GENERAL World Cup Thread

Goals were more important back then before tiki taka and paralysis by analysis xg et al. took over.

Went to watch it back to jog my memory, F**king Vuvuzelas!

1990: Was the start for me. Obsessed at the age of 4 and talked about nothing else when it came to Ireland at least. Got really into World Cup history and watched old tournament recaps and finals like they were kids cartoons. I'll never get over the Dutch losing those 2 finals.

1994: Again very much Ireland focused except for the final.

1998: Too much else on my mind as I was starting secondary so my big grown up life was too busy for football for a few years.

2002 to 2022: Back to being obsessed but old enough to appreciate the whole tournament and watch every game possible. Would have watched a lot of 2010, 14 and 18 in the pub thanks to having lots of international friends.

They want 64 at the next World Cup.

It's hard to know what is fact or fiction with our ginger, bald, gay, black, Arab friend in charge.

One thing that stands out in memory is the build up to 1998 because of the classic FIFA: Road to the World Cup 98 computer game.

1990 would be the first tournament where I'd have followed it all the way through from group games.
Obviously there were the Ireland games but even without that I can recall Cameroon, Scotland, England games.
Schillaci - not just for the goal against us.
Yugoslavia beating Spain in what would be their last World Cup.
The ill tempered West Germany v Netherlands 2nd round game.
Argentina sucker punching Brazil in their 2nd round game.
The tense semis going to penalties. The one side final decided also by a penalty, this time during the game.

It was tabled as a proposal already and has been officially discussed. There is pushback against it, so hopefully it will not go ahead.

Looking at some of the fixtures for the 2026 World Cup and there are already too many mismatches.

Too young to remember 1966

1970

Latter years at National School. All had World Cup fever. Nearly all of us supported England, and this was in inner city Dublin (near as dammit) as the Troubles were gathering pace. But then, we were all full of Shoot and Scorcher and other football comics from "the Mainland" who were still exulting four years later about England's Great Victory of 1966 and so we were effectively brainwashed. Most of us were DISGUSTED when Brazil beat them.

My dad, who was enchanted by the beautiful football of Pele, Rivelino, Tostao et al tried to encourage me to transfer loyalty to Brazil from the quarter finals on, but no. I wanted REVENGE for what they'd done to Bobby and Gordon and Geoff.

What a naive young fool!

1974

Had acquired a little more maturity by then and laughed long and loud when England failed to qualify at the hands of Poland. Had some ambivalent feelings for Scotland as they put in an admirably "Irish performance" beating Brazil 0-0 but effectively losing 1-1 to Yugoslavia to finish up as the only unbeaten team in the tournament but out at the group stages. Only beating Zaire 2-0 while Brazil put three past them and Yugoslavia nine was just not enough.

The favourites throughout were the Dutch and West Germans and I can still remember some of the commentary as we all revelled in the magic of Total Football. "Cruyff! The Master!!" as he scored a flying volley against Brazil to take Netherlands to the final. Van Hanegem's left foot that could place a ball on a sixpence; as an early pubescent I came close to actually fancying the lusciously long-haired and languidly brilliant Rep and Krol. But a few years later Charlie's Angels sorted me out!!

1978

Now it was time to laugh at Scotland with their ridiculously deluded manager Ally McLeod who gave the impression that Scotland only had to catch the plane to qualify for the final. Defeat to Peru and a pathetic draw with Iran put paid to that.

Argentina were the favourites throughout and impossibly glamorous with their skimpy shorts and ebullient play. Ardiles and Kempes set the tone and the style and they were never really in doubt. Especially with the cowering co-operation of several referees. Hungary's two star players sent off in the first match. An unprecedented rescheduling of their final stage two match to enable them to take the field against Peru knowing exactly what they would need (4 goals—they got 6) to overtake Brazil to get into the final. And then some epic shithousery at the start of the final with Netherlands when the Argentinians complained about a foam bandage (which he had worn throughout the tournament without bother) on the arm of Rene Van der Kherkoff. Then, and throughout the final, the ref left the Argentinians away with murder, but then, the Junta were in the stands!!!

1982

Now a student looking for summer work in Germany. Came out of the rain to take a break from job hunting and watched from a bierkeller West Germany play Algeria. Couldn't understand why everybody was so pleased when Algeria caused a massive upset 2-1. Turned out the punters were all Yugoslavian. (It was still a place then)

Ambivalently delighted to see Northern Ireland beat Spain but they were no match for France. Some epic matches, chiefly Italy v Brazil and the nailbiting semifinal between France and West Germany. The final itself…Meh! But the celebrations by the local Italian community—unforgettable!

1986

The Hand of God followed by the most magnificent, incredible, jaw droppingly brilliant solo run and goal by Maradona in the quarter final against England. What else happened in that tournament?

1990

Ireland's first appearance on the big stage. The fans were brilliant, the atmosphere was great (even from several hundred miles away) but the football….? After Ireland came back to "beat England 1-1" in a rain-sodden match in Cagliari, one of the Italian sports papers carried a headline over its report on the game: "No football please; We're British"

Which was more insulting than he probably intended.

Not much else in the way of excitement

When the highlight of Ireland's tournament is a penalty shoot out and a scabby Niall Quinn goal that even a Gah Lad would disown, you know you're clutching at straws. Not a great tournament. Maradona a fading force and the final itself was probably the WORST climactic game of a World Cup ever…….

1994

…until the abomination of a match that decided the destination of the cup this time.

What else happened? A great Irish victory over Italy followed by three flaccid performances (one draw and two defeats) that we tried to blame on the heat. Nothing much memorable, apart from Maradona being done for drugs. And how. But at least FIFA learned its lesson: don't host World Cups in the US. So that won't happen again…..

Six down, seven to go.

Feck it! That's enough for one sitting.

Matt Holland got one v Cameroon.

Netherlands didn’t qualify

Wout Weghorst in the Dutch squad and he hasn’t scored for them since 2024 so he’s been saving up the goals

1978 was the one I remember first, and all the hoopla that surrounded it. I'd have been 9. England didn't qualify, to everybody's delight so we all followed Scotland and we all wanted to be Archie Gemmell after he scored v Holland. Ossie Ardilles and Ricky Villa going to Spurs afterwards. My Da giving out about Videla and the Junta and him muttering '**** nazis' when Argentina lifted the cup. Ticker tape in the stadium. Free stickers in your cornflakes box and the wall-to-wall newspaper coverage. Yeh, 78 got me hooked.

USA 26 can take a flying **** at a rolling donut as far as I'm concerned.

Neymar has a grade 2 calf tear muscle. That presumably is the end of that going on what ChatGPT tells me is the recovery time for that.