World Cup Kickoff Thread

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  • Mr_Shoes_Tied
    Mr_Shoes_Tied Community Member Posts: 142 Empowering

    First time I've done well in any competition

  • Rachel_Scope
    Rachel_Scope Posts: 4,221 Online Community Team

    Haha well done @Mr_Shoes_Tied! I've got Croatia and I'm not holding out much hope.

  • Mr_Shoes_Tied
    Mr_Shoes_Tied Community Member Posts: 142 Empowering

    I tried to look up how Croatia are doing but I don't understand it all enough. They're 3rd in their group which sounds pretty good? I don't know how high you have to be to go through though.

    AI told me this but I've no idea how true it is: "However, they have been one of the most successful nations in the tournament's modern history, achieving three podium finishes since gaining independence in 1991"

  • Rachel_Scope
    Rachel_Scope Posts: 4,221 Online Community Team

    I don't really understand either @Mr_Shoes_Tied. I'm probably very wrong but I believe the top 2 teams of each group go through to the next stage, so it's not looking good for Croatia at the moment but they're not too far behind the top 2.

    That's an interesting fact and gives me some hope!

  • Scooby222
    Scooby222 Community Member Posts: 158 Empowering

    There's this complicated algorithm for working out which of the 3rd placed teams will get through to the play-offs, Scotland have a big list of possible ways they can still get through, but it depends on loads of other results. ๐Ÿค”

    it's too hot to try and work it out though! ๐Ÿฅต

  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 14,602 Online Community Programme Lead
    edited June 25

    @Mr_Shoes_Tiedย andย @Rachel_Scopeย the eight best of the twelve third-placed finishing teams in the group stage will also qualify for the last-32. As it stands, with 9 groups of teams/18 games still yet to be decided, Croatia are projected to qualify and play Colombia at 2.30am on 4 July.

    Too long didn't read? If they squeeze out a draw from their remaining group game with Ghana, they should be okay even if they finish in third and would likely qualify for the next round.

  • Rachel_Scope
    Rachel_Scope Posts: 4,221 Online Community Team

    Ah thanks @Adrian_Scope! I can impress my husband with my new football knowledge ๐Ÿ˜‚ So Croatia aren't doing terribly then I guess.

    I completely agree that it's too hot to be working things like that out @Scooby222!

  • Scooby222
    Scooby222 Community Member Posts: 158 Empowering

    There's a link to an article about how the third place playoff qualifications work here - see the link below;

    https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/24/world-cup-groups-permutations-round-of-32-usa-mexico-canada

    I don't know if I'm allowed to post this? Hopefully it's okay and it might help someone! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Rachel_Scope
    Rachel_Scope Posts: 4,221 Online Community Team

    That's super helpful @Scooby222 thanks! So Croatia are third in the third place table. What team do you have?

  • Scooby222
    Scooby222 Community Member Posts: 158 Empowering
    edited June 25

    I've got Spain, which is ironic really as I donโ€™t particularly like the way they play. I usually end up supporting the other team they are playing! ๐Ÿ˜

    I'd love Cape Verde to get through to the playoffs though.

  • Rachel_Scope
    Rachel_Scope Posts: 4,221 Online Community Team

    What do you mean when you say you don't like how Spain play? I want to increase my knowledge! I'm just happy when the team I like scores a goal ๐Ÿ˜‚

    Are you from Cape Verde?

  • Scooby222
    Scooby222 Community Member Posts: 158 Empowering

    No, I'm from near Pontefract! I live in sunny Berkshire now though. ๐Ÿ˜Ž

    I find Spain boring or irritating to watch when they play football (the men's team that is). They tend to either pass thr ball endlessly to each other - with the occasional burst of an attack once they've bored the opposing team to a stupor - or they are rolling about on the ground trying to claim a free kick because someone ran past them too closely. ๐Ÿค”

    That's only my opinion though, others seem to think they are a great team.

  • Rachel_Scope
    Rachel_Scope Posts: 4,221 Online Community Team

    Oh ๐Ÿ˜‚ A fellow Yorkshire person then? I can't believe you've left the best county in the world! ๐Ÿ˜‰

    I don't like it when they roll around either. Just get up and play! Oh yeah I know what you mean about just passing it between each other. It makes for a very boring game, much like the England v Ghana match.

  • Mr_Shoes_Tied
    Mr_Shoes_Tied Community Member Posts: 142 Empowering

    Soooo does that mean Switzerland are in or still undecided? ๐Ÿ˜…

    I think this is the most I've ever cared about football

  • Scooby222
    Scooby222 Community Member Posts: 158 Empowering

    Which part of Yorkshire are you from Rachel? I moved down south for a job years ago, and just ended up staying.

  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 14,602 Online Community Programme Lead

    Tonight we're rounding off another three groups of the World Cup.

    Group E:

    9pm (BST): Curaรงao (@WhatThe and @Stringer83x) v Ivory Coast (@66Mustang and @cityjacko)

    9pm (BST): Ecuador (@Viran007 and @juliehall) v Germany (@WelshBlue and @jfc9419)

    Group F:

    12am (BST): Japan (@DazzaC) v Sweden (@yellowpineapple84)

    12am (BST): Tunisia (@ripley13) v Netherlands (@argh and @Nigel_56)

    Group D:

    3am (BST): Paraguay (@kieran04) v Australia (@Elaine1961)

    3am (BST): Turkey (@allycat17 and @slimjohn) v United States (@Shar17on)

    What do you think will happen? Who's qualifying out of the brutal Group F? Does the US make it three wins from three? Will Ecuador manage to score a goal in this world cup?

  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 14,602 Online Community Programme Lead

    That's exactly what I think of Spain's style of play ๐Ÿ˜‰

  • Rachel_Scope
    Rachel_Scope Posts: 4,221 Online Community Team

    Originally from South Yorkshire but now live in West Yorkshire. I've been out a few times in Pontefract @Scooby222!

    As I know very little about these teams @Adrian_Scope I'm going to cheer on Sweden! No reason why ๐Ÿ˜‚ Have I chosen well? @yellowpineapple84 might agree!

  • yellowpineapple84
    yellowpineapple84 Scope Member Posts: 299 Empowering

    @Rachel_Scope Hello :) Iโ€™m from the north too but moved close to London some years ago. I really like Japan, they play exciting, forwards football with players interchanging positions so smoothly I canโ€™t tell who are supposedly the midfielders and who are supposedly the forwards. Japan are a running team and advance rapidly up the field and have shots at goals from here, there and everywhere which is very exciting. In short, they are everything that England arenโ€™t

    Although I donโ€™t think Japan have anything to play for tonight whereas Sweden do so Iโ€™m going to say Japan draw rather than win

    I also think Ivory Coast win, Ecuador draw, Netherlands win, Paraguay draw, Turkey draw :)

  • Rachel_Scope
    Rachel_Scope Posts: 4,221 Online Community Team

    One thing I like about the Japan team @yellowpineapple84 is how tidy they leave their changing room. It's so respectful and kind. Football-wise, I haven't a clue ๐Ÿ˜‚