2022 FIFA World Cup - Qatar, November 21-December 18

[The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ]

Both matches tomorrow have a decent potential for an upset, if we can call Switzerland beating Portugal an upset. Morocco beating Spain certainly would be one, but I don't think you can totally count out Morocco either.

[The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ]

Despite all the upsets and surprises, I think it's becoming fairly obvious that Brazil and France are the big dogs of this world cup. Morocco is the very surprising dark horse. They have only conceded one goal so far, and that was an own goal against Canada. Ridiculously strong defence.

Also, good god, those Spanish penalty kicks were dreadful.

[The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ]

Will Southgate have the decency to resign? Or does he stay on, knowing he's unemployable at a decent level and his mates in the FA and media will not criticize him?

More poor game management from him at the crucial moments. Not sure what he was thinking of taking off Saka, who had easily been their best player. Once again, England eliminated by the first strong opposition they faced in the tournament.

Rashford should have been brought on earlier too.

[The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ]

Well, Argentina isn't a 100% white country. And their soccer teams aren't 100% white.

Carlitos Tévez and Di Maria don't look like Danish

True but it's fair to say that Argentina is more "white" than most if not all other Latam countries. Most of the Argentina team could pass as European - hell, they even have a ginger named MacAllister, who looks as Scottish as his name sounds.

But to your point, yeah, it seems like Argentina's team is just reflective of Argentina's overall demographics. Predominantly European origin with a significant mestizo minority, and not many black people. Although it shouldn't matter whether a team is or isn't reflective of a nation's racial demographics (except for Apartheid South Africa situations I guess, but that's not a thing that happens anymore). That's not the damn point! You pick the best 11 players to take the field. That's it.

I mean if we're talking about racial representation - Black players are significantly overrepresented in just about every European team - France, England, Netherlands, Belgium, you name it. Even looking at the Canada team, you'd be shocked to hear that Black Canadians only represent 4% of the population. But that's not the point, is it? The rest of us are happy just watching our nation play on the world stage, the skin colour of the players doesn't matter. Leave it to the Americans to make everything about race, of course.

[The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ]

The baffling (okay, not so baffling) thing is, the English media seem to still believe the England manager needs to be English, when an English manager hasn't won the English league in 30 years, and the only living English managers to achieve anything on the continent in that time are Steve McClaren and maybe Roy Hodgson, both of whom already had their chance. (Graham Potter arguably did some good things in Sweden, but it was a small club, and there was corruption involved)

And then the first foreign manager on their lips is Pochettino, who has no achievements other than lucking into a final with Bottleham.

Yeah, one of the peculiarities of the Premier League and English being the global language is that non-English managers dominate English football. This is a disadvantage for English managers, but England has a much bigger roster of managers to work with in terms of top-quality coaches who know the English game and know how to work with English players. Should they be interested in the England job (lol), Guardiola or Klopp could be absolute masterminds who bring it home

[The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ]

Uruguay 2010 were the opposite of a popular squad, lol. They were the most hated team in the tournament by far.

Hot take: Suarez did nothing wrong. Not handballing that shot away would have meant surefire elimination for Uruguay. What he did was he gave his country a glimmer of hope that actually materialized. He was promptly penalized for his own misconduct, so he paid his dues. But he gave it all for his team.

With that said, I regret to inform everyone that I have received a lifetime ban from every country in the African continent.

[The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ]

D Day has arrived.

For one team, they will be showered in eternal glory for the rest of their lives.

Vamos Messi I mean Argentina

[The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ]

Ok, bye guys, going out to celebrate, getting sh*tfaced tonight. Toughts and prayers

Already got sh*tfaced in the AM hours   came back home, took a nap, woke up and still drunk.

Well worth it seeing the goat fulfill his destiny. Vamos Argentina!

[The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ]

Wow wow wow, probably the greatest sporting event I have ever witnessed - and one of the most emotionally exhausting! So happy for Messi to finally get his hands on the World Cup. It’s been an absolute privilege watching him over the years and for it to end like this … well, it always had to be, didn’t it?

It was such an "Argentina 2022" performance too, wasn't it? Dominate most of the match, then somehow get tied in the last 15 minutes. Get back up in ET, but then a bad foul in the box leads to a draw at 120 minutes. Then in the penalties, Emi Martinez goes dark mode and wins it all. A match to remember for generations to come

[The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ]

Does anyone know why President Fernandez was not in Qatar for the Finals?

Idk, but from what I know of Beto Fernandez, he might not have gotten a hero's welcome.

To be fair, that goes for most Argentine presidents.

[The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ]

Why did England never win a World Cup outside its home?

I mean, most countries never win the world cup at all, it's a difficult task. Being at home gives you an advantage.

Uruguay, Italy, Argentina and France also won their first world cup at home - of course, all four of those ended up winning in a different country eventually. Uruguay isn't the powerhouse it used to be (still remarkably competitive for a country of its size), but the other three are just genuinely better footballing nations than England.

I don't need to tell this to a Brazilian of course, but Brazil is kind of an exception in how dominant they've been worldwide, winning five world cups in four different continents - but tragically, choking both times they hosted it.

[The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ]

Why did England never win a World Cup outside its home?

Because they are English.

Maybe if they had taken the top players from Wales, Scotland, and well forget about Northern Ireland, they're probably a joke, and put them on a team they could have done better.

Wales qualified for the second time ever this year, first since 1958. Northern Ireland has qualified three times, last in 1986. Scotland has qualified eight times, which would be impressive if not for the fact that their last time was 1998 and they haven't made it out of the group stage in any of their 8 attempts.

I doubt a united Team GB would have done any better than England. For all the jokes we make about England, they produce far better players than the other countries of the UK.