I noticed that the 2025 Men's Club World Cup clashed with the Women's Euros. I feel like this is disrespectful to women's football, especially considering the inaugural Women's Club World Cup is set to be held in January 2028, presumably to avoid clashing with the Men's Euros.
Is there a plan to remedy this for 2029?
Rhode Island made a concerted effort to make the most of World Cup euphoria. It created a non-profit to help prepare for the tournament, and took advantage of the state’s proximity to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., to position Providence as an alternative to official host city Boston. A free trolley service from downtown Providence made it easier for fans to explore the area. And the Ghana Black Stars team chose Bryant University in Smithfield as its home base, bringing with them a wave of excitement as the tournament began.
Providence’s Fan Zone recorded approximately 125,000 visitors during the tournament, current estimates from the city show, and became the only official FIFA-sanctioned location in New England after Boston shut down its Fan Festival 16 days into the five week tournament, when the World Cup group matches were over.
“Our primary concern was getting people to Providence to watch the games, to enjoy the culture, and to spend some money while they’re here,” Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said in an interview. “What I’ve heard is that people came.”
Read more here: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/07/22/metro/ri-providence-central-falls-world-cup-impact/
4 years is too long of wait. I’m having World Cup withdrawals after watching it for like 1 month and half. life is too short and one of the world’s best sporting competitions should not keep us waiting. imagine all the revenue and continued interest in futbol. 1 year and qualify and 1 year to prepare #fifamakeithappen
2026 FIFA World Cup TRIONDA Official Match Ball Metal Pin, anyone interested?
With Ronaldo being 44 at 2029, that begs the question, will Ronaldo be joining the Club World Cup when 2029 rolls about or will he be too old. Ronaldo has already hinted that he will not play for Euro 2028 or World Cup 2030 due to his age and lackluster performance at the biggest stage. Does this mean that Ronaldo will struggle to find form at the next Club World Cup, or will the expanded form next tournament give Ronaldo a chance to try and compete for the new major competition
The Houston Chronicle editorial board wrote a piece arguing that our city's success in hosting the World Cup shows that taxpayers don't need to be on the hook for a new football stadium. Here's a key quote:
>As for the actual games, NRG Stadium proved to be a big hit with international fans. The positive feedback should put any pleas for a new taxpayer-funded stadium to bed. We do hope the Houston Texans consider heeding the concerns of their players by keeping the natural grass intact. It took a lot of effort to transform the synthetic turf of the gridiron into a verdant, grassy soccer pitch, but it’s an investment the team should consider, especially since fewer injuries happen on grass.
I've been watching the World Cup for years, and this is the first time I've come away feeling like the tournament itself has changed and lost some of its "purity." It feels much more like an American sports event.
Maybe I'm just noticing trends that have been building for years, so I'm curious what other people think.
A few things stood out to me:
Ticket prices. They seem completely disconnected from what ordinary fans can afford now. FIFA introduced dynamic pricing, and I don't remember previous World Cups feeling this inaccessible.
Celebrity culture. I know broadcasts have always shown famous people in the crowd, especially when they had some connection to one of the teams playing. This time it felt like there were constant cutaways to celebrities with no connection to either country.
The American sports entertainment model. Hydration breaks becoming commercial moments, with sponsored segments and advertising, already felt like a shift towards the American sports broadcast style. The final then took this even further with a Super Bowl-style halftime show during the interval, something that was not part of previous World Cup finals.
The overall focus on VIPs and hospitality. It feels like the tournament is increasingly built around corporate guests, luxury packages, influencers and sponsors rather than travelling supporters.
I know FIFA has been becoming more commercial for a long time, so I'm not saying the US is solely responsible for this. But it does feel like hosting the tournament there has accelerated that shift towards making the World Cup feel more like a premium entertainment product than simply the biggest football tournament in the world.
Am I imagining it, or has this World Cup genuinely marked a turning point? I'd be especially interested to hear from people who've been watching since the '90s or early 2000s.
Heyy
Can someone pls suggest some websites to watch fifa in UK for free (without tv license) ?
Winning the Ucl means being champions of Europe, while winning the club World Cup means champions of the world, i don’t really get it.
Hey everyone,
My dad and I are huge soccer fans, and I’m trying to make something special happen for him. About 2-3 years ago, he suffered a stroke. Thankfully he’s still here, but life hasn’t been quite the same since. Growing up, he coached my soccer teams, took me to games, and was the person who sparked my love for the sport. One thing we’ve always talked about is experiencing a World Cup match together.
I’ve made it a personal goal to take him to one of the 2026 World Cup games, but I’m quickly realizing how overwhelming and expensive the ticket process can be. I’m hoping some of you may have advice on:
The best place to buy legitimate tickets
Whether FIFA resale is worth waiting for? Any tips from people who attended previous World Cups? Ways to avoid getting scammed! Which matches might offer the best value? I’m not looking for handouts—just trying to learn from people who know the process better than I do and hopefully make this dream happen for my dad.
I appreciate any guidance. Thanks everyone.
Only the 6th World Cup meeting between these two, but the history is wild. 1986 gave us the Hand of God and Goal of the Century in the same game, 8 minutes apart, Argentina won 2-1 right after the Falklands War. 1998 had the Beckham red card and a 4-3 penalty shootout loss for England. 2002 saw Beckham redeem himself with the winning penalty. Overall England's actually up 3-1 in this matchup.
But the wildest part I found digging around: this will be the first time Messi has ever played against England, official or friendly, in his entire career.
Now that the 2026 World Cup has wrapped up, it's time to look ahead. The 2030 edition will be the biggest in history geographically, spanning 6 countries and 3 continents to mark the tournament's 100th anniversary.
Main hosts: Morocco, Spain and Portugal, confirmed on December 11, 2024.
Opening matches, not one but three: to honor the centenary, three separate opening matches will be held in South America. Uruguay hosts one in Montevideo at Estadio Centenario, the site of the very first final in 1930. Argentina hosts one in Buenos Aires at Estadio Monumental, and Paraguay hosts one in Asunción.
City breakdown:
Morocco: 6 cities and stadiums, Casablanca, Marrakech, Fez, Rabat, Agadir and Tangier.
Portugal: 2 cities, 3 stadiums, Lisbon (two stadiums) and Porto.
Spain: 9 cities, 11 stadiums.
And the hot drama of the last 24 hours, the final's location: reports say the Moroccan federation believes it has already locked up 22 out of 37 votes on the FIFA Council in favor of the new Grand Stade Hassan II in Casablanca, which will be the biggest stadium in the world once finished, holding 115,000 fans. According to the reports, Morocco is picking up support from Africa, Asia, and even the Concacaf bloc. Sources inside the Spanish federation are already admitting this has become an uphill fight for them, even though their federation president still publicly insists the final "will be in Spain." Worth noting, this is not an official FIFA decision yet, but it's the strongest momentum we've seen so far toward Casablanca.
