Which teams are your (super) early favorites for 2026?

clyde21 · Post #1 » by **clyde21** » Sun Dec 18, 2022 9:49 pm

obv it's super early and a lot can change in four years but based on trajectory of the younger classes which teams would be comfortable betting on at this point?

England seems like a decent bet and I love Bellingham, obviously France and Brazil with an infinite talent pipeline. who else?

Stannis · Post #2 » by **Stannis** » Sun Dec 18, 2022 9:51 pm

England or France.

Predict another choke job from Brazil.

Pharmcat · Post #3 » by **Pharmcat** » Mon Dec 19, 2022 12:20 am

Stannis wrote:England or France.

Predict another choke job from Brazil.

England needs to find a striker and change their mindset. I don’t think southgate makes those before halftime subs that deschamps did today

GSWFan1994 · Post #4 » by **GSWFan1994** » Mon Dec 19, 2022 6:09 am

For now I'd say France... Mbappé will be 27, should be on his absolute peak then.

As for Brazil I'm not optimistic. our attack is sorely lacking at the moment, and our forwards are horrible too.

That could change quickly with a couple of fast rising stars appearing out of nowhere, though. Still very much early to decide.

Stannis · Post #5 » by **Stannis** » Mon Dec 19, 2022 2:10 pm

GSWFan1994 wrote:For now I'd say France... Mbappé will be 27, should be on his absolute peak then.

As for Brazil I'm not optimistic. our attack is sorely lacking at the moment, and our forwards are horrible too.

That could change quickly with a couple of fast rising stars appearing out of nowhere, though. Still very much early to decide.

Hate to get political, but do you think the political unrest and Lula's election will effect Brazil's youth development and Brazil's future success?

I know prior to 2014 there was a lot of protest that the government was spending too much on football and not giving it to the Citizens.

I'm also wondering if Brazil will eventually get more Diego Costas

Post #6 » by **magik9113** » Mon Dec 19, 2022 2:57 pm

France absolutely must be favorite. Other than them it’s tough to call this far in advance.
Italy will be back though, believe that!

Hoopstar23 · Post #7 » by **Hoopstar23** » Mon Dec 19, 2022 3:10 pm

France, England, Spain

HIF · Post #8 » by **HIF** » Mon Dec 19, 2022 4:06 pm

Hopefully Leicester will win but it'll probably be a Manchester or London team.

hermes · Post #9 » by **hermes** » Mon Dec 19, 2022 5:30 pm

brazil has never gone more than five world cups without winning. this year was the fifth since their last, so if the trend holds it will be them

GSWFan1994 · Post #10 » by **GSWFan1994** » Mon Dec 19, 2022 7:12 pm

Stannis wrote:Hate to get political, but do you think the political unrest and Lula's election will effect Brazil's youth development and Brazil's future success?

I know prior to 2014 there was a lot of protest that the government was spending too much on football and not giving it to the Citizens.

I'm also wondering if Brazil will eventually get more Diego Costas

No problem, I'm here to help & discuss about futebol.

I don't think it will effect... it shouldn't.

In theory, the people responsible for the decision-making on both spheres shouldn't let one thing interfere with the other. "Theory", you know, is very different than reality though...

The problem wasn't that the government was spending too much on futebol (like you said), but that they were downright stealing people's money (through taxes, over time) and for their own benefit.

I've seen somewhere ago a graphic which said that the cost for Brazil to build the infrastructure for the WC was simply 20 times of what was actually applied in the real infrastructure.

It's like I tell you: I need you to pay me 10 dollars to buy a chicken. You pay me (not directly, but through taxes and similar stuff), then I took this money, pay 2 for the chicken, and put the rest in my pocket, and then I use this money to finance dictatorships around South America, Africa, etc. And then I get sent to jail for doing this, but the Supreme Court releases me... and then I'm back at the presidency because of a way fraudulent electoral system (not only the voting process itself, ALL of the electoral system). Just to put it in a few words.

Friendly reminder that I've been working on the auditioning field for like 15 years now, so I'm not speaking out of my ass, I know how a fraud process works.

I think it's prudent from my part to not get too far into this for the sake of not causing trouble with the mods and other people posting, as this is not the right forum for this. If you want, send me a PM so I can elaborate further.

About the Diego Costa situation, I don't think it's something to be worried about. Historically we have had a few top players play for other countries (remember Deco going to Portugal?), but it's something so small, so infrequent, that in the long run it doesn't make a difference due to the talent pipeline.

