2018 FIFA World Cup Megathread

[Shofercia]

That'd be funny.

You should have insisted the World Cup was held in the winter.....

True, and then we'd win

[Bombadil]

You should have insisted the World Cup was held in the winter.....

True, and then we'd win

..with the novel tactic of scoring no goals but stacking the goalmouth with all 11 players and waiting for the opposition to all die of hypothermia, thus going through on a technicality.

[The Archregimancy]

That'd be funny.

You should have insisted the World Cup was held in the winter.....

Mongolia lost 5-1 on aggregate to East Timor in the first round of Asian qualifying.

They might be the only nation that knows how to invade Russia - in winter - and win, but they're really, really crap at football.


Pedants will note that Mongolia's 5-1 aggregate loss was overturned into a 6-0 aggregate victory on appeal when it turned out that the Timorese had fielded several ineligible players - but since this happened after the second round group stage had been completed, Mongolia weren't reinstated.

[HC Eredivisie]

Sweden relegating the Dutch to third in their group

Only because for some reason goal difference was the deciding factor in the FIFA WC qualifications instead of the aggegrate result, which was 4-1 in favour of the Netherlands, as it is in every other qualification round.

[Nazis in Space]

Speaking of Sweden, I'd like to note that a Sweden vs Denmark final is entirely possible, as long as both of them either come first- or second in their respective groups (but not one first, the other second).

Ì'd pay money for this final to happen.

[Neu Leonstein]

You don't happen to listen to Football Weekly do you?

No... I am a fan of Michael Cox though. Sadly he gets paid to write this stuff now, so he only rarely updates the free site.

[Riemstagrad]

Sweden relegating the Dutch to third in their group

Only because for some reason goal difference was the deciding factor in the FIFA WC qualifications instead of the aggegrate result, which was 4-1 in favour of the Netherlands, as it is in every other qualification round.

ah.... memories... Years ago we in Belgium were always doing complex calculations to keep the hope for qualification alive.
Yes, goal difference... aggregate results... those where all thrown into the math.

Don't worry HC, we will bring the world cup to the low countries for the first time in history.

[The Blaatschapen]

Only because for some reason goal difference was the deciding factor in the FIFA WC qualifications instead of the aggegrate result, which was 4-1 in favour of the Netherlands, as it is in every other qualification round.

ah.... memories... Years ago we in Belgium were always doing complex calculations to keep the hope for qualification alive.
Yes, goal difference... aggregate results... those where all thrown into the math.

Don't worry HC, we will bring the world cup to the low countries for the first time in history.

I'd Hazard a guess and say: Courtois is going to steal it?

[Cryptomypt]

Don't worry HC, we will bring the world cup to the low countries for the first time in history.

Belgium are DOOMED without Defour.

[Forsher]

Only because for some reason goal difference was the deciding factor in the FIFA WC qualifications instead of the aggegrate result, which was 4-1 in favour of the Netherlands, as it is in every other qualification round.

ah.... memories... Years ago we in Belgium were always doing complex calculations to keep the hope for qualification alive.
Yes, goal difference... aggregate results... those where all thrown into the math.

Don't worry HC, we will bring the world cup to the low countries for the first time in history.

Belgium are the favourites.

[Arotania]

Belgium are the favourites.

Now that article has some flexible logic. I chuckled.

[DesAnges]

"It's not hard to imagine Hugo Lloris being named keeper of the tournament"

What? He's awful.

[Swiss-Austrian Confederation]

I think Germany will be the first team to defend its title since Brasil did it in 1962.
Anyway as far as i see it the big favorites are Germany, Brasil, France and Spain. And the outsiders are Belgium, Argentina and Portugal
The team i hope will win it is Belgium.


