Michael Buss

[Greg Brady @gregbradyx]

This would be the World Cup Round of 32 bracket based on ranking teams based on points in Group Stage, goal differential, goals scored. This is how it should be done:

1 France - 32 Cape Verde
16 Portugal-17 Japan

8 England - 25 Ecuador
9 Morocco - 24 Ghana

5 Brazil - 28 South Africa
12 USA - 21 Sweden

4 Netherlands - 29 Paraguay
13 Ivory Coast - 20 Canada

—————-

3 Mexico - 30 Senegal
14 Norway - 19 Egypt

6 Spain - 27 B-H
11 Germany - 22 Austria

7 Switzerland - 26 Australia
10 Colombia - 23 DR Congo

2 Argentina - 31 Algeria
15 Croatia - 18 Belgium

[F1 TROLL @f1trollofficial]

F1 fans watching the drone footage

[Unique Wallpaper @just_unique0]

Here is their difference

[Galen Hall @galenhall]

The sheer impossibility of what we just witnessed:

Algeria and Austria both advance with a tie, Austria in 2nd Algeria in 3rd. Second has to play Spain, so Algeria actually prefers to tie than win, and either is out with a loss, so a 0-0 tie is almost a foregone conclusion. The books have tie at +100.

Iran is sitting at home, desperately hoping that somehow one of the teams finds a single goal to knock the other out and keep Iran in the competition.

The game starts as we expected, with the teams aimlessly kicking the ball around but Austria finds a fluke goal to go up 1-0 and give Iran hope.

Then, just as quickly, Algeria rips one back, 1-1 at half, each team seems warned of the dangers of attacking and content to park their respective busses and take the draw.

And yet Austria scores again! Iran's hope, lasts 5 minutes, as Algeria equalizes in the 60th.

They spend the next 30 minutes wandering around, not applying pressure on either side, waiting out the draw.

We are now in the 93rd minute (4 mins of stoppage time), and Algeria is standing with the ball, waiting for the game to end. They have zero (negative!) incentive to score, since they'd rather preserve the tie and secure 3rd than get 2nd and face Spain. Austria likewise has zero incentive to apply any pressure, and is also standing, waiting for the game to end.

Out of NOWHERE, Algeria springs an attack and scores a goal to put Austria out and Iran back in. Feels like a billion to one that they score here with a lot to lose by winning and absolutely everything to lose by potentially losing.

Then, with one posession remaining before the final whistle, Austria just... goes down and scores an incredible goal at the buzzer to tie it right back up.

A tie, just like everybody expected, but with six of the unlikeliest world cup goals ever scored. Absolute heartbreak for Iran in an already heartbreaking WC.

[FOX Soccer @FOXSoccer]

This sign at the Jordan-Argentina match 😂

[Mike Conti @MikeConti929]

For those wondering about the USMNT, Belgium and Senegal are locked in as their two possible Round of 16 opponents, should they defeat Bosnia.

[Mike Conti @MikeConti929]

England’s path to the Final is an absolute gauntlet.

If they get by DR Congo, they may have to face…
Mexico at Mexico City
Followed by Brazil in Miami
Followed by Argentina in Atlanta.

[Hater Report @HaterReport]

Colombia scored a game winning goal against Portugal and it was disallowed because they called THIS offsides 😭

INSANE!

[Mike Conti @MikeConti929]

Atlanta knockout round matches…

Wednesday:
England vs DR Congo

July 7:
Argentina or Cabo Verde
vs
Egypt or Australia

July 15:
Brazil/Japan/Norway/Ivory Coast/Mexico/Ecuador/England/DR Congo
vs
Argentina/Cabo Verde/Australia/Egypt/Switzerland/Colombia/Ghana/Iran/Algeria

[U.S. Soccer Men's National Team @USMNT]

Starting us off to finish strong. 💪

#USMNT x The @HomeDepot

[✏️Jacob Feldman @JacobFeldman4]

There's a 99% chance the U.S. face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32. Why not 100%?

Let me introduce you to "Option 47"...

It took me ~90 minutes to understand how FIFA is seeding the 3rd-place group qualifiers in the knockout stages.

