FIFA World Cup 2022

[Dragonfish]

Me too. England have not played well at all since the Euros last year so I'm not expecting them to get very far in the world cup.

I’m hoping it’s just because this year it’s been the nations league and lets be honest, who’s really bothered about it? It’s a pointless competition imo and just adds to an already hectic schedule in a footballing year such as this.

Whose bothered about it? Us Scots cos it may be a route to actually bloody qualifying!
Tsk DF - you’ve been down South too long

Haha oh hello you! I think tbh if Scotland had some decent strikers we would qualify lol

Aye best group of players for many a year, barring like you say final 1/3rd. Pity LG is/was an absolute waster.
And TBF you’re right, Nations League does seem like overkill for big guns and I’m still not sure entirely how it actually works

Less enthused by this WC than previous tourneys (it’s winter, it’s weird!) but I’m one of the few Scots who wishes the England mens team well so I’ll be rooting for them

Yep exactly, you’ve hit the nail on the head; poor last third always lets them down.

I just think the NL is another way for UEFA to make more money and yeh, it just seems a pointless competition to me.

Yeh I’m with you with the lack of enthusiasm. Wrong time of year, wrong country and I’m struggling to build enthusiasm for it. Watching the matches with eggnog and mulled wine just won’t have the same feeling for me lol.

You’re supporting England over Wales?! Oof

[Guest]

Thought Denmark's new kits were hilariously bad but then read it's for political reasons. Good on them I guess.

It is Hummel that have designed them.
I like that they hide the sponsor name and I also really like the black one.

[Guest]

Fifa23 simulation predicts Argentina to win 1:0 in the final against Brazil. Since EA has accurately predicted the winner for the past three WCs (Spain, Germany, France) there's no need to watch it anymore.

[Guest]

Fifa23 simulation predicts Argentina to win 1:0 in the final against Brazil. Since EA has accurately predicted the winner for the past three WCs (Spain, Germany, France) there's no need to watch it anymore.

But their brackets are all wrong. A lot of people have pointed it out on social media. For example, Portugal and Brazil can either meet in the last 16 or the final.
They might win, but its not based on their accuracy.

[Guest]

Do you guys own jerseys from your country or nah? I have one I bought two world cups ago and it's enough. I only wear it when I go somewhere public to watch a game.

[Guest]

I’m hoping it’s just because this year it’s been the nations league and lets be honest, who’s really bothered about it? It’s a pointless competition imo and just adds to an already hectic schedule in a footballing year such as this.

Whose bothered about it? Us Scots cos it may be a route to actually bloody qualifying!
Tsk DF - you’ve been down South too long

Haha oh hello you! I think tbh if Scotland had some decent strikers we would qualify lol

Aye best group of players for many a year, barring like you say final 1/3rd. Pity LG is/was an absolute waster.
And TBF you’re right, Nations League does seem like overkill for big guns and I’m still not sure entirely how it actually works

Less enthused by this WC than previous tourneys (it’s winter, it’s weird!) but I’m one of the few Scots who wishes the England mens team well so I’ll be rooting for them

Yep exactly, you’ve hit the nail on the head; poor last third always lets them down.

I just think the NL is another way for UEFA to make more money and yeh, it just seems a pointless competition to me.

Yeh I’m with you with the lack of enthusiasm. Wrong time of year, wrong country and I’m struggling to build enthusiasm for it. Watching the matches with eggnog and mulled wine just won’t have the same feeling for me lol.

You’re supporting England over Wales?! Oof

Oh no I’ll be supporting the Welsh team too, but I just assume England will get further. They’re stodgy and seem to carry luck.
If it came down to Wales V England I’d be belting out Land of My Fathers
Bloody love the Welsh

Oh, just saw they ARE in the same group - I didn’t even know that, I’m so out of the loop this time round - I’ve spend too much time on the news cycle and railing at our politicians

Anyway enjoy the fitba when it comes!

[Guest]

Fifa23 simulation predicts Argentina to win 1:0 in the final against Brazil. Since EA has accurately predicted the winner for the past three WCs (Spain, Germany, France) there's no need to watch it anymore.

