World Cup: World Cup 2026 - Pre Tournament Thread

[awfulwaffle]

Makes sense to not have the final in Dallas. There is 0 public transportation to and from the stadium. It's in the middle of nowhere basically.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

Fan favorite darts player won his first major tournament after 16 years and did a Messi. LOL

Stephen Bunting recreates Lionel Messi's iconic bedroom snap


Was 4-22 against Van Gerwin, sure fire HOF'er. They won their first tournament the same year. Van Gerwin has won over 40 majors and this was Bunting's first.

 

[Power Man]

Pre-WC thread already?

One headache at a time for this Algerian please

Canada better get their shit together, because it will be a very humiliating experience if they do not.

Buzz should be at an all-time high, instead we are dealing with amateur crap is if it were still 2012.

They will, because there are no games in Montreal

All I want from this WC is for Canada to get a first ever point.... Is that too much to ask?

They almost did in 86 vs France

But a young Jean-Pierre Papin made sure it didn't happen lol

 

[Jack Straw]

Pre-WC thread already?

One headache at a time for this Algerian please

 

[Power Man]

Well this is new to me

Gonna ask my dad if he is familiar with that movie, he is a Sherlock fan

 

[Jack Straw]

Well this is new to me

Gonna ask my dad if he is familiar with that movie, he is a Sherlock fan

Basil Rathbone is the GOAT Sherlock Holmes.

 

[Power Man]

Basil Rathbone is the GOAT Sherlock Holmes.

Good looking dude too, no homo

 

[Jack Straw]

Good looking dude too, no homo

He actually won the British army fencing championship.

 

[Power Man]

He actually won the British army fencing championship.

He was South African, right?

 

[Jack Straw]

He was South African, right?

He think he was born there but was British.

 

[luiginb]

Well this is new to me

Gonna ask my dad if he is familiar with that movie, he is a Sherlock fan

Nice way of calling @Jack Straw a boomer

 

[Power Man]

He think he was born there but was British.

Ah ok
Makes sense

 

[Jack Straw]

Nice way of calling @Jack Straw a boomer

He's not wrong although those films were still before my time.

 

[gary69]

Basil Rathbone is the GOAT Sherlock Holmes.

I liked Jeremy Brett better, he was more eccentric, befitting the character more. But it might be because of what was acceptable in film in each actor's time and age. Brett was probably allowed more leeway in that regard.

 

[Jack Straw]

I liked Jeremy Brett better, he was more eccentric, befitting the character more. But it might be because of what was acceptable in film in each actor's time and age. Brett was probably allowed more leeway in that regard.

Those were more faithful to the books for sure. He was good but I guess he just couldn't replace my first Sherlock.

 

[HajdukSplit]

FIFA logically has divided the games into regions except for Canada’s group which will have to play in Toronto and Vancouver I guess. Mexico and Canada essentially get nothing after the R32. NY/NJ most logical choice for final strictly looking at time zone and public transportation factors. But with no roof, played in mid afternoon in July could be played in brutally hot/humid conditions

Can’t believe KC and Foxborough got QF matches, two outdated NFL stadiums with Foxborough being in middle of nowhere 40 mins away (minimum!) from Boston. US playing twice at same venue is a bit weird as well but I’m sure they had some say

 

[bluesfan94]

Makes sense to not have the final in Dallas. There is 0 public transportation to and from the stadium. It's in the middle of nowhere basically.

Same with NYC tbh

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Still bitter that Montreal (the city in Canada that would be the most historically/culturally relevant to hold WC matches) are stuck with that piece of shit Olympic Stadium and therefore has nothing to hold matches.

 

[Power Man]

Still bitter that Montreal (the city in Canada that would be the most historically/culturally relevant to hold WC matches) are stuck with that piece of shit Olympic Stadium and therefore has nothing to hold matches.

Stadium was a factor, but I wouldn’t be surprised if FIFA didn’t want to deal with the french language police

Also we have 2 seasons here, Winter and construction

 

[robertmac43]

Still bitter that Montreal (the city in Canada that would be the most historically/culturally relevant to hold WC matches) are stuck with that piece of shit Olympic Stadium and therefore has nothing to hold matches.

Sounds like they are putting upwards of 750 million into renovating the roof.... Feels like a missed opportunity to use that money to make more meaningful improvement.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Sounds like they are putting upwards of 750 million into renovating the roof.... Feels like a missed opportunity to use that money to make more meaningful improvement.

