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Expansion Thread 🪜

Monoethnic Social Club said:
rumour.... but makes sense considering they wanted a "professional" team on the South Island... Wouldn't make sens to do it ONLY for the handful of matches for OFC pro league.

Plus it gives APL ANOTHER barrier to true pro/rel adding more NZ clubs in...
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OFC pro league and Christchurch all to do with a 2038 World Cup bid. Expect to see a joint australia nz agreement to fund 5 cat hurricane shelters in the Pacific - they will be 15000 indoor stadiums for the OFC pro league / stadiums for fan fests for a World Cup and hurricane shelters. Framed as a soft power response to increase our support the Pacific.
 
patjennings said:
OFC pro league and Christchurch all to do with a 2038 World Cup bid. Expect to see a joint australia nz agreement to fund 5 cat hurricane shelters in the Pacific - they will be 15000 indoor stadiums for the OFC pro league / stadiums for fan fests for a World Cup and hurricane shelters. Framed as a soft power response to increase our support the Pacific.
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Wouldnt surprise me in the least.
 
patjennings said:
OFC pro league and Christchurch all to do with a 2038 World Cup bid. Expect to see a joint australia nz agreement to fund 5 cat hurricane shelters in the Pacific - they will be 15000 indoor stadiums for the OFC pro league / stadiums for fan fests for a World Cup and hurricane shelters. Framed as a soft power response to increase our support the Pacific.
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That actually sounds kinda good?

To be honest though, we’ll probably get one or two more Women’s World Cups here (over no guaranteed period of time, could be 50 years) before we get a Men’s World Cup here. Maybe another WWC here would be beneficial to prove our capability and infrastructure for the Men’s World Cup. Could possibly see the Gold Coast and Newcastle being used for the next WWC here then potentially being expanded for the MWC.

Now why do I think that this will be the case? America has more money. The Gulf states have more money. FIFA is fucked, they know football is already played worldwide so they have no interest in further investment or expansion in the game outside the American market because it has a big population and big money. The Middle East and the US have money so they’ll just keep bidding for the World Cup, bribing officials and then suddenly have the winning bids every year. 2030 is already a joke. The football socials accounts like 433 and Onefootball are no better: they only post about the big European teams (club and country), Argentina, Brazil, India, Messi, Ronaldo and the US. It’s all for clicks. Very few will promote Asian football outside the SPL.
 
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Our only shot is an OFC led 2038 world cup. only concacaf and OFC eligible for 2038. We will never get the AFC spot - China, Asia, Japan all in front of us in East Asia and West Asia middle east pull will all be in front of us. A joint OFC led South Pacific bid also addresses the Northern bias of hosting and appeals to a huge East Asia viewing public. For the sponsors it offers a develpment rather than a saturated market.

The point is that this is probably the OFC's and indeed the Australian continent's only realistic shot in the foreseeable future rings true for several reasons:

If FIFA doesn't bend the rules for 2038, the next window for an OFC/AFC bid will be decades away, if ever.

This co-hosting model leverages existing strengths to meet the massive 48-team requirement in a way single nations in the region could not.

The confluence of potential chaos in 2026 and political complexity in 2034 creates an unprecedented opportunity for a clean, positive, and viable South Pacific bid.

While Australia could technically host the World Cup by itself using its AFC slot, as it possesses or could simply have sufficient world-class stadiums. However, a solo Australian bid in the future is realistically unlikely to succeed due to the intense competition from other massive nations within the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

China and Indonesia represent immense populations (over 1.4 billion and 270 million respectively) and massive, relatively unsaturated markets. For FIFA, the potential commercial and developmental upside in these countries is vastly larger than in Australia, which has a population of around 27 million.

Both Japan and South Korea co-hosted a successful World Cup in 2002 and have a plethora of modern stadiums and highly efficient transport systems. They represent safe, proven options with strong football cultures.

A potential future joint bid from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (e.g., Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia) would pool significant resources and access a massive regional market.

Nations within the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF), particularly Saudi Arabia (2034 host) and potentially others with significant oil wealth, possess the financial power to build any required infrastructure and offer highly lucrative hosting deals to FIFA.