But their brackets are all wrong. A lot of people have pointed it out on social media. For example, Portugal and Brazil can either meet in the last 16 or the final.
They might win, but its not based on their accuracy.

EA got the brackets wrong for all previous simulations. What they always got correct was overall winner. So Argentina it will be... boring.

[Guest]

Which country has your favourite jersey/kit?
I'm quite liking Japan's and Brazil's. Sad they've ruined Croatia's classic checkered shirts with only having a tiny bit on the sleeves.

https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2022/11/11 ... king-2022/

I love Ecuador's.

[Guest]

France has the best team by far, they will probably win. Argentina is good too. But I really hope a team that never won before wins.

[Guest]

I think Argentina are the overwhelming favourites with that 35 match unbeaten run, plus so many of the top Argentinian players picking up "minor injuries" in the lead up to the finals means they will be pretty fresh compared to other teams.

Brazil, France of course are the best of the rest, but Brazil's defence isn't great and you never know which France will turn up (they rival the Dutch in their ability to self destruct). I think Denmark will be the European dark horses, maybe Cameroon or Tunisia could spring a surprise? I'm interested to see what Canada do and Uruguay are always dangerous.

I'm English so will be supporting England. I'm not expecting much and think we will be knocked out in the R16 or possibly in the group stages. Southgate and his inability to make tactical changes mid-match cost us in the last 2 tournaments and I don't expect anything to change, basically if Plan A doesn't work we are fucked.

[Guest]

Danish TV

[Guest]

This World Cup will be so bad.
Even when the tournament starts I would not be surprised if what happensout of the football match oushines what happens on the pitch.
Not excited for this WC at all, it will always be bittersweet even if my country has a good result.
I think Brazil and Argentina have a good shot, but the truth is that they always do and then they end up not winning. Also, I think this Argentina squad isnt at the level of the team that reached the WC final.
I will be looking to see how Portugal plays, Denmark could be the surprise, I don't think have that much confidence in France and Germany is always a contender no matter what. Also, Iran as some good players, would not surprise me if the make a good campaign.

[Guest]

Do you guys own jerseys from your country or nah? I have one I bought two world cups ago and it's enough. I only wear it when I go somewhere public to watch a game.

No never. Only football top I have is my own team (my city) and I only wear that sometimes at games.

[Guest]

France has the best team by far, they will probably win. Argentina is good too. But I really hope a team that never won before wins.

France just lost to Austria, Croatia and twice to Denmark. They didn’t have a good nations league.

[Guest]

Danish TV

There’s more. Not a single accident, I’ve read about a few today. Tbh it’s ridiculous. I’m really scared that something bad is gonna happen involving a lot of people

[Guest]

Danish TV

There’s more. Not a single accident, I’ve read about a few today. Tbh it’s ridiculous. I’m really scared that something bad is gonna happen involving a lot of people

Look at the state of the Champions League final, and that was organised by a major European sporting body in a major European country that hosts major continental if not world events all the time. It truly doesn't take much failure of organisation to cause potentially deadly consequences. But here comes Qatar trying to stage something on a scale it won't ever have handled before, all of which is going to be policed to a degree almost every visitor won't have experienced before.

[Guest]

I don't know why anyone would want to go to Qatar to watch the world cup when you can just watch it at home. Saves money and is safer.

[Dragonfish]

Whose bothered about it? Us Scots cos it may be a route to actually bloody qualifying!
Tsk DF - you’ve been down South too long

Haha oh hello you! I think tbh if Scotland had some decent strikers we would qualify lol

Aye best group of players for many a year, barring like you say final 1/3rd. Pity LG is/was an absolute waster.
And TBF you’re right, Nations League does seem like overkill for big guns and I’m still not sure entirely how it actually works

Less enthused by this WC than previous tourneys (it’s winter, it’s weird!) but I’m one of the few Scots who wishes the England mens team well so I’ll be rooting for them

Yep exactly, you’ve hit the nail on the head; poor last third always lets them down.

