World Cup Open Thread | June 25, 2026

The Daily Merengue serves as a spot to chat about everything football. The strong Real Madrid bias shouldn’t surprise you—it’s right in the name! Hats off to the moderators Kung_Fu_Zizou, Juninho, NeRObutBlanco, Felipejack, Ezek Ix, and myself, Valyrian Steel, for keeping things running smoothly.

There’s a lot to celebrate during this World Cup. Three matches, three Men of the Match awards—quite a feat. The excitement is real.

On June 23, 2026, in Houston, Texas, Cristiano Ronaldo (#7) scored the opening goal for Portugal against Uzbekistan in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group K match. That moment was captured by Maja Hitij for FIFA/Getty Images.

Honestly, the price tag on some players seems a bit steep, but that’s part of the sport’s drama. We think the passion on the field often outweighs the numbers on contracts.