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Post by iot on Jan 25, 2023 12:44:58 GMT
Always believed that CONCACAF & CONMEBOL should share WCQ as a unit. Oceania should work as pre-qualifying in the Asian system too (no issue with all 4 keeping their own continental competition). UEFA - 13 AMERICAS - 7 ASIA - 5 AFRICA - 7 Keeps things at 32 and increases Africa's entry level (which is way beyond due). If they really want to increase things, they can to 40 teams (10 groups of 4 teams), where you win your group, go to the last 16 [3rd round]. 2nd places (& top 2 3rd places) play out the 2nd round. Then: UEFA - 15 AMERICAS - 9 ASIA - 7 AFRICA - 9 Sounds like a good model. But the issue is these things are not based on logic and fairness. It's an issue of democracy in football essentially and the electioneering that leads to. With each FIFA member having an equal vote, it means that anyone wanting to become President obviously has to get the numbers and make certain promises / placate concerns across each confederation to get those numbers. Difficult to know what the best solution would be |
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Post by dingodan on Mar 14, 2023 11:42:12 GMT
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Post by spiritof16 on Mar 14, 2023 12:01:38 GMT
I don’t think Europe get many more teams so won’t make much difference to us.
If we did make it, Canada, USA and Mexico would be a special trip for those lucky enough to go.
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Post by pclaude on Mar 14, 2023 13:05:25 GMT
The expansion to 48 was announced years ago. UEFA will only get 3 more teams, so no, not significantly easier to qualify.
The change here is 12 groups of 4, not 16 groups of 3. So 8 matches to win it, not 7.
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Post by cynonvalley on Mar 14, 2023 13:34:14 GMT
All the seeded second placed teams in the last WCQ would qualify automatically for 2026 - if Football Manager is anything to go off
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Post by dai on Mar 14, 2023 14:15:17 GMT
Don't really agree with it. The World Cup is meant to be the pinnacle of football. Not sure I'm too excited about the possibility of more average teams getting in (us included).
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Post by robin1864 on Mar 14, 2023 14:45:07 GMT
FIFA will likely increase spaces for Asia, Africa and perhaps North America in order to appease their Middle Eastern sponsors and increase their market share in North America.
Expect Saudi Arabia, Qatar, China and perhaps Canada to become regulars, much in the same way England, France and Germany are.
It's not an opportunity for us to embarrass ourselves again.
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Post by eppingblue1 on Mar 14, 2023 16:31:25 GMT
The expansion to 48 was announced years ago. UEFA will only get 3 more teams, so no, not significantly easier to qualify. The change here is 12 groups of 4, not 16 groups of 3. So 8 matches to win it, not 7. Proportionally it doesn't seem like a great deal, but for those just outside of normally qualifying which is where ought to have been recently then it could be a significant. The majority of the top dozen will qualify, they always do. These few extra places give a much better chance to those half a dozen teams below them. 12 qualify automatically, 12 end up in 4 playoffs. |
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Post by allezlesrouges on Mar 14, 2023 16:39:07 GMT
I've thought about it a lot and I actually support the expansion now after initially being against it
I think the idea of including more "average teams" might be the case at first, but I actually think it will raise the standards of "average teams" and not vice-versa. There was a lot of criticism of the Nations League initially but that's been an overwhelming success and has definitely raised the standards of lower seeded teams who have more regular competition at their level
My biggest gripe was the 3 team groups which would have been a disaster and ruined the spectacle in my view. Now they've fixed that I've no issues
Boosting participation from Asia and Africa will be great. Canada were a great addition to the World VIP, and in time I think countries like Jamaica and China will improve and so will the west African countries and the tertiary South American countries
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Post by CrackityJones on Mar 14, 2023 17:11:12 GMT
3 team groups would have been ridiculous
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Post by surge on Mar 14, 2023 17:43:44 GMT
I don't disagree with an increase in nations from other federations but FIFA's plan does mean more football.
This on top of UEFA's plan for more football, the English FA's plan not to reduce football and club owners plan for more football with meaningless friendlies/supercup tournaments.
At what point do fans say it's too much? At what point the players? I think we'll see more 'early' retirements because of it with internationals easiest to drop from.