I just think the NL is another way for UEFA to make more money and yeh, it just seems a pointless competition to me.

Yeh I’m with you with the lack of enthusiasm. Wrong time of year, wrong country and I’m struggling to build enthusiasm for it. Watching the matches with eggnog and mulled wine just won’t have the same feeling for me lol.

You’re supporting England over Wales?! Oof

Oh no I’ll be supporting the Welsh team too, but I just assume England will get further. They’re stodgy and seem to carry luck.
If it came down to Wales V England I’d be belting out Land of My Fathers
Bloody love the Welsh

Oh, just saw they ARE in the same group - I didn’t even know that, I’m so out of the loop this time round - I’ve spend too much time on the news cycle and railing at our politicians

Anyway enjoy the fitba when it comes!

So am I. I feel there’s just no enthusiasm at all. Usually by now we’d have cars with flags out the window, pubs offering various deals and whatnot but nah. It’s xmas for me, that’s what I’m building up to, spending my time and money on the ones I love at the best time of year. If I happen to catch the odd match (if the time suits) then fine, but I won’t be going out of my way for it.

[Guest]

I don't know why anyone would want to go to Qatar to watch the world cup when you can just watch it at home. Saves money and is safer.

You are not alone in that view. There won’t be many fans from my country and I think you will find that that’s the same for other countries too. All those beautiful big arenas that several people died building won’t be filled.
Even public big screen viewings aren’t being arranged (in my country) instead people are watching at home in smaller groups. No one wants to give qat@r attention.

[Guest]

I don't know why anyone would want to go to Qatar to watch the world cup when you can just watch it at home. Saves money and is safer.

You are not alone in that view. There won’t be many fans from my country and I think you will find that that’s the same for other countries too. All those beautiful big arenas that several people died building won’t be filled.
Even public big screen viewings aren’t being arranged (in my country) instead people are watching at home in smaller groups. No one wants to give qat@r attention.

They are currently being accused of "buying" fans from the different participating countries in exchange for talking positively about the country.
I haven't checked any source, though, so take it with a grain of salt.

[Guest]

I don't know why anyone would want to go to Qatar to watch the world cup when you can just watch it at home. Saves money and is safer.

You are not alone in that view. There won’t be many fans from my country and I think you will find that that’s the same for other countries too. All those beautiful big arenas that several people died building won’t be filled.
Even public big screen viewings aren’t being arranged (in my country) instead people are watching at home in smaller groups. No one wants to give qat@r attention.

They are currently being accused of "buying" fans from the different participating countries in exchange for talking positively about the country.
I haven't checked any source, though, so take it with a grain of salt.

It's true. There's videos on twitter of it all.
All the fans in these videos are actors from Qatar and other Arab countries, their fake excitement is cringe.

[Guest]

I don't know why anyone would want to go to Qatar to watch the world cup when you can just watch it at home. Saves money and is safer.

You are not alone in that view. There won’t be many fans from my country and I think you will find that that’s the same for other countries too. All those beautiful big arenas that several people died building won’t be filled.
Even public big screen viewings aren’t being arranged (in my country) instead people are watching at home in smaller groups. No one wants to give qat@r attention.

They are currently being accused of "buying" fans from the different participating countries in exchange for talking positively about the country.
I haven't checked any source, though, so take it with a grain of salt.

It's true. There's videos on twitter of it all.
All the fans in these videos are actors from Qatar and other Arab countries, their fake excitement is cringe.

At least we will able to spot the genuine fan from the paid actor when it comes to the English. If a man isn't wearing a St George's flag as a cape that has the name of some nomark town written on it while he is throwing plastic chairs beside his mate who has pyro between his arse cheeks then neither are from a nomark English town and both have Qatari blood money in their pockets.

[Guest]

I don't know why anyone would want to go to Qatar to watch the world cup when you can just watch it at home. Saves money and is safer.

You are not alone in that view. There won’t be many fans from my country and I think you will find that that’s the same for other countries too. All those beautiful big arenas that several people died building won’t be filled.
Even public big screen viewings aren’t being arranged (in my country) instead people are watching at home in smaller groups. No one wants to give qat@r attention.