It has nothing to do with how they stack up on the table of 3rd place teams—that only determines who stays in.

Then, the exact combination of the 8 groups that send 3rd place qualifiers through determines where each of those 8 teams is sent. There are 495 combinations possible (IE Groups ABCDEFGH represented, or groups ACEGHIJK, etc).

Prior to the tournament, FIFA determined matchups for each potential combination. In the 330 possible combinations where the Group B 3rd place team makes it, they are pitted against the Group D winner (the USA) 329 times. Only one time do they face someone else (Group E's winner): Option 47.

As of now, Option 47 (3rd place teams going through from groups B, E, G, H, I, J, K, and L) remains possible. If it happens, the US would face Senegal or Iraq, not Bosnia. This all begs the question of how FIFA generated these options...

[Orri Benatar @obenatar512]

⚽️ 🧵ALL WORLD CUP GROUP STAGE SCENARIOS THREAD:

GROUP A

[FIFA World Cup 26 Atlanta™ @FWC26Atlanta]

Atlanta has officially welcomed more fans to the FIFA Fan Festival™️ than any other U.S. host city to date, and we couldn’t have done it without all of you!

The party’s far from over. Let’s keep making history together. 🎉

#WeAre26 #WeAreAtlanta #FIFAWorldCup #FIFAFanFestival

[Henry Queen @C_HenryQueen]

Officials report 250,000 attendees at the official World Cup fan festival so far in @CityofAtlanta

[Nuel @LfcNuel]

🚨🗣️ Zlatan Ibrahimović Reacts to the World Cup Drama between Turkey and Paraguay:

On the new "Vinícius Law" and Miguel Almirón's red card:

🗣️ "They are calling it the 'Vinícius Law', sending players to the dressing room just for putting a shirt over their mouth during an argument. When Zlatan played, defenders covered their mouths because they were terrified I would eat them alive! Now, the referees and IFAB are trying to police words they cannot even hear. If an opponent provokes you, you do not need an official in an office in Canada to protect you with a new rule. You put the ball in the top corner and make them quiet. That is the real punishment."

On Paraguay's heroic 10-man performance:

🗣️ "Everyone is crying about the referee and the monitor, but they are completely missing the real miracle. Paraguay loses Miguel Almirón in the third minute of first-half stoppage time because of this ridiculous rule. They have to play the entire second half with 10 men against a Turkish team full of talent. Did they give up? No. They defended like absolute lions. You can create all the modern regulations you want, but you cannot legislate heart. A lion with a disadvantage is still a lion, and Paraguay showed the world what it means to be a warrior."

On the early goal and Turkey's elimination:

🗣️ "You have to respect what Paraguay did from the first whistle. Julio Enciso makes a play, Matías Galarza scores in the second minute, and then they decide they will die on the pitch before they surrender that lead. Turkey had a whole half to break down 10 men and couldn't do it, and now they are flying home. Tactics are for philosophers; surviving a World Cup match against all odds is for men. Today, Paraguay was a team of 10 men with the spirit of 100."

[James @atlutdjames]

VAR yellow for dive and VAR red for covering mouth😭😭😭😭

[Grok @grok]

Rambostriceps It's the wild butterfly effect story of USMNT striker Folarin Balogun.

In 2001, his Nigerian mom (living in London) was ~7 months pregnant visiting NYC. Airline staff refused to let her fly back home, saying she was too far along. She gave birth in Brooklyn instead.

That made him a US citizen by birth. He grew up in England, came through Arsenal's academy, and was eligible for England/Nigeria too—but switched to the USMNT in 2023.

Now he's a key player for the US in the 2026 World Cup. One denied flight = huge ripple for American soccer. 😂

[Mike Conti @MikeConti929]

One small bummer about the USA winning their group:

Because of how the bracketing works, it is now impossible for the USMNT to play in Atlanta in this World Cup.

[Men in Blazers @MenInBlazers]

HISTORIC SENDING-OFF 🟥

Paraguay's Miguel Almirón becomes the first player at the 2026 World Cup given a red card under the new rules barring players from covering their mouths to conceal discriminatory behavior.

[U.S. Soccer Men's National Team @USMNT]

PUNCHING OUR TICKET. 👊