Other Games - 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup Edition (+ warm-up matches): Villa-watch

[Behind Bluenose Lines]

Bit of a merdique game.

[TopDeck113]

They only play one more game (if they make the semi-finals). You could argue a higher percentage of matches now are against poor teams but not sure considering you had the likes of El Salvador conceding ten in 1982. African, Asian and North American football is much improved.

Valid point.  Although across all of international football is perhaps a better example of how the increased number of fixtures in qualifying, etc. has seen records tumble.  One hundred caps was once quite a rarity, now it's quite achievable over a career comprising two or three World Cup cycles.

[Brazilian Villain]

I wonder how much the striker would have changed how they played. Been a bit disappointed with Morocco tonight.

I think people have overrated them (even if they are ranked No. 6) based on 2022, and the fact that they drew with a very poor Brasil side in their first game. They only beat Scotland 1-0, and even the 3-0 against Canada flattered them. The injuries didn't help them either.

[TopDeck113]

Very disappointed with Morocco.  I thought they'd give the French more of a challenge.

[Dogtanian]

Aye, was a routine win in the end, with no sense of jeopardy.

[Matt C]

Surprisingly routine win, still not sure they’ve been fully tested yet but hard to see past France as winners.

[Dogtanian]

If they play Spain in the semi, could go either way.

[TopDeck113]

If Spain progress as they should, that might present the French with a challenge.  Lamine Yamal is due a stand out performance.

[Smirker]

We'll beat France if we make it to the final.

The French don't have the hunger.

Quality but no hunger.

Our team has an unrelenting obsession with getting a trophy now.

The French have tasted glory. It's harder to do it twice.

England 

[Meanwood Villa]

That was boring

[Somniloquism]

If they play Spain in the semi, could go either way.

Not sure. Spain seem to rely Yamal and that is alot to put on one guy that young.

[PeterWithesShin]

Nearly everyone is very reliant on one player though. France Mbappe, Spain Yamal, England Kane, Argentina Messi, Norway Haaland, Portugal (SR7 snigger).

France should cope better than anyone but if those star players don't perform the odds of winning drop a lot. France clearly have the best squad at the tourament but the best sides often don't win cups.

We've the potential for two stonkingly interesting semi-finals.

[cdbearsfan]

They only play one more game (if they make the semi-finals). You could argue a higher percentage of matches now are against poor teams but not sure considering you had the likes of El Salvador conceding ten in 1982. African, Asian and North American football is much improved.

Valid point.  Although across all of international football is perhaps a better example of how the increased number of fixtures in qualifying, etc. has seen records tumble.  One hundred caps was once quite a rarity, now it's quite achievable over a career comprising two or three World Cup cycles.

Sure, but we were talking specifically about goals scored in the tournament itself, I think.

In terms of overall goals scored, it is probably slightly harder for players for the top European teams to get loads than it was a decade or so. That's because of the rise of the Nations League and the associated decrease in the number of qualifying games. So M'bappe plays fewer games against San Marino/Andorra type teams than Henry did.

Still probably a lot easier to score loads than it was forty years ago as there are far more games, as you say.

[Dave]

That's because of the rise of the Nations League and the associated decrease in the number of qualifying games. So M'bappe plays fewer games against San Marino/Andorra type teams than Henry did.

I stand to be corrected, but the Nations League games fill the "pointless friendlies" bit of the calendar rather than removing any qualifiers for tournaments.

And teams would have tended to arrange friendlies (predominantly) against sides of a similar quality.

[PeterWithesShin]

Since the last WC final not many of the goals scored by Mbappe have been against top tier sides. It's still impressive but I don't think it's any harder or easier over a decent period of time.