won't beat lesser teams. It just means they aren't meeting expectations. I don't think it's controversial to say most European teams have failed to meet expectations.