Australia's Niche: The OFC Link​

Australia's most viable and strategic path to hosting a Men's World Cup, therefore, lies in the OFC loophole identified:

By partnering with New Zealand and the bid nominally led by the OFC, Australia bypasses the highly competitive AFC internal bidding process entirely. It is important that New Zealand play a very meaningful role and that Australian east coast venues are heavily used for easy access from Zealand

This model offers a blend of Australian infrastructure and the positive, fan-friendly narrative of developing the Oceania region, which provides a strong ethical and practical argument to FIFA that the pure "money bids" from Asia cannot match.

In short, a solo Australian bid is a long shot, but a joint bid with New Zealand, capitalising on the OFC slot, is a clever and viable strategy to ensure the continent gets its "shot" at hosting the world's biggest tournament.
 
patjennings said:
Our only shot is an OFC led 2038 world cup. only concacaf and OFC eligible for 2038. We will never get the AFC spot - China, Asia, Japan all in front of us in East Asia and West Asia middle east pull will all be in front of us. A joint OFC led South Pacific bid also addresses the Northern bias of hosting and appeals to a huge East Asia viewing public. For the sponsors it offers a develpment rather than a saturated market.

The point is that this is probably the OFC's and indeed the Australian continent's only realistic shot in the foreseeable future rings true for several reasons:

If FIFA doesn't bend the rules for 2038, the next window for an OFC/AFC bid will be decades away, if ever.

This co-hosting model leverages existing strengths to meet the massive 48-team requirement in a way single nations in the region could not.

The confluence of potential chaos in 2026 and political complexity in 2034 creates an unprecedented opportunity for a clean, positive, and viable South Pacific bid.

While Australia could technically host the World Cup by itself using its AFC slot, as it possesses or could simply have sufficient world-class stadiums. However, a solo Australian bid in the future is realistically unlikely to succeed due to the intense competition from other massive nations within the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

China and Indonesia represent immense populations (over 1.4 billion and 270 million respectively) and massive, relatively unsaturated markets. For FIFA, the potential commercial and developmental upside in these countries is vastly larger than in Australia, which has a population of around 27 million.

Both Japan and South Korea co-hosted a successful World Cup in 2002 and have a plethora of modern stadiums and highly efficient transport systems. They represent safe, proven options with strong football cultures.

A potential future joint bid from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (e.g., Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia) would pool significant resources and access a massive regional market.

Nations within the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF), particularly Saudi Arabia (2034 host) and potentially others with significant oil wealth, possess the financial power to build any required infrastructure and offer highly lucrative hosting deals to FIFA.

Australia's Niche: The OFC Link​

Australia's most viable and strategic path to hosting a Men's World Cup, therefore, lies in the OFC loophole identified:

By partnering with New Zealand and the bid nominally led by the OFC, Australia bypasses the highly competitive AFC internal bidding process entirely. It is important that New Zealand play a very meaningful role and that Australian east coast venues are heavily used for easy access from Zealand

This model offers a blend of Australian infrastructure and the positive, fan-friendly narrative of developing the Oceania region, which provides a strong ethical and practical argument to FIFA that the pure "money bids" from Asia cannot match.

In short, a solo Australian bid is a long shot, but a joint bid with New Zealand, capitalising on the OFC slot, is a clever and viable strategy to ensure the continent gets its "shot" at hosting the world's biggest tournament.
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That makes a hell of a lot of sense...

 
The more I think about the more likely this is Canberra.

1) Multiple investors have been identified by the APL for CCM. They all won't be successful there. keep them in the loop for future expansion
2) Capital Football has said that this is the last season they will be supporting the ALW team
3) Investor absorbs the women's team and then starts the men's team in 2027/2028, probably at the same time WUN come back. WUN have a transfer ban until mid transfer window Jan 2027. So I would expect 2027/2028 to be a 14 team comp.

this fits with the likely APL timelines (adjusted after Canberra and WUN struggles)

Updated 2026–2030 A-League Expansion Timeline
Season Teams Expansion/Return Status

2025/26 12 Current season. Western United is in hibernation; Auckland FC is the sole 13th licence-holder active.
2026/27 12 Transition year. Focus on finalising the Canberra private ownership deal and Western United's regulatory compliance

January 2027 WUN transfer ban lifted

2027/28 14 Return of Western United and the debut of the Canberra United Men's team under a unified private licence. (Tarneit and Bruce stadium)

July 2028 Broadcast Reset. Unified rights deal (Socceroos, Matildas, A-Leagues, NST) begins. Announcement of Gold Coast and Tasmania for 2029/2030

29/30 16 Gold Coast and Tasmania join. (CBUS and Macqarie Pt)
 
patjennings said:
The more I think about the more likely this is Canberra.