This is how i think the world cup will end

I predict that these teams will go through from the group

A: Russia and Uruguay
B: Spain and Portugal
C: France and Denmark
D: Argentina and Croatia
E: Brazil and Switzerland
F: Germany and Mexico
G: England and Belgium
H: Poland and Colombia

Round of 16
Uruguay-Portugal
France-Croatia
Brazil-Mexico
Belgium-Poland
Spain-Russia
Argentina-Denmark
Germany-Switzerland
Colombia-England

Quarterfinal
Portugal-France
Brazil-Belgium
Spain-Argentina
Germany-England

Semifinals
France-Belgium
Spain-Germany

Third place play-off
Belgium-Spain

Final
France-Germany

Winner
Germany

Second Place
France

Third place
Belgium

[DesAnges]

Russia won't make it out of the group without some help from the refs but other than that and maybe England beating Colombia it looks plausible enough.

[HC Eredivisie]

Only because for some reason goal difference was the deciding factor in the FIFA WC qualifications instead of the aggegrate result, which was 4-1 in favour of the Netherlands, as it is in every other qualification round.

ah.... memories... Years ago we in Belgium were always doing complex calculations to keep the hope for qualification alive.
Yes, goal difference... aggregate results... those where all thrown into the math.

Don't worry HC, we will bring the world cup to the low countries for the first time in history.

As I said before, I'd rather have the Germans win it. Go win some cycling stuff nobody cares about.

Belgium are the favourites.

I can't see how the English could say "Germany/France/anyothernationthanus is going to win the World Cup', so this seems the least offensive and most likely choice left.

Now that article has some flexible logic. I chuckled.

[Baltenstein]

Speaking of Sweden, I'd like to note that a Sweden vs Denmark final is entirely possible, as long as both of them either come first- or second in their respective groups (but not one first, the other second).

Ì'd pay money for this final to happen.

On the next episode of "Vikings"...

[The Blaatschapen]

ah.... memories... Years ago we in Belgium were always doing complex calculations to keep the hope for qualification alive.
Yes, goal difference... aggregate results... those where all thrown into the math.

Don't worry HC, we will bring the world cup to the low countries for the first time in history.

As I said before, I'd rather have the Germans win it. Go win some cycling stuff nobody cares about.

I can't see how the English could say "Germany/France/anyothernationthanus is going to win the World Cup', so this seems the least offensive and most likely choice left.

Now that article has some flexible logic. I chuckled.

I also rather have the Germans win it.

I like having a good party here

[Yaana Noore]

Lopetegui off to Real after the World Cup then. Don't think it will hurt them, best that they got the speculation out of the way before the tourney started and I don't think their chances are doing well are harmed. Conte's Italy were still fantastic at the Euros despite knowing he was going to Chelsea after it.

[Bombadil]

Looking through the Group stages there's 3 games I'd like to watch..

Spain - Portugal
Argentina - Croatia
Nigeria - Argentina

..and they're all at shitty times for me.. as are the England matches other than England - Panama, which might be a decent game.

[The Blaatschapen]

Lopetegui off to Real after the World Cup then. Don't think it will hurt them, best that they got the speculation out of the way before the tourney started and I don't think their chances are doing well are harmed. Conte's Italy were still fantastic at the Euros despite knowing he was going to Chelsea after it.

I heard that the Spanish FA is quite pissed though.

In other news, Erdogate keeps lingering in the German team.

And I own a Mannschaft shirt now. I'm gaining beer if I wear it

Edit: Spain just fired Lopetegui. Well, that's Spain down the drain

[DesAnges]

Sacking the manager on the literal eve of the World Cup is more of a French thing to do.

[Yaana Noore]

Well, they've sacked him. Looks like he went behind the Spanish FA's back to get the job. And here was me presuming that they would know about the whole thing, what do I know!
Unfortunately this means I'm very doubtful of Spain winning the thing now, and my bet is down the drain...

[Ethel mermania]

That's it's. Spain is as dysfunctional as we are.


I am rooting for spain.

[Nazis in Space]

*checks his predictions*

*sees that he already had Spain as an upset failure, while Morocco progresses*

*looks at recent coach shenanigans*

*looks smug*

[The Blaatschapen]

So, after the press conference, the Spanish team visited an orphanage in Russia.
"It's heartbreaking to see their little faces with no hope", said Vladimir, aged 6.