They are currently being accused of "buying" fans from the different participating countries in exchange for talking positively about the country.
I haven't checked any source, though, so take it with a grain of salt.

It's true. There's videos on twitter of it all.
All the fans in these videos are actors from Qatar and other Arab countries, their fake excitement is cringe.

At least we will able to spot the genuine fan from the paid actor when it comes to the English. If a man isn't wearing a St George's flag as a cape that has the name of some nomark town written on it while he is throwing plastic chairs beside his mate who has pyro between his arse cheeks then neither are from a nomark English town and both have Qatari blood money in their pockets.

Now I'm wondering what they will do if all the hooligans want to throw down against their morality police or whatever they're called there. I'd watch that over the World Cup.

[BelCop]

Only 3 more days

[Guest]

hopefully ecuador will be good for something and beat that team.

[Guest]

France has the best team by far, they will probably win. Argentina is good too. But I really hope a team that never won before wins.

France just lost to Austria, Croatia and twice to Denmark. They didn’t have a good nations league.

They are hiding their game

[Guest]

I went all in with my life savings

[Guest]

France has the best team by far, they will probably win. Argentina is good too. But I really hope a team that never won before wins.

France just lost to Austria, Croatia and twice to Denmark. They didn’t have a good nations league.

They are hiding their game

They are hiding it well

[Guest]

Quarter final guessing
Nederland vs Argentina
Germany vs Brazil
England vs Denmark
Belgian vs Portugal

[Guest]

I went all in with my life savings

Qatar will likely be corrupt throughout the whole tournament. Wouldn't surprise me if all the big teams were bribed to lose.

[Dragonfish]

I went all in with my life savings

Qatar will likely be corrupt throughout the whole tournament. Wouldn't surprise me if all the big teams were bribed to lose.

It’s funny because I was literally going to put Qatar as the winner of this tie for this exact reason!

I wouldn’t be surprised if all the big teams flop because they’d rather get back to their domestic leagues, unharmed, where they make the majority of their money.

[Guest]

Hey everyone, thank you all for your contributions to my post.
I was not the OP but the one saying they had apparently "bought" fans but what I meant by that was not this stupid "fan" (lol) parade.
I read a couple of days ago that "actual" fans (and by "actual", I mean people from participating countries) had been bought by Qatar to go see the games (of their respective countries, all expenses cared for) on just one condition: talk positively about Qatar.
Here's an article from a Belgian sports newspaper. There's a paywall and, well, it's in French, but Chrome offers the option to translate content so you should be able to see the intro (and in your language).

Another article (again in French, sorry): https://www.sofoot.com/le-qatar-aurait- ... 21492.html

Here's a Swiss article (still in French, please don't hate me): https://www.lematin.ch/story/le-qatar-a ... 3730023486

If true (and I don't doubt it at this stage) this is really sickening.

[Guest]

Hey everyone, thank you all for your contributions to my post.
I was not the OP but the one saying they had apparently "bought" fans but what I meant by that was not this stupid "fan" (lol) parade.
I read a couple of days ago that "actual" fans (and by "actual", I mean people from participating countries) had been bought by Qatar to go see the games (of their respective countries, all expenses cared for) on just one condition: talk positively about Qatar.
Here's an article from a Belgian sports newspaper. There's a paywall and, well, it's in French, but Chrome offers the option to translate content so you should be able to see the intro (and in your language).

Another article (again in French, sorry): https://www.sofoot.com/le-qatar-aurait- ... 21492.html

Here's a Swiss article (still in French, please don't hate me): https://www.lematin.ch/story/le-qatar-a ... 3730023486

If true (and I don't doubt it at this stage) this is really sickening.

