Next World Cup to have 12 groups of 4, with 32 teams advancing to the knock out stage

[carolinablue232]

One Oceanic team (New Zealand) will now qualify automatically

Good news for the other teams in the confederation as it actually gives them something to play for now

UEFA only gets 3 more than usual

Asia has seen the biggest benefit, going from 4 guaranteed to a possible 9

I get it, but it’s also the problem. I don’t want to sit and watch Spain dismantle Tahiti 9-0 in a World Cup. It dilutes the tournament.

 

[chrismpw]

Anybody remember any change in football, after 3 points for a win, that made it better?

 

[barneygumble]

Anybody remember any change in football, after 3 points for a win, that made it better?

The only good one for me, was the introduction of Double Jeopardy, where the team wouldn’t get punished three times for the offense.

So Penalty, Red Card and Going behind was no more, and they’d only get sent off if the pen was saved, and they swerved it off, and I have absolutely no idea why?

 

[roydo]

Anybody remember any change in football, after 3 points for a win, that made it better?

Not sure which came first, but changing pass backs to the keeper was a sound one. Other than that, I am with you. Oh, the days of kicking a player off the pitch would not be a welcome return though, so over the years its become a cleaner game I guess.

 

[RAFUH]

This is just going to make the whole competition worse. A watered-down joke featuring teams that have no business playing on a stage that big. It won't make the money FIFA imagine. It'll hurt their product. The people running the sport are blinded by their own greed.

It will make FIFA officials more money....more countries, more bribes

 

[Billy Dean]

Anybody remember any change in football, after 3 points for a win, that made it better?

Back pass rule

 

[riddick]

I wonder with all the extra matches if they would have more host cities? Because, honestly, most of them suck.

 

[Yarrgh]

If you had 64, it's a straight knockout tournament.

Embrace change.

 

[Lineker]

6 South American teams will qualify, with a potential 7th through the playoffs

I think there's only 10 teams in the whole confederation

Don't want to hear them whinging about how unfair things are ever again

Tbf, most of them are pretty good.

 

[4737carlin]

Cant wait

 

[Abertonian]

Creates a massive barrier to entry for any nations wanting to host the tournament. Extra teams and games per day increases the number of stadiums required, increases infrastructure requirements for transport, accommodation, entertainment / hospitality, increases resource requirements for law enforcement and security, medical care and so on.

Presents opportunities for more sports washing by wealthy nations, and sets up a tournament that might eventually cycle round a select few nations that can afford it or have the infrastructure in place, a bit like the F1 circuit.

Growing up the world cup was a big deal, in part because it was on terrestrial tv and we didn't have satellite / cable, but also because international football felt more prestigious. Now I find myself not actually watching many tournament games due to feeling fatigued by the amount of club football on all the time, and international football has been watered down too much with pointless friendlies.

Can't imagine this is going to be good for the game.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Creates a massive barrier to entry for any nations wanting to host the tournament. Extra teams and games per day increases the number of stadiums required, increases infrastructure requirements for transport, accommodation, entertainment / hospitality, increases resource requirements for law enforcement and security, medical care and so on.

Presents opportunities for more sports washing by wealthy nations, and sets up a tournament that might eventually cycle round a select few nations that can afford it or have the infrastructure in place, a bit like the F1 circuit.

Growing up the world cup was a big deal, in part because it was on terrestrial tv and we didn't have satellite / cable, but also because international football felt more prestigious. Now I find myself not actually watching many tournament games due to feeling fatigued by the amount of club football on all the time, and international football has been watered down too much with pointless friendlies.

Can't imagine this is going to be good for the game.

I don't think it creates that much of a barrier actually

It just means we'll see more joint bids, which isn't too bad of an option to be honest

It will probably means nations who would never have got it before might actually get it now because the stigma of joint bids will be lessened

Portugal, Morocco and Spain are supposedly planning a joint bid for instance

I don't think either of those nations would have got the tournament when it was 32 nations, but there's every chance they could get it now with the new format, and that's a good thing

 

[Yarrgh]

I don't think it creates that much of a barrier actually

It just means we'll see more joint bids, which isn't too bad of an option to be honest

It will probably means nations who would never have got it before might actually get it now because the stigma of joint bids will be lessened

Portugal, Morocco and Spain are supposedly planning a joint bid for instance

I don't think either of those nations would have got the tournament when it was 32 nations, but there's every chance they could get it now with the new format, and that's a good thing

Wales, Scotland and Ireland could bid together. So could the Scandinavian countries. As could a number of African countries or Asian. Or the smaller South African nations. Australia and New Zealand.

Actually there's a ton of combinations that open up.

Make it 128 teams. Straight knockout. Only 7 games for any team to win it.

I should work for FIFA! Where's my brown envelope?

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Wales, Scotland and Ireland could bid together. So could the Scandinavian countries. As could a number of African countries or Asian. Or the smaller South African nations. Australia and New Zealand.

Actually there's a ton of combinations that open up.

Make it 128 teams. Straight knockout. Only 7 games for any team to win it.

I should work for FIFA! Where's my brown envelope?

I don't think there's anything wrong with more countries in Africa and Asia getting to host a World Cup to be honest

The fact we've still only had one African World Cup in 93 years when you consider how many great players have come from that part of the world is something FIFA should probably look to rectify in the coming years

If allowing multiple nations to shoulder the hosting duties gets the World Cup to a part of the world that normally wouldn't have seen it then that's a good thing

 

[TheBigIguana]

I don't think there's anything wrong with more countries in Africa and Asia getting to host a World Cup to be honest

The fact we've still only had one African World Cup in 93 years when you consider how many great players have come from that part of the world is something FIFA should probably look to rectify in the coming years

If allowing multiple nations to shoulder the hosting duties gets the World Cup to a part of the world that normally wouldn't have seen it then that's a good thing

I'd rather they didn't get a chance to host than billions was spent on stadiums that have limited or no use after a month. These types of things need to be limited to places with existing infrastructure in place. It's so wasteful to build up for a tournament. I know that limits the pool but it is what it is.