2015

I might be in the minority but I think there has been a MAJOR overreaction to the BBC interview with NP. No wonder this club has always been a soft touch

I think that puts to bed the Messi and Ronaldo debate once and for all. The right player will be considered the greatest of this generation.

Best ever. Brilliant. Also on balance of the play, Argentina deserved the Win.

Have some of that some of you on here ?

I do remember similar claims after 2018 world cup with it being said it was the best ever. I think World Cup's are probably best to be judged some time after they've taken place to really say how good it was. Of course Infantino would say that though, whilst he's fifa president.

I'd also like to add, when do the changes stop - Is it going to be a 2nd tier World Cup in 2045? Is it going to be a 98 team World Cup by 2060? There seriously needs to be regulations and caps on these sorts of changes to protect to quality and the beauty of the game. It isn't because I don't want there to be a change it's because I love Football for how it is and has been for the last 30 years.

If it aint broke, there is no need to fix it. -The change from 24 to 32 teams at a World Cup was understandable. Adding 8 more sides to that competition isn't much and never diminished the quality, it stopped the best 3rd placed sides from going through and thus encouraged sides to be more attacking in World Cup Group games. It also didn't impact the format too much - you still had a round of 16, quarter final etc. Now they want to change it to 48 teams with 16 groups of 3 and this is seen as a step forward in the direction? I'm sorry but it looks awful and sounds awful, to me. -UEFA changed Euros from 16 to 24 teams for 2016 and again the quality of that Tournament has gone downhill massively since that change. Too many sides qualifying who are just not good enough. Qualifying for a major tournament has to feel like something that is rare and a hard achievement to gain. Unfortunately when you have half of Europe qualifying for a Euros it doesn't feel that way. -The Champions League was the best format they changed in 1992 and has easily become the biggest club competition in the world and produced some fantastic matches over the years because of the infrequency the top clubs play each other. Now they want to change that in 2024 as well. Why? Money. Football doesn't need any more changes

What is the constant need to always change things? Football and its tournaments are absolutely great as they are and over the last 30 years is the main reason why Football globally has got even bigger. There is no need to make changes to the club or international format, it will diminish the quality which imo has already showed at the World Cup this year.

Said it on another thread before and got shouted down about the implications but I still firmly believe its about time all the top National federations in Europe come together and breakaway from FIFA. They are hell bent on ruining the sport for money

Really? Gvardiol is what 8/9 inches taller than Messi who runs at full speed with the ball at his feet and just pushes him aside like its nothing. He's been doing this sort of stuff consistently his whole career.

Unbelievable

Messi has stepped up big time today

The players they've produced and the Tournaments they have won would suggest they definitely are a Footballing superpower. We're not on their level, sadly. We're probably more similar to Denmark than France and that's the sad truth.

Anything can happen really. Who would have predicted Goncalo Ramos would be the striker for Portugal to get a hat trick at this World Cup

Yep. Said this before a few weeks ago. As for last night, the game was crying out for some of England's more unpredictable players to come on and do something different (Grealish, Maddison, Trent) but they were ignored really. Instead the safe options in Mount and Sterling were brought on. I do wonder if the FA are in Southgate's ear about using players who are playing abroad? Because I also find it hard to believe that the likes of Coady and Mings have regularly got picked over the likes of Tomori and Smalling.

Absolutely. McManaman for example was a massive hit for Real Madrid and should have had much more England caps. Paul Ince came back a much better international player for England after his spell at Inter Milan in my opinion. Even if you look at Chris Smalling, who has been exceptional for Roma in the last year or so and I think Southgate might have missed a trick there with his experience in the squad. There just aren't enough English players who go and play abroad in my opinion still. Is it to do with the language? Do our players feel that Europe is the other side of the World as we are just an island? Or do the players just not want to test themselves abroad?

The French have majorly benefitted from its best players playing abroad and getting a taste of different styles of football. Before 1998 a Major World Cup win seemed beyond them unlike Germany or Italy. The French have adopted the old Italian style of winning matches without necessarily having to dominate the other side, this is on the back of most of their players in the 90s playing in Serie A and the influence that the Italian game gave the French players that played there. Ever since France have generally (apart from Domenech era) been hard to beat and very defensive which in major tournaments tends to take you a long way.

The worst England fans are the ones who support the 'big clubs' and actively don't want to see rival players play well for England. Seeing Chelsea and Arsenal fans mock Kane for his miss are the worst ones. No wonder players have never cared about playing for England as much

Interesting

What France do really well under Deschamps is they control games very well without having the ball. They made it very difficult for England to create many chances this evening. They're lucky they have him as a Coach as he's made France into a Tournament winning machine.

I'd say on the balance of the game we shaded it but where France won was they had that killer instinct and experience that our players just don't seem to have in the big matches. Did we really create any guilt edge opportunities? We just didn't seem to put them under as much pressure as i'd have liked. I think the future is bright with the talent coming through, but what hurts me tonight is it's a Tournament where we yet again lose in the big 50/50 match. And yes their first goal was a foul on Saka and yes Kane should have had a penalty in the first half. No comments on the ref but wouldn't surprise me at all if Fifa want a France - Argentina final so its Mbappe vs Messi. Two players playing under Qatar owned PSG ?

Fifa clearly want their new star boy Mbappe in the Final.

Where's all the Ronaldo fanboys at this evening then? Genuinely shocked by this result

Defended superbly that 2nd half