Oops, I missed the first article link (the one with the paywall). Here it is and sorry: https://www.dhnet.be/sports/football/di ... 7HH62CRQQ/

[Guest]

Hey everyone, thank you all for your contributions to my post.
I was not the OP but the one saying they had apparently "bought" fans but what I meant by that was not this stupid "fan" (lol) parade.
I read a couple of days ago that "actual" fans (and by "actual", I mean people from participating countries) had been bought by Qatar to go see the games (of their respective countries, all expenses cared for) on just one condition: talk positively about Qatar.
Here's an article from a Belgian sports newspaper. There's a paywall and, well, it's in French, but Chrome offers the option to translate content so you should be able to see the intro (and in your language).

Another article (again in French, sorry): https://www.sofoot.com/le-qatar-aurait- ... 21492.html

Here's a Swiss article (still in French, please don't hate me): https://www.lematin.ch/story/le-qatar-a ... 3730023486

If true (and I don't doubt it at this stage) this is really sickening.

Oops, I missed the first article link (the one with the paywall). Here it is and sorry: https://www.dhnet.be/sports/football/di ... 7HH62CRQQ/

Me again. I have no words.
I think it's time for me to go to bed and forget about this whole mess (love you Vince and those shirts were better than whatever we're stuck with for this competition).

[BelCop]

Hey everyone, thank you all for your contributions to my post.
I was not the OP but the one saying they had apparently "bought" fans but what I meant by that was not this stupid "fan" (lol) parade.
I read a couple of days ago that "actual" fans (and by "actual", I mean people from participating countries) had been bought by Qatar to go see the games (of their respective countries, all expenses cared for) on just one condition: talk positively about Qatar.
Here's an article from a Belgian sports newspaper. There's a paywall and, well, it's in French, but Chrome offers the option to translate content so you should be able to see the intro (and in your language).

Another article (again in French, sorry): https://www.sofoot.com/le-qatar-aurait- ... 21492.html

Here's a Swiss article (still in French, please don't hate me): https://www.lematin.ch/story/le-qatar-a ... 3730023486

If true (and I don't doubt it at this stage) this is really sickening.

Oops, I missed the first article link (the one with the paywall). Here it is and sorry: https://www.dhnet.be/sports/football/di ... 7HH62CRQQ/

Me again. I have no words.
I think it's time for me to go to bed and forget about this whole mess (love you Vince and those shirts were better than whatever we're stuck with for this competition).

Lol yeah, I read this too! I miss Vince too!
But we got this!!! according to some fancy prediction bureau we gonna play the final against brasil which we gonna lose
I do like the white kit, but really hate the red one.

2 more days.

[BelCop]

Last minute lol

With Budweiser being one of the main sponsors

[Guest]

Last minute lol

With Budweiser being one of the main sponsors

I’ve just read ‘Those in corporate areas of stadiums at the tournament will still be able to purchase alcohol’. It’s ridiculous.

[Guest]

I'm sure they paid the Indian workers/tourists there. But at least it's a win win situation unlike the enslaved workers.

[Guest]

Last minute lol

With Budweiser being one of the main sponsors

Lol at the Qataris screwing over FIFA at the last minute and leaving them with the bill for millions. Who da thought that a corrupt, autocratic regime willing to bribe it’s way to a World Cup, might of been lying to FIFA about all the promises it made lol.

This has to be the worse World Cup since Argentina 78, which was held under the similarly awful, equally corrupt junta.

[Guest]

Remember the Euro players taking the knee against ‘racism’ because some black thug was killed in the US, on the other side of the Atlantic ?
Surely following that logic, they would object to Qatar and its appalling human rights records, right? Slavery is literally legal there and homosexuality illegal. Women are treated like cattle but they’re male players so obviously they don’t care.
Wait, you are telling me they’re not boycotting the World Cup? They’re being hypocrites ? It was performative all along? No way! I’m shocked, truly shocked.

[Guest]

Lol at the Qataris screwing over FIFA at the last minute and leaving them with the bill for millions. Who da thought that a corrupt, autocratic regime willing to bribe it’s way to a World Cup, might of been lying to FIFA about all the promises it made lol.

This has to be the worse World Cup since Argentina 78, which was held under the similarly awful, equally corrupt junta.