I'll just copy what I wrote somewhere else about that one:

It's closing down for 4 years starting this summer.

They refuse to give up on it. They say they want to revitalize the eastern end of the city and while it's somewhat gentrifying, it's still nowhere near happening enough that the Olympic Stadium will become a hub. Nor is there any sort of consistent tenant on the horizon.

They mention Taylor Swift and Beyonce. Seriously. How many times are you going to get them in there (years down the road) to justify the cost?

There's cutesy stuff around it but I don't think anywhere near enough to justify that sort of cash. But both the province and the city refuse to give up on it. I do get the point that 2 billion to tear it down (+ the effect it has on the subway station it houses, which does get a lot of traffic) is considerable.

You'd almost rather they spend this on somewhere downtown (if possible) which would probably get them an MLB team back. You know what would have been cool? Having the Olympic Stadium worthy of hosting World Cup matches instead of having them in f***ing Edmonton as opposed to Montreal, where there's a real historical culture for it.

Happy to hear that Plante wants to spend a billion over 10 years on downtown though. An area like the Gay Village and its surroundings could really use the influx. Its become such a piece of shit area.

Stadium was a factor, but I wouldn’t be surprised if FIFA didn’t want to deal with the french language police

Also we have 2 seasons here, Winter and construction

I think it's completely stadium related. Not sure what the language laws could really do.

Can you imagine having Montreal's Italians, Greeks, Africans, Portuguese, French, Latinos, etc. flooding the city for matches? Man, it would have been glorious.

Entire neighborhoods would have been rocking. f*** the stadium itself!

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Can you imagine having Montreal's Italians, Greeks, Africans, Portuguese, French, Latinos, etc. flooding the city for matches? Man, it would have been glorious.

Entire neighborhoods would have been rocking. f*** the stadium itself!

I won't have to imagine when I'm hanging out in 2026 here in Toronto with all those same communities but also many more that Montreal don't have

 

[Spring in Fialta]

I won't have to imagine when I'm hanging out in 2026 here in Toronto with all those same communities but also many more that Montreal don't have

Doesn't have that Montreal drip tho

But yeah, Toronto is going to be a hell of a place too. I just find it's a shame that Montreal's history won't be rocking in there too.

I don't mean to throw shade to a place like Edmonton. It's awesome for the people there too. It's just not the same.

 

[Power Man]

I'll just copy what I wrote somewhere else about that one:

It's closing down for 4 years starting this summer.

They refuse to give up on it. They say they want to revitalize the eastern end of the city and while it's somewhat gentrifying, it's still nowhere near happening enough that the Olympic Stadium will become a hub. Nor is there any sort of consistent tenant on the horizon.

They mention Taylor Swift and Beyonce. Seriously. How many times are you going to get them in there (years down the road) to justify the cost?

There's cutesy stuff around it but I don't think anywhere near enough to justify that sort of cash. But both the province and the city refuse to give up on it. I do get the point that 2 billion to tear it down (+ the effect it has on the subway station it houses, which does get a lot of traffic) is considerable.

You'd almost rather they spend this on somewhere downtown (if possible) which would probably get them an MLB team back. You know what would have been cool? Having the Olympic Stadium worthy of hosting World Cup matches instead of having them in f***ing Edmonton as opposed to Montreal, where there's a real historical culture for it.

Happy to hear that Plante wants to spend a billion over 10 years on downtown though. An area like the Gay Village and its surroundings could really use the influx. Its become such a piece of shit area.



I think it's completely stadium related. Not sure what the language laws could really do.

Can you imagine having Montreal's Italians, Greeks, Africans, Portuguese, French, Latinos, etc. flooding the city for matches? Man, it would have been glorious.

Entire neighborhoods would have been rocking. f*** the stadium itself!

Every communication, PA, every banner , would hsve to be in both french and english, with written french being X % larger than the english vereion

It can be a PITA in large events

The quebec government is annpying with that sort of thing, and Îm Francophone
Those backwards clowns are pulling stats out of their asses claiming the french language is disappearing…aaah fear mongering

 

[maclean]

I won't have to imagine when I'm hanging out in 2026 here in Toronto with all those same communities but also many more that Montreal don't have

Both can be true. Toronto will be hyped as well, but Montreal would definitely bring a different vibe to the table. The city's own fault though really