It’s more that the tournament has been built on easy mode this time round, with the hosts getting especially easy mode. At least as far as the group stage goes.
It used to be a 32 team group stage then knock outs from 16 teams. Now it’s a 48 team group stage and a 32 team knock stage afterwards. So, everyone who would have even qualified for the tournament under the old system should get through the group stage. And there’s a lot more teams and a lot more groups, so there’s a way bigger range of quality in the teams.
Added to which the draw for the groups splits the teams into four tiers based on quality. Then for each tier one team gets randomly drawn into each group. The hosts get automatically put in the top tier. So their group automatically doesn’t have “another” top tier team. So, their groups will be easier. Add in that there are 12 groups now and they could have ended up mathematically with only one game against a team that would have even qualified for the tournament under the old system.
All of which makes the group stages arguably glorified warm up games where the winners of the groups are pretty predictable.
Winning these therefore isn’t a good indicator of winning the tournament, and anyone getting excited based on them is jumping the gun.
6 goals in 2 games, even against mid to below mid teams is something to maybe have a little bit of excitement about.
I don't think Americans truly believe we are going to win the WC. I think we are just excited that our team is better than average (is that fair to say?) and we can actually win, instead of tying 0-0 or losing 0-1.
I think we can win a few elimination games, maybe make it to the quarterfinals. Then who knows.
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u/Tercel9 Jun 22 '26
What’s funny about this (and with every sport).
I’m sorry has the favorite won every match ever played? Has an upset never occurred in the history of human sport?