sebastien1214

For 2026, I preferred Morocco. I view the Americas as a single bloc (I find it absurd that South America has its own confederation of just 10 countries; it should merge with CONCACAF), and given that Africa last hosted in 2010 and the Americas in 2014, it would have made sense to me to award 2026 to Morocco. In the end, Morocco will get to host four years later, which is great, even if it is in a co-hosting format (something that seems set to become the norm). However, I agree with @Rob2012 that, fundamentally, no one was actually opposed to having the World Cup in the USA; in my case that certainly wasn't the issue. I am, however, opposed to the circumstances under which this World Cup was organized; and it seems obvious to me that with a Democratic president, things would have been radically different. Why am I so critical? And why do I refuse to let my judgment be swayed by what happened on the pitch - purely from a sporting perspective (aside: from a sporting standpoint, this World Cup was certainly far better than those of 2022 and 2018)? Because I believe that if we let the sport itself overshadow our judgment of the event, we send a terrible signal for the future - a message along the lines of "you can do the worst things imaginable, and the magic of sport will eventually make everyone forget." Of course, we are just ordinary individuals with no real influence; this kind of reasoning would make far more sense coming from opinion leaders like journalists or the like. But - out of a sense of "moral duty," let's say - I think it is important for us to apply this logic to ourselves as well.

By 2032, Paris will already be a distant memory. If a comparison were to be made at all, it might be with Los Angeles - though even that is doubtful; I think everyone realizes that Paris and Los Angeles are unique cities - or at the very least, worlds apart from Brisbane - and that no one would actually compare them. A comparison with Sydney, however, would be far more relevant. That is what the 2032 OCOG should really be focusing on. They would be making a serious mistake if they tried to model themselves on Paris and Los Angeles.

Yeah, almost the same things, but ultimately, it is the most logical, and therefore normal, conclusion. I’m willing to do a compromise: it’s a disgrace for FIFA and the US government, and for the World Cup itself, a disappointment.

If I had to sum up my real concern in a single sentence, it is that we might end up with a ceremony built around celebrities, whereas in previous ceremonies, the narrative wasn't centered on them; instead, four or five were simply chosen at specific moments to embody the chosen story. As for the legal and contractual aspects (exorbitant demands from certain stars, impersonators), I’m not too worried; if there’s one country you can trust on that front...

This World Cup was a disgrace. The difference compared to the one in Qatar - which was also a disgrace - is that we expected Qatar’s to be one; whereas for 2026, it is unacceptable that it turned into a disgrace. There is no need to name the two people responsible; I think everyone knows who they are. A host country that denies entry to fans (I’m thinking of the Congolese) and even referees. A host country that subjects a participating nation to unacceptable treatment, while simultaneously bombing that very nation. A host country that makes a phone call to overturn a red card. A shameful halftime show during the final, serving as a symbol of what this World Cup has become : a sporting event that decided to completely capitulate to power and money (not that it’s the first time, but the scale here is unprecedented). I’ve reached such an absurd point that the only compliment I can find for the US organization is telling myself, "Well, at least we didn't see ICE agents storming the stands in the middle of a match!" But I’m saying it anyway, it would be sad to be accused of knee-jerk anti-Americanism. My thoughts go out to Canada and Mexico, who ultimately ended up as mere props for the United States and were completely overshadowed, despite doing a fantastic job with the organization. I hope both countries get the chance in the near future to host another major global sporting event - without the US this time. Kudos to the fans in the stands who brought energy to the stadiums during so many matches. Given the exorbitant costs of traveling to the United States (airfare, tickets, hotel rates, etc.), I imagine a large portion of those fans actually belonged to the various communities already living in the US. It is a welcome reminder - especially right now - that the US has always been a nation of immigrants, that this is what has made the country strong, and that some people ought not to forget that. And congratulations to Spain, a well-deserved winner. Given the country's importance in football history, the fact that they held only a single World Cup title was becoming an increasingly glaring anomaly that needed to be set right.

The UK should try the 2040s (and not 2040 but after); 2036 is only 24 years after London, which is far too soon. I find it hard to imagine the IOC awarding the Games to the UK for that reason alone, and it would be sad if a failed bid for 2036 discourage the UK from trying for bid for the 2040s, when their chances would be much better.

@DamC As for Paris, the number of celebrities wasn't excessive for a four-hour show. London had a few stars too, starting with Daniel Craig and Mr. Bean. If LA 2028 sticks to four or five stars—which has been the recent norm—then it’ll be fine; but you’ll have to forgive me for being legitimately concerned that LA won't settle for just four or five. I haven't even mentioned LA's botched handover, which featured so many stars... in just five minutes. So you’ll have to forgive me for having legitimate concerns - based on recent history - that an Olympic ceremony might end up being a succession of musical numbers for like a majority of the lengh of the show. It’s not such a silly thought - even though, apparently, the thought police on this forum seem to think that any post of mine regarding something American should be automatically dismissed.

+ Olympics Men tournament

And Mbappe become the all-time top scorer in World Cup history. It is a record likely to stand for quite some time (unless Kane plays in the 2030 World Cup and scores nine more goals than Mbappé...).

Ok, now I'm just waiting for Euro 2028 now. Let us Europeans beat the crap out of each other. Real football, without South American terrorist groups. (Over there, they call it a "national football team" just to blend in with the crowd.)

That final makes me regret our match against Spain, because if we had beaten them, I don't see how we wouldn't have won a third star tonight.

While it may seem obvious, there is a rather worrying tendency - or recurring pattern - that we see in these kind of shows and that could easily be also used in an US opening ceremony: for example, the American inclination to pile on celebrities (musical and otherwise). We could well end up with a four-hour opening ceremony that is nothing but a accumulation of stars -something far more appropriate for a closing ceremony (like London's) - whereas the opening ceremony calls for something completely different.

Every additional sporting event hosted in the United States - where they are incapable of producing anything other than a "Super Bowl-style spectacle" - brings us closer to a potential disaster on July 14, 2028.

This is the worst World Cup in history, along with the one in Qatar. (I just turned my TV back on; I forgot that halftime wouldn't be 15 minutes like usual.)

I turned on the TV when I got the notification about the 4–2. I hadn't planned on watching the match at all, and the goal notifications during the first half had only confirmed my decision to watch a movie instead. But then, at 4–2, I felt like I might be missing out on quite a moment.