It will likely go down as the most tainted WC of all time I expect. I struggle to see what could possibly top it. Qatar will probably come away wishing they hadn't bothered because the whole point of hosting isn't particularly working isn't it... everyone thinks it's a complete joke at best and criminal at worst, and we haven't even kicked off yet to see how messy it's going to be on and off the pitch too. There is nothing this tournament could be that would turn the tide here. People's minds are made up. If anything we're all going to end up thinking even worse things by the end of it. Nothing is being sportswashed here, everyone is seeing right through the bullshit. All Qatar has achieved is making itself look a bigger arsehole than the world knew. To the average person who actually knew of Qatar they were mostly a 'some far off country in the ME but I couldn't say where exactly' place, and now they're known to all but for the wrong reasons instead of the good ones that the WC was supposed to make them known for. If you'll excuse the pun, this is a bit of an own goal.

[Guest]

I mean what is this even

[Guest]

I find it funny how men in commentary tv always feel the need to wear a watch

[Guest]

I mean what is this even

SPOILERSPOILER

LMAO Oh dear how sad.....Anyway love this comment

SPOILERSPOILER

Just in case Twitter goes down

Who could of thought that an authoritarian regime with an appalling worker's rights record was not to be trusted? I suppose that's what you get for accepting to be paid the equivalent of a Qatari monthly minimum wage every four days for the pleasure of doing absolutely nothing.

The people behind a bid full of lies and corruption, turn out to be corrupt liars shock!

[Guest]

As a woman I wouldn't feel safe in Qatar

[Guest]

As a woman I wouldn't feel safe in Qatar

Same here.

[Guest]

and more form the same thread:
Infantino saying Europe can’t give moral lessons to Qatar based on its actions over the previous 1,000+ years

Infantino: “There are 1 billion disabled people in the world … and nobody cares”

Gianni Infantino trying to suggest there is hypocrisy and inconsistency when the world focuses on issues in Qatar rather than other nations or groups of people discriminated against.

On migrant workers in Qatar, the FIFA president saying they earn more than they would at home

Gianni Infantino saying Qatar welcoming migrant workers shows Europe should allow more in to work

Infantino on Qatar: “FIFA is opening up its compensation legacy fund for anyone who wants to invest in it”
Saying people can sit on a board if they invest.
Also establish a “Labour excellence hub” in Qatar with UN agency.

Infantino: “This legislation exists in many countries …like for the workers these are processes. What do you want to do - stay home, hammer & criticise how bad these Arabs & Muslims are because it is not allowed to be publicly gay. Of course I believe it should be allowed”

[Guest]

As a woman I wouldn't feel safe in Qatar

Same here.

Yet we are not hearing anything about womens rights, or lack of them in Qatar. I'm happy that people are speaking out about migrant workers rights and LGB but nobody says anything about how women are treated like 2nd class citizens.

[Guest]

SPOILERSPOILER

and more form the same thread:
Infantino saying Europe can’t give moral lessons to Qatar based on its actions over the previous 1,000+ years

Infantino: “There are 1 billion disabled people in the world … and nobody cares”

Gianni Infantino trying to suggest there is hypocrisy and inconsistency when the world focuses on issues in Qatar rather than other nations or groups of people discriminated against.

On migrant workers in Qatar, the FIFA president saying they earn more than they would at home

Gianni Infantino saying Qatar welcoming migrant workers shows Europe should allow more in to work

Infantino on Qatar: “FIFA is opening up its compensation legacy fund for anyone who wants to invest in it”
Saying people can sit on a board if they invest.
Also establish a “Labour excellence hub” in Qatar with UN agency.

Infantino: “This legislation exists in many countries …like for the workers these are processes. What do you want to do - stay home, hammer & criticise how bad these Arabs & Muslims are because it is not allowed to be publicly gay. Of course I believe it should be allowed”

lmao this scumbag

[Guest]

Gianni Infantino FIFA President now lives in Qatar, he’s totally their bitch!
He is also Swiss, Sepp Blatter now this guy. No offence Swiss peeps, but can you stop ruining football.

I feel FIFA need an IOC style clear out cause there brand is trash.