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

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

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.

Or you could just allow existing stadia to be used

Requiring brand new stadiums is a FIFA mandate that doesn't need to exist and creates artificial barriers

 

[TheBigIguana]

Or you could just allow existing stadia to be used

Requiring brand new stadiums is a FIFA mandate that doesn't need to exist and creates artificial barriers

There aren't really African countries with more than one existing stadium that might qualify as suitable aside from South Africa and maybe a couple random ones like Morocco and Egypt. And I say might because the barriers aren't so much capacity as much as safety. A lot of these are older or not modernized and would never pass inspection in most parts of the world. I don't think it can happen without money being thrown at it which is a bad idea for me.

 

[Drico]

Tbf, most of them are pretty good.

Exactly. I really cannot object to South America having more qualifiers while simultaneously moaning about more teams diluting quality. The reality is the South Americans and Europeans help keep the quality ratio up. Africa and Asia are improving all the time, but it's a very slow process and, currently, only results in perhaps one or two countries from these continents reaching a good level in any World Cup.

 

[Drico]

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

Spain would get it with 32 - they got it with 24 in 1982. Morocco have bid for and lost the final vote in 5 World Cups, so they have always been one of the top African contenders to host. Portugal hosted a 16-team Euros. So, these nations are not the best example of your point.

 

[Drico]

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

Most African countries simply do not have the infrastructure or stadia. They might have a reasonable national stadium, but you're generally talking about ramshackle grounds after that. These 48-team tournaments are definitely a barrier to the developing world and are simply a way of increasing the odds of despotic totalitarian and wealthy regimes such as Saudi Arabia and China hosting in the future. If a few combined bids from Europe or North America get waved through in the process, all the better to mask the overall intent.

 

[Billy Dean]

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

Spain can easily host a 32-team tournament. Otherwise I agree.

Exactly. I really cannot object to South America having more qualifiers while simultaneously moaning about more teams diluting quality. The reality is the South Americans and Europeans help keep the quality ratio up. Africa and Asia are improving all the time, but it's a very slow process and, currently, only results in perhaps one or two countries from these continents reaching a good level in any World Cup.

Maybe getting more places will help African and Asian teams improve. They get more exposure to tournament football, and earn more in prize money which theoretically can go to infrastructure and youth development etc.

 

[LostLegend]

Can’t wait for the classic World Cup showdown between Togo and Malaysia in front of about 100 fans at some soulless soccer-bowl stadium in Toronto. AND IT’S LIVE!

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Can’t wait for the classic World Cup showdown between Togo and Malaysia in front of about 100 fans at some soulless soccer-bowl stadium in Toronto. AND IT’S LIVE!

I doubt Malaysia will qualify

The current top 9 sides in Asia are;

1. 
   
   Japan (20)
2. 
   
   Iran (24)
3. 
   
   South Korea (25)
4. 
   
   Australia (27)
5. 
   
   Saudi Arabia (49)
6. 
   
   Qatar (60)
7. 
   
   Iraq (68)
8. 
   
   United Arab Emirates (70)
9. 
   
   Oman (75)

Seven of those sides have qualified for at least one World Cup previously (with Qatar entering one as hosts), and some them qualify regularly under the current format

So basically 8 of those 9 teams have World Cup experience, so it's not like the doors have been flung open for a bunch of sides who have never been good enough to qualify previously

Oman are one of those sides that have been knocking on the door of qualification for years and never quite managed it. This could possibly allow them to finally make it

It's not like teams from the Vauxhall Conference are going to be playing in this now

Togo have qualified before as well btw, and have had good players over the years

The standard isn't going to drop anywhere near as much as people are saying I think

Yes, more games isn't ideal, but the game continues to grow in both Africa and Asia, and the general standard of football from those teams is regularly improving as well, so I say sod it, let more of them play in it

Europe and South America have had it very good for a very long time, with the tournament always designed for their benefit. Africa and Asia getting a bigger slice of the pie has been long overdue in all honesty

I'd rather see more teams from Africa and Asia than boring nothing happening sides from UEFA and CONNEMBOL like Serbia, Switzerland, Paraguay, Bolivia etc

 

[Billy Dean]

Europe and South America have had it very good for a very long time, with the tournament always designed for their benefit. Africa and Asia getting a bigger slice of the pie has been long overdue in all honesty

Definitely this. It's about time they get treated more equally IMO. The football establishment has been weighted in favour of Europe especially for too long.

 

[Wizard]

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?

I don't remember this aspect of the rule but double jeopardy still exists. You only get sent off now if you weren't making a genuine attempt for the ball when committing a foul in the box which I think is fair enough.

 

[Drico]

Spain can easily host a 32-team tournament. Otherwise I agree.

Maybe getting more places will help African and Asian teams improve. They get more exposure to tournament football, and earn more in prize money which theoretically can go to infrastructure and youth development etc.

Yes, there is an argument for that. But in the short term, there is no doubt that quality is diluted. That said, I really don't think the World Cup misses a poor Ireland, Bulgaria, Paraguay or Turkey side. When they're good, fair enough, but 16 Europeans is enough and 6 South Americans is acceptable. At the end of the day, the tournament only starts in the knock outs now and is more of a cup competition than it ever was. Maybe that's for the best in a world of choked-up, rigged club leagues.

 

[mmmmsnouts]

"I love football except for the organisers, the money involved, the length of games, the amount of games, the kickoff times, the stadiums, the teams, the players, the tactics, the referees, the linesmen, VAR, the commentators, the pundits, the home supporters, the traveling supporters, the singing, the lack of singing, the rules, the equipment, and the penalty shootout." - this thread and many others

 

[carolinablue232]

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

They should really just merge with Concacaf and have a joint “Americas” confederation.

 

[teppic]

"Always leave them wanting more"

Said no-one at FIFA ever.

 

[WA Toffee]

I have mixed feelings about it.

On the one hand, it will lose a bit of its magic as it becomes another slog fest with a lot of teams just making up the numbers, but on the other hand, it is a great opportunity for the smaller nations to have a moment in the sun and play on the biggest stage there is.

There is a greater likelihood of huge mismatches in the group stages, but it doesn't seem that long ago that Germany was beating Saudi 8-0, a result that I don't think would happen now as Asian teams have progressed a lot in the last 20 years.

Football isn't always just about the top 8 or 10 nations.