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Post by pclaude on Mar 14, 2023 19:50:04 GMT
The expansion to 48 was announced years ago. UEFA will only get 3 more teams, so no, not significantly easier to qualify. The change here is 12 groups of 4, not 16 groups of 3. So 8 matches to win it, not 7. Proportionally it doesn't seem like a great deal, but for those just outside of normally qualifying which is where ought to have been recently then it could be a significant. The majority of the top dozen will qualify, they always do. These few extra places give a much better chance to those half a dozen teams below them. 12 qualify automatically, 12 end up in 4 playoffs. Fair point. My suspicion is that it will be 10 automatics like last time, and 6 plays offs on h&a basis. But that is just a suspicion. Especially as next nations league seemingly will have Conmebol involvement |
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Post by zakbaby on Mar 14, 2023 22:43:01 GMT
I don't disagree with an increase in nations from other federations but FIFA's plan does mean more football. This on top of UEFA's plan for more football, the English FA's plan not to reduce football and club owners plan for more football with meaningless friendlies/supercup tournaments. At what point do fans say it's too much? At what point the players? I think we'll see more 'early' retirements because of it with internationals easiest to drop from. I have to laugh though when clubs complain about too much football, but what happens when they get a break like 6 weeks off for the world cup? They go on money making trips to places in Asia and Australia! Its only fatigue if your playing for your country though isnt it? Everton did it as soon as the premier league season was suspended with a trip to Sydney to play Celtic and an A league side. Why not give your players the 6 weeks rest your crying out for? Now could you image we arranged a friendly at the end of the season in Sydney? The clubs would be calling it a pointless long distance trip. Hypocrites, the lot of them. |
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Post by manulike on Feb 5, 2024 21:08:18 GMT
Dallas, Texas ... the new home of football ... with 9 world cup games ... Mexico City gets ... five games ... GO FIGURE ;-(
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Post by conwy10 on Mar 26, 2024 22:42:07 GMT
So where do we go from here? I think we will struggle to qualify. I think we'll be the 2/3 best in a group but lack the superstar to push for 1st. We've got a really hard working team which will get us far, but no Bale that I think a country of our size needs to compete at the top level.
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Post by allezlesrouges on Mar 26, 2024 22:58:04 GMT
Need a kind draw to have any chance of automatics, but I do fancy this group to kick on and get 2nd
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Post by saturn9 on Mar 26, 2024 23:02:53 GMT
And Joe Taylor needs to be brought into the squad. Unless he opts for Eire😬😬
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Post by dlwilliams on Mar 27, 2024 2:55:49 GMT
When is the draw?
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Post by bale-droed on Mar 27, 2024 3:28:19 GMT
And Joe Taylor needs to be brought into the squad. Unless he opts for Eire😬😬 I agree. I've been screaming for him to be in squad. First I've heard of him being eligible for Ireland though! |
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Post by jbt95 on Mar 27, 2024 6:12:00 GMT
TBC but it’ll be after the Nations League group stage ends, probably December. |
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Post by morg on Mar 28, 2024 14:42:35 GMT
Have asked this elsewhere but how will the seedings for the 12 qualifying groups be arrived at?
FIFA rankings or NL rankings?
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Post by jbt95 on Mar 28, 2024 14:46:34 GMT
Have asked this elsewhere but how will the seedings for the 12 qualifying groups be arrived at? FIFA rankings or NL rankings? Think they have to use the FIFA World Rankings, we are currently the 16th highest UEFA nation. |
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Post by morg on Mar 28, 2024 14:50:15 GMT
Have asked this elsewhere but how will the seedings for the 12 qualifying groups be arrived at? FIFA rankings or NL rankings? Think they have to use the FIFA World Rankings. Which would be good for us (and definitely good for England) as we'd then have a chance of being in the top 12 seeds. |
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Post by dragonsoccer on Mar 28, 2024 15:07:26 GMT
With 12 groups, I would guess we would be in Pot 2 for the draw (date tbc) (ranked between 13th and 24th) Stand corrrected, but currently I cannot see anywhere on what the seedings are based on? (FIFA or UNL) tbc I guess We need a bit of luck in the draw, finish 2nd and then another round of play offs decent draw would be against say 11th/12th ranked nation (Croatia again), then the 35th/36th ranked and a 48th ranked nation in a 4 nation group WC 2026 info on wiki en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_(UEFA) |
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Post by morg on Mar 28, 2024 15:20:30 GMT
With 12 groups, I would guess we would be in Pot 2 for the draw (date tbc) (ranked between 13th and 24th) Stand corrrected, but currently I cannot see anywhere on what the seedings are based on? (FIFA or UNL) tbc I guess We need a bit of luck in the draw, finish 2nd and then another round of play offs decent draw would be against say 11th/12th ranked nation (Croatia again), then the 35th/36th ranked and a 48th ranked nation in a 4 nation group WC 2026 info on wiki en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_(UEFA)Yes, I can't see any confirmation of whether it'll be FIFA or NL rankings. So if the former, we'd have an outside chance of being Pot 1 and a very good chance of being Pot 2 and if the latter, we couldn't be in Pot 1 and would be in Pot 2 provided we finished in the top 2 in our NL group. There'll be English media outcry if it's based on NL especially if they do well in the Euros. |
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Post by dragonsoccer on Mar 28, 2024 15:42:27 GMT
A poor UNL could easily see us slip out of the top 24 overall ranking, and down to Pot 3 if those rankings are used
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Post by dragonsoccer on Mar 28, 2024 15:45:09 GMT
Top 2 UNL finish required then for sure  |
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Post by morg on Mar 28, 2024 15:46:27 GMT
A poor UNL could easily see us slip out of the top 24 overall ranking, and down to Pot 3 if those rankings are used A poor UNL and we're stuffed either way! |
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Post by dragonsoccer on Mar 28, 2024 15:52:56 GMT
thats true to note The 55 nations for 2022 were seeded into 6 pots based on the November 2020 World Rankings |
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Post by jono on Mar 28, 2024 15:56:33 GMT
Absolute objective has to be to win our Nations League group now and hope we're then in the top 12 teams in Europe. Being top seeds and avoiding all the big hitters would be huge for us.
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