u/Legitimate_Ride339

Among all the sultans, that appeared in MC and MCK, the most attractive to me was the one with the shortest reign, Mustafa I. The actor who portrayed him is extremely handsome, most people prefer Murad or Ahmed but in my opinion he is the most attractive and Mustafa and Dilruba were the most attractive siblings of all MCK siblings.

Alright, I have a question for long time England, while I know Euro 2016 was humiliating, but what was more embarrassing and humiliating? Not qualifying for Euro 2008 and getting eliminated to Iceland in Euro 2016?

I am born to Dutch and English parents, and basically until I was 7, Netherlands was the best team and the team I would always support, England wouldn’t even give enough matches to cheer them on. Now it’s interchangeable, sometimes the Netherlands performs better, although I feel like now whenever the Netherlands gets eliminated I have England to support as first priority. England has outclassed the Netherlands in every competition since 2018, and have always finished above them.

This is so fun as having two countries to cheer for. I wasn’t old enough to see the 2006–2016 England era, I remember how we didn’t qualify for Euro 2016, and I supported England, but they got humiliated by by Iceland, and then we didn’t qualify again for 2018 World Cup, and it was an amazing run for England that even my English cousins were amazed because it was first time in their life that England reached the semis!

Since 2018, England has been consistent in three consecutive World Cups, third place (2026), fourth place (2018), QF/6th (2022), also comparing to Euros, runners up (2nd) in both 2020 and 2024, and third place in 2019 Nations League.

For people who watched England before 2018, was there any consistent era of England being in top 8 or never losing a group stage match and RO16 match? English football suffered quite a lot of problems, but I feel like it has changed a lot.

Maybe for the first time, England is the top 3 in Europe, even with rankings but also with their performance.

England's run this year looks more impressive than 2018, I have seen both, honestly I am really wishing for England winning, as a Dutch I have bad blood with Argentina, obviously the controversial 2022 quarter final that send us home, honestly England looks more in form, with Bellingham and Kane, they can give a hard time to Argentina, especially also with Gordon. Honestly I am also kind of scared, England can go south, and fumble it, which I really don’t want to happen, I want to see Argentina defeated, and I really want a France v. England final on AMERICAN soil in the month of July!

What are your expectations? I already have an English kit and the English fan ready to cheer for you guys!! My English cousins are also with me here, so we will be cheering for England together! Hopefully England wins, best of luck to the Three Lions!

Also my question, has England not played in any World Cup since 1998 with Argentina? Has it really been that long?

I have just realised this is the first World Cup since its inception that doesn’t have Brazil, Germany or Italy in the top 8 or quarter-finals, the inaugural World Cup didn’t have those teams so it’s like 92 years since then, we truly have seen a new era of football starting, and it might be for few years now.

Brazil has missed their first quarter final since 1990, and Germany hasn’t qualified for the quarters since their win in 2014, some goes for Italy since 2006, but Brazil was consistent until this year, this is actually crazy when you think about it!

I am Dutch and I obviously support my country, I have been watching the World Cup since 2014, was only three in 2010 so I don’t have any memories, maybe I watched, but I pulled an all nighter just to see the match and we were lacking, we need to sack Koeman, I mean let’s be honest we won’t get another Cruyff, I don’t think we ever win a World Cup, with that being said I experienced the worst exit of the Netherlands in the World Cup, they have never been grouped, always made to the top 8, only in 2006, they got eliminated in RO16. Imagine holding two records of being the longest undefeated team in group stage since 1994, we also have been undefeated since the final of 2010 but yeah I am heartbroken, I watched the match with a Moroccan neighbour of mine, congrats to Morocco!!

I was basically noticing how every character became the character they feared/disliked the most, Suleiman ended up becoming like his father Selim, whom he feared the most. Hürrem told Valide she will die one day and someone else will rule, then Nurbanu told that to Hürrem, then Safiye told that to Nurbanu. Kösem became the reflection of Safiye. Mihrimah essentially became like her aunts in the end when she used her own nephew against her brother.

It’s ironic to say the least, and quite interesting too, and it also shows reality

Basically, in comments I have seen that how Hürrem was the reason of the decline of the Ottoman Empire, that she killed Mustafa to get her drunkard son on the throne and that led to the decline of the Ottoman Empire, I don’t see people complaining about incompetent sultans, and clearly people who said it would have survived even today if Mustafa and his progeny was on the throne, sense and logic have left the chat. Ottoman Empire survived for 369 years following Mustafa's execution and Ottomans maintained their power and were a great power until the Great Turkish War in 1683. The same logic can be applied to when historians blamed Messalina for the decline of the Roman Empire. Like can people grow up and be realistic?