The Road to World Cup 2026 and UEFA Nations League

[Deutsch Wolf]

Or not! 95th minute equaliser by David Brooks

 

[Wilf Wolf]

That must feel like a winner for Wales on +5:30 of an added 4 minutes!

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

How does the clown on the line not clear that. Farcical.

Fair result though

 

[jd1981]

Shocking level of quality in both those goals, that Wales equaliser was the kind of goal you get in a Sunday league game

 

[jd1981]

There’s a very reasonable chance one of these 2 sides will be at the World Cup next year, nice one FIFA

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

And?

One has been a Euro qualifier and the other has made the semi final of the Euros and qualified for the last world cup

 

[jd1981]

And?

One has been a Euro qualifier and the other has made the semi final of the Euros and qualified for the last world cup

I think the key word there is “has” neither were good enough to qualify for the last Euros which is the most recent tournament.
A tournament that allows almost 50% of Europe to take part. Point being expanding the World Cup to 48 teams doesn’t make it a better tournament, just means more games of lesser quality to eliminate just 16 teams.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

European qualification has increased by one place.

The main increase is in teams from outside UEFA and conmebol

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Yeah, your bigger issue is New Zealand now basically getting a bye forever, CONMEBOL is now a 10 team round robin group that only eliminates 3 teams, and there'll be additional Asian nations at the finals who will almost certainly be rotten.

Oh and a 48 team tournament doesn't work because of y'know, maths and that.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I would say the issue is gar more that one of Indonesia and Bahrain are likely to follow Japan and Oz into the tournament.

Australia stuck 5 on Indonesia and this is a poor Australian team

 

[jd1981]

European qualification has increased by one place.

The main increase is in teams from outside UEFA and conmebol

13 UEFA nations were at the 2022 tournament, 16 will be at 2026 so it’s up by 3.
The whole scenario of allowing an extra 16 teams is just stupid. Giving extra slots all over reduces quality. Plus the scenario of win your first game then go pragmatic there after.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

AFC quali is garbahe

At stage 3 as I type

Either in or as good as

Iran
Uzbekistan or UAE
South Korea
Probably Jordan
japan
Oz

There are then playoffs in sets of 3 where the top team gets in

Luminaries such as Kyrgyzstan have a good chance in that roound and should they fail still have a further chance in intercontinental playoffs

UEFA isn’t the issue

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Concacaf is even worse as US Mexico and Canada are already in

Quali is Very convoluted but 12 teams will make the final round. 3 hroups of 4 with the winners getting a place and 2 best runners up into the playoffs

Likely final stage teams

Honduras
Cuba or Cayman Islands
Costa Rica
Trinidad or Saint Kitts
Curaçao and probably Haiti
Nicaragua and Panama
Guatemala and Jamaica
Suriname and Pierrot Rivo or El Salvador

The draw for the final stage doesn’t appear to be seeded

So Nicaragua Costa Rica Panama Honduras could be in one group allowing dross elsewhere

Plus if Cuba draw Puerto Rico they get the home game awarded as the US won’t allow travel

 

[Alan]

While I wasn’t in favor of expanding it past 32, these tears are delicious.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I would wait until after a tedious first fortnight if the tournament before crowing too loudly.

African qualifying despite extra spits seems simple to follow

Not sure these multi round formats help anyone

 

[Alan]

There isn’t any football I find tedious to watch. Certainly not an international cup.

Give me Wales v Vietnam; I’ll happily blow money on a ticket to that.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Wales would win by a big margin. And we are shit

New Caledonia are in the intercontinental playoffs. They will get annihilated by a conmebol team. Moving Oz into Asia was daft. To then give Oceania another spot just gives NZ a bye now.

NZ absolutely destroyed everyone. I would expect Bolivia or whoever to beat NZ, let alone Caledonia

 

[jd1981]

While I wasn’t in favor of expanding it past 32, these tears are delicious.

No I think it’s case of realising a World Cup is an elite event that includes the very best not just a jolly get together or charity event.
The 32 team format is just fine and kind of makes it an elite event that even qualifying for becomes an achievement. 48 teams is a complete dilution of all that. UEFA participation has dropped from 40% to 33%, thats fine. Having an extra knockout game also runs the risk of burn out come the final.

 

[Mel Evo]

No I think it’s case of realising a World Cup is an elite event that includes the very best not just a jolly get together or charity event.
The 32 team format is just fine and kind of makes it an elite event that even qualifying for becomes an achievement. 48 teams is a complete dilution of all that. UEFA participation has dropped from 40% to 33%, thats fine. Having an extra knockout game also runs the risk of burn out come the final.

Agree. Also it’s to do with the actual enjoyment or otherwise of watching the games and enjoying a tournament. When leagues or tournaments become so nakedly about cash at the expense of any real jeopardy I really do stop caring. England fans already know that nothing of any consequence is going to happen until the QF of the World Cup, and we’re talking about a team who won’t have won it for 60 years by then.

It’s not just football of course. The deluge of events in addition to sham elimination stages when they come round sates the broadcasters and the casual viewer, but punishes fans who yearn for a bit of meaning or romance. It was amazing when Cameroon progressed in Italia 90 because it was hard. It means a lot less if Nicaragua progressed now unless you have limited discretion.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

100 per cent

Where is the jeopardy for a less than great Brazil now?

It is nil. But a lot of games as they don’t want to lose the two Brazil Argentina games by having two seeded sets of five