Post #11 » by **magik9113** » Mon Dec 19, 2022 7:36 pm

Hope Haaland gets his country there

Bobbcats · Post #12 » by **Bobbcats** » Mon Dec 19, 2022 7:59 pm

France is going to be so stacked. Their oldest outfield player during the comeback was Coman at 26, but several of them will likely be displaced by the next wave of talent like Tel, Doué, Warren Zaire Emery. I'm still a believer in Cherki, can see him finally getting his place and breaking out the second half of this season and starring by the Euros.

eagle54 · Post #13 » by **eagle54** » Mon Dec 19, 2022 8:39 pm

cherki really ? this guy has difficulties to starter and regular in Lyon. i'm with you for doue tel, maybe assignon and zaire emery. But maybe pogba kante could come back too in the middelfield, we need a true right back too (mukiele ? kalulu ?)

El Turco · Post #14 » by **El Turco** » Mon Dec 19, 2022 10:02 pm

HIF wrote:Hopefully Leicester will win

which division is this?

big-shot-ROB · Post #15 » by **big-shot-ROB** » Mon Dec 19, 2022 10:34 pm

France, Spain and Brazil all look full of great young players

Bobbcats · Post #16 » by **Bobbcats** » Tue Dec 20, 2022 1:03 am

eagle54 wrote:cherki really ? this guy has difficulties to starter and regular in Lyon. i'm with you for doue tel, maybe assignon and zaire emery. But maybe pogba kante could come back too in the midfield, we need a true right back too (mukiele ? kalulu ?)

Time will tell with Cherki. It's a very bizarre situation because he hasn't been able to do what Lyon coaches want him to do but he's also very effective in his time. Most of the time in the 10 minutes he plays every few weeks he's the best player on the pitch. He has regularly been the best player on Les Espoirs the last couple years, even when Tchouameni and Camavinga were there. The problem is he really an AM who needs a lot of freedom and that team was always full of that type. He has always been vying with Toko Ekambi for a workhorse winger role when his natural position is as a 10 but the team been logjammed there with Depay, Paqueta, Aouar, JRA so the couple times he's started it's been in very awkward position for him.

People are writing him off way too early he is still a teenager and skill level is off the charts. I think Blanc will start to use him this year with no more Paqueta and Aouar disappointing

Hellcrooner · Post #17 » by **Hellcrooner** » Tue Dec 20, 2022 4:08 am

France os the fvourite. Then if course It could be one of Germany England brazil Italy Portugal or Spain. Champions shoyld be one of thosr. I dont see Argentina reloading that soon. Or having again a red carpet to the final

clyde21 · Post #18 » by **clyde21** » Tue Dec 20, 2022 4:48 am

magik9113 wrote:Hope Haaland gets his country there

reminds of Ibra and Shev, two ultra talents that played on crappy national teams almost their entire career. hope that's not that case but we'll see.

GSWFan1994 · Post #19 » by **GSWFan1994** » Tue Dec 20, 2022 5:15 am

clyde21 wrote:
magik9113 wrote:Hope Haaland gets his country there

reminds of Ibra and Shev, two ultra talents that played on crappy national teams almost their entire career. hope that's not that case but we'll see.

Gheorghe Hagi, Stoichkov, Weah and so many others throughout the years...

eagle54 · Post #20 » by **eagle54** » Tue Dec 20, 2022 7:46 pm

Bobbcats wrote:
eagle54 wrote:cherki really ? this guy has difficulties to starter and regular in Lyon. i'm with you for doue tel, maybe assignon and zaire emery. But maybe pogba kante could come back too in the midfield, we need a true right back too (mukiele ? kalulu ?)

Time will tell with Cherki. It's a very bizarre situation because he hasn't been able to do what Lyon coaches want him to do but he's also very effective in his time. Most of the time in the 10 minutes he plays every few weeks he's the best player on the pitch. He has regularly been the best player on Les Espoirs the last couple years, even when Tchouameni and Camavinga were there. The problem is he really an AM who needs a lot of freedom and that team was always full of that type. He has always been vying with Toko Ekambi for a workhorse winger role when his natural position is as a 10 but the team been logjammed there with Depay, Paqueta, Aouar, JRA so the couple times he's started it's been in very awkward position for him.

People are writing him off way too early he is still a teenager and skill level is off the charts. I think Blanc will start to use him this year with no more Paqueta and Aouar disappointing

I saw him against my team and he was tragic, i think he hasn't the mentality or the mental. Honestly i was never impress with him.
I think in striker kalimuendo, eketike, cho or gouiri are ine the discussion for the future too.