2026 FIFA World Cup - Finals discussion and news megathread (quarters/semis/finals)

I think it was tough for Tuchel because Norway really, really fell apart, especially in the last ten minutes of regular time. It was like watching two different teams.

The first half and first play session of the second Norway were really coming to life and just putting a lot of pressure on England in the goals. I think they had something like 12 shots on goal with 6 of them on target. Pickford was only just getting to Norway's shots to deflect them, and then suddenly Nyland was put under serious pressure in the last ten mins. He played amazingly.

Norway couldn't find a way in extra time to put any offensive pressure on. Braut Haaland looked absolutely wrecked even towards the end of the first half, to the point where we were wondering if it was to try and lull England into a false sense of security. But he was just absolutely destroyed, whether by humidity (40 apparenty temperature!) or some other issue.

Schjelderup's cross-that-turned-into-a-goal was amazing. Djed Spence played incredibly, and Jude Bellingham was able to be creative and create opportunities where Ødegaard really struggled.

A great match that unfortunately fizzled out at the end. Very happy my team made it this far, and it is a shame, as I think Argentina and Switzerland are both much weaker teams than England. But that is the luck of the draw!

This ended up being a re-run of Stamford Bridge instead of Lindisfarne, but it very much seems as Norway has not only had an extremely successful return to the Cup, but brought a lot of joy to people around the world. That is a nice consolation.

I think even lots of non-English people know 'It's Coming Home' from last World Cup. That and Three Lions were written by David Baddiel and Frank Skinner, who both have a lot to answer for.

I'm referring to the songs primarily, but Baddiel didn't really try on UK Taskmaster. It's okay to play a grumpy old man character, but you have to put in a little bit of effort.

Given you are essentially a psychic based on yesterday's results, I'll lock that in to my head.

Shu the Octopus

Thanks for the correction, it does appear that nationalism around the Falklands goes across the political spectrum in Argentina. I read a few papers on it and it seems like all parties can't animate voters without invoking the issue. The fact that it's written on buses does not make it any less strange to me, but I'm viewing this from a different continent

However, it doesn't matter anymore

LAS MALVINAS SON ESPAÑOLAS!!!

I personally would love more American anthropology as the tournament goes on. As the final will be held in the lands of the King of Kings Zohran Mamdani (but not really, the stadium is in New Jersey I think), us outsiders will need to know the proper gifts and tributes to bring to this mighty tyrant.

France and Spain are playing their final in Arlington (??? the cementary in sad war movies?), and the winners of Norway-England and Argentina-Switzerland will be playing in the fabled city of Atlanta (home of the historic texts of the golden age of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, for presumably tax reasons).

Please let us know if there's a Patreon for America Facts™!

Spain absolutely shut the French down. They were so disciplined with their marking and every promising French service pass had a Spanish player to intercept it.

Third straight year that Spain has beaten France in a semi - Euro 24, EUFA Nations 25, and now the World Cup.

Goal number one was an impressively tactical penalty. I don't respect it, but it was well done. Goal number 2 was just flat out very impressive.

Spain is on to the final. I find it hard to muster enthusiasm, as @culturedleftfoot said, they are a team without world class players but it's working out for them very well. Champion team beats team of champions etc etc

Edit: Mbappe gave an interview about his assessment of the game, which is refreshingly frank:

"We didn't play the match we wanted to, neither tactically, nor technically, nor in terms of our overall performance. When you don't do what you need to do in a World Cup semifinal, you don't win. Spain stayed true to their game plan, which is what defines them: a team that likes to control the ball and the pace of the match. The idea was to press them high up to keep them from settling into that deceptive rhythm, but we couldn't manage it. We made a lot of technical errors, we didn't know how to hurt them when we should have.

"What were we missing? We let them set the pace. It was up to us to change the balance, and that's where we failed. From the start, with how we pressed, we failed. We were always outnumbered 3 vs 2 in midfield. And against Spain, that's already tough. Fabián and Rodri had plenty of time to play. There was a lack of communication in the press. We needed to go 1 vs 1 in the press, force them to run with us because they're a team that doesn't like to run without the ball. The problem was also that, even when we recovered the ball, our first touches and first passes weren't up to World Cup semifinal level. When you add this up, the result is defeat."

Thank you for another amazing America Fact!

I often wondered if the history of first nations people in Florida was different from Northeastern/'Plains'/Western groups due to initial contact with the Spanish.

The Spanish had a truly odd relationship to colonization, because of their extremely legalistic culture. I've read several books about the bizarre fact that native culture persists so much more in Central and South America because, once the requirimento was read, first nations people were Spanish subjects, and could legally challenge colonizer actions in courts in Spain.

Obviously the dice were massively stacked against them, but it is an interesting fragment of history.

For Florida, though, this didn't seem to make much of a difference. Infectious diseases and policies of extermination by English colonists to the north of Florida meant that most of the first nations peoples encountered in the 17th century were gone as coherent polities by the 18th.

Of the two 'federally recognized' tribes in Florida (?), both are noteworthy. The Seminole people came together and created a shared identity from many of the remnants of groups that were wiped out by disease and genocide by the English/US colonists. Florida had been a place of refugee for escaped slaves for decades before the American revolution, and the Seminole people mixed material culture and lifeways, incorporating aspects of Gullah culture. This pissed off Andrew Jackson so badly he launched a war of extermination on the Seminole, ending up with many being forcibly marched to Oklahoma in the trail of tears.

In more recent news, a coalition of environmental groups hoping to protect the Florida Everglades and the Miccousukee people of Florida caused the closure of the so-called Alligator Alcatraz concentration camp, successfully arguing in court that the proximity of their villages close to the camp meant its building was illegal. This coalition was successful, with Miccosukee spokespeople stating that:

As Native peoples, we have a sacred obligation passed down from our ancestors to care for the land and everyone who depends on it. The construction of the detention center in Florida was on the ancestral lands of the Miccosukee Tribe. The buildings endangered delicate and protected ecosystems. Alligator Alcatraz put thousands of immigrants at risk. The reported filthy and unsafe conditions were a violation of the human rights of immigrants and their families.

The administration’s violent crackdown on migrant communities is an affront to all we stand for as Native peoples. We are opposed to any government operation that violates the human rights of our neighbors and all who reside on this land. As we saw in Minneapolis earlier this year, ICE operations operate with little to no oversight or safeguards, acting illegally in many cases. Multiple people, including babies, have died in, or as a result of, ICE custody. This must end.

The closure of Alligator Alcatraz is a victory for human rights and Tribal Sovereignty, but we want to see an end to all inhumane and unlawful detention of our neighbors who are simply trying to live, work, and raise their families.

Perhaps not cheerful facts, but very illustrative of Florida's complex society and history that defies the easy memes of 'Florida man' etc. And special shout out to the Florida panther, my personal favourite North American big cat.