World Cup Eve

No that’s not the mascot, it’s the day before the world cup begins. D’oh. But there’s still a game to watch tonight to get you in the mood, Numancia vs Real Valladolid in the La Liga 2 play-off 1^st leg. It kicks-off at 19:30 and it’s on Freesports. The second leg is on Saturday but not due to be televised at the moment although Freesports may step in again. Not that there will be a lot of demand as the World Cup will be in full swing by then. These two finished 5^th and 6^th in the Segunda Division, and have already eliminated Real Zaragoza and Sporting Gijon who finished 3^rd and 4^th. Exactly why I hate play-offs, inherently unfair.

Also today, the hosts of the 2026 World Cup will be unveiled, which seems strange timing. Can we really not wait a few weeks until this one is done and dusted? Anyway, the only contenders are Morocco and a joint USA/Canada/Mexico bid. Trump has already threatened action against anyone who dares vote against the North/Central American one. FIFA of course have strict rules against political interference, so expect them to heavily censor Trump at the very least. Maybe. In any case, President Putin is in attendance to ensure fair play all round. And Morocco have been backed by Sepp Blatter. Oh decisions, decisions.

News to come...

Update...Update...Update...Update

And the winner is United! Which apparently is what we are calling the joint USA/Mexico/Canada bid. They won by 134 votes to 65.

In other, much more shocking news, Spain appear to have sacked their manager on the day before the World Cup, and two days before their first game. Julen Lopetegui announced that he was joining Real Madrid after the tournament, and that seems to have royally pissed off the Spanish FA. But the timing of this is incredible, especially for those who have already backed Spain to win.