The Road to World Cup 2026 and UEFA Nations League

[jd1981]

Yep. It's very Tory.

But yet you’re more than happy for you club side to maintain its status at all costs in probably the most elitist league world wide.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

But yet you’re more than happy for you club side to maintain its status at all costs in probably the most elitist league world wide.

What do you mean?

I hate how top heavy the money is allocated throughout the pyramid?

And I find it utterly detestable how many were arguing for the end of FA cup replays, whilst the likes of Villa fuck off to Abu Dhabi to play friendlies!

 

[jlo]

I think the problem is we've seen the likes of Honduras, Panama, North Korea and Qatar add absolutely nothing to tournaments since 2010 (you can go back further and pick out other examples), they were all palpably out of their depth. And now we're going to bring in teams who are objectively worse than that?

Although my principle issue remains that of maths. There's no 48 team structure that works properly.

Exactly. Should be 64 teams.

 

[Squeak]

This rings so massively of sour grapes to me.

Like I say, I wanted it to stay at 32. But the more chances there are for another ‘04 Greece or ‘16 Iceland, the better.

“Dilution of quality” is the sort of argument that not only won’t play for me, it outright pushes me further in the opposite direction. It doesn’t ring as protecting the sanctity of anything, just as elitism. Besides, if these other 16 teams are so shit, the traditional big boys should go on as they have, no? Meanwhile, nations that legitimately had a < 1% chance of qualifying previously now have a real opportunity to get on a stage they could never realistically hope for in the past.

Give me NZ v Bolivia, give me fucking Lithuania v Haiti; I’d watch that a hundred times before yawning over the thousandth match between Spain and Portugal, who aren’t even that much better to watch. Anything that makes the opportunity for a final that isn’t always CONMEBOL or UEFA even slightly greater is a winner in my book.

Yeah but you think MLS footy is entertaining. Each to their own.

 

[Squeak]

Exactly. Should be 64 teams.

Jesting aside...at what point do you stop? It was 16 teams until 1982 when it went to 24 and then 32 in 1998. #FollowTheMoney

 

[Tony Towner]

I'd rather 64 than 48, if it was 16 groups of 4. winners only go through to the last 16. Alan gets to see Bolivia and Kuwait play and the rest of us get to meaningful games between the better sides quicker.

 

[Squeak]

I'd rather 64 than 48, if it was 16 groups of 4. winners only go through to the last 16. Alan gets to see Bolivia and Kuwait play and the rest of us get to meaningful games between the better sides quicker.

Can you imagine the real dynamics of finding a country every four years to host that many teams? Ultimately you end up where we are now with multiple countries hosting and getting a free pass. Personally, I think 64 teams is way too many and I'm pretty happy with the current format although I don't agree with the multiple country hosting.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

You're happy with a group stage encompassing 72 matches to eliminate 16 teams, where it's quite feasible to go through with 0 wins?

I'm not, to be honest.

 

[BillyDee]

I'd rather 16 teams with no regional quotas, but each to their own...

 

[jd1981]

What do you mean?

I hate how top heavy the money is allocated throughout the pyramid?

For starters you made the “Tory” aimed at us calling us elitist.
If the PL is so immoral I assume you no longer attend matches or pay a Sky subscription anymore?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I'm not sure how it's really Tory to suggest that New Zealand don't necessarily deserve an automatic spot at the World Cup every single time if they get past the might of Fiji, New Caledonia, Tahiti and American Samoa, but it's been an odd week.

 

[jd1981]

I'm not sure how it's really Tory to suggest that New Zealand don't necessarily deserve an automatic spot at the World Cup every single time if they get past the might of Fiji, New Caledonia, Tahiti and American Samoa, but it's been an odd week.

Yeah blurring football with politics is never a good mix.

 

[White Wolf]

There's a lot of reasons to not be for the 48 team World Cup. I think another one is the logistics, the size of the tournament has essentially made it impossible for a lot of countries to host without multiple co-hosts. Personally feel like multiple co-hosts, especially when they are quite different or geographically separate, dilutes the tournament a lot itself. And for fans, it is very impractical.

Also hate that the 3rd place teams go through, it's shit. If a team gets third they don't even know if they're through if in an early group as they are waiting on later results, also makes it easier to do some collusion if two teams know a draw will take them brought. As a fan you won't know where you are playing until very short notice which again doesn't work well. And it rewards playing like shit and getting draws, you can get through without winning. A group stage which filters out only 1/3 of teams is rather pointless. All this applies for the Euros too. If anything diluting tournaments with lots of bad teams helps the favourites as the groups are much softer, some of those last 32 games are going to be very imbalanced (you see the same with groups/last 16 at Euros).

A lot of this is to fit in teams with a large population/a lot of money who are simply too bad to qualify ordinarily, it's not about helping underdogs. They have large TV audiences and sponsorships to offer, and more games brings more money. Apart from Africa who have quite tough qualifying rounds, I always felt the qualifying system as it existed was pretty fair.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

For starters you made the “Tory” aimed at us calling us elitist.
If the PL is so immoral I assume you no longer attend matches or pay a Sky subscription anymore?

Not entirely sure why you are gunning for me directly.

But as I stated, the clamour by a few on here for the end of FA cup replays was also "Tory" and detestable. We now see Villa and others off to play friendlies in Abu Dhabi, whilst those clubs also moaned about the potential of having a replay against, I don't know - Solihull Moors.

Football is elitist, football is completely top heavy just like society, and I hate that aspect of it.

Funnily enough, no, I neither have a sky subscription or have attended a game (yet) this season. But even if I had I can both think football elitism is "Tory" and call it out as such, but also enjoy the sport itself? No?

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

I'm not sure how it's really Tory to suggest that New Zealand don't necessarily deserve an automatic spot at the World Cup every single time if they get past the might of Fiji, New Caledonia, Tahiti and American Samoa, but it's been an odd week.

Ok. (I see it as elitism, but moving on...)

It was very Tory to argue so keenly for the end of FA cup replays. You did that too.

 

[Tony Towner]

Funnily enough, no, I neither have a sky subscription or have attended a game (yet) this season. But even if I had I can both think football elitism is "Tory" and call it out as such, but also enjoy the sport itself? No?

So you avoid paying what you should to watch illegal streams because the rules don't apply to you? How very Tory

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

So you avoid paying what you should to watch illegal streams because the rules don't apply to you? How very Tory

I have a Now TV subscription, I don't have a sky subscription or TNT, but that was a ridiculous argument anyway, wasn't it.

As I said, those that argued for sacking off FA cup replays are peak Tory.

I'll be sure to look out for your match day comments on games that are only being shown "illegally" in future though Mr. Pure and Perfect, quite the self own that one - and also critical of many other members of this forum.

 

[leedswolf]

(and the fans didn't cover themselves in glory, 'I'd rather be a P**i than a Turk' and all that)

Reminds me of Dewsburywolf reacting to Muzzy Izzett at the Walkers, Leicester in 2003/4

 

[Tony Towner]

I have a Now TV subscription, I don't have a sky subscription or TNT, but that was a ridiculous argument anyway, wasn't it.

As I said, those that argued for sacking off FA cup replays are peak Tory.

I'll be sure to look out for your match day comments on games that are only being shown "illegally" in future though Mr. Pure and Perfect, quite the self own that one - and also critical of many other members of this forum.

Nobody else has put themselves on the pedestal you have and you comment in real time on games that you can't get on Now TV, so you watch games via those who are illegally steaming them. You've made two ridiculous comments on here today, don't expect them to just be waved through

 

[AndyWolves]

International breaks are always shit for forum content