1) Multiple investors have been identified by the APL for CCM. They all won't be successful there. keep them in the loop for future expansion
2) Capital Football has said that this is the last season they will be supporting the ALW team
3) Investor absorbs the women's team and then starts the men's team in 2027/2028, probably at the same time WUN come back. WUN have a transfer ban until mid transfer window Jan 2027. So I would expect 2027/2028 to be a 14 team comp.

this fits with the likely APL timelines (adjusted after Canberra and WUN struggles)

Updated 2026–2030 A-League Expansion Timeline
Season Teams Expansion/Return Status

2025/26 12 Current season. Western United is in hibernation; Auckland FC is the sole 13th licence-holder active.
2026/27 12 Transition year. Focus on finalising the Canberra private ownership deal and Western United's regulatory compliance

January 2027 WUN transfer ban lifted

2027/28 14 Return of Western United and the debut of the Canberra United Men's team under a unified private licence. (Tarneit and Bruce stadium)

July 2028 Broadcast Reset. Unified rights deal (Socceroos, Matildas, A-Leagues, NST) begins. Announcement of Gold Coast and Tasmania for 2029/2030

29/30 16 Gold Coast and Tasmania join. (CBUS and Macqarie Pt)
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I look forward to updates in the Afterlife.
 
good for you - but it really does sound like Canberra - which means 14 teams from 2027/2028 is very likely. The last two more speculative but their is a very active bid for the Gold Coast currently

The Gold Coast A-League license bid is being actively pursued as of February 2026. Following the expansion of the league to 14 teams with Auckland FC and Canberra, the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) is currently evaluating bids for the 15th and 16th licenses.
Current Status of the Bid
Active Bidder: The bid, led by chairman Danny Maher, remains "on the table" and is positioned as a primary contender for the next expansion phase aimed at the 2026–27 or 2027–28 seasons.
Expansion Timeline: In February 2026, the APL confirmed that a new expansion club will enter for the 2027–28 season, with the evaluation process for these final spots ongoing.
Investment Backing: The bid continues to be supported by international investors, including Benevolent Capital, which has existing stakes in clubs like Ipswich Town and Phoenix Rising.
Community Integration: Unlike the previous Gold Coast United model, this bid is a "grassroots-driven" venture involving local NPL clubs and a unified football plan for the region.

Key Components of the Active Bid
Organisers have maintained that they are "ready to go" with a complete operational and financial plan.

Assume that Gold Coast gets number 15 - that effectively sidelines a second Brisbane bid and with Macquarie Pt being built Tasmania suddenly goes to the next in line
 
patjennings said:
good for you - but it really does sound like Canberra - which means 14 teams from 2027/2028 is very likely. The last two more speculative but their is a very active bid for the Gold Coast currently

The Gold Coast A-League license bid is being actively pursued as of February 2026. Following the expansion of the league to 14 teams with Auckland FC and Canberra, the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) is currently evaluating bids for the 15th and 16th licenses.
Current Status of the Bid
Active Bidder: The bid, led by chairman Danny Maher, remains "on the table" and is positioned as a primary contender for the next expansion phase aimed at the 2026–27 or 2027–28 seasons.
Expansion Timeline: In February 2026, the APL confirmed that a new expansion club will enter for the 2027–28 season, with the evaluation process for these final spots ongoing.
Investment Backing: The bid continues to be supported by international investors, including Benevolent Capital, which has existing stakes in clubs like Ipswich Town and Phoenix Rising.
Community Integration: Unlike the previous Gold Coast United model, this bid is a "grassroots-driven" venture involving local NPL clubs and a unified football plan for the region.

Key Components of the Active Bid
Organisers have maintained that they are "ready to go" with a complete operational and financial plan.

Assume that Gold Coast gets number 15 - that effectively sidelines a second Brisbane bid and with Macquarie Pt being built Tasmania suddenly goes to the next in line
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Where is this from Pat?
 
Guys, if copying from elsewhere can you paste the link to the source as well for everyone? It helps us judge legitimacy and hopefully not AI slop.
 
Kitwally said:
So it’s AI?
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Yes - but I have seen the Gold Coast one before in regard to the Robina precinct and the fact that it was ready to go and active. i.e. not CBUS but a smaller stadium with CBUS used initially. Probably 12 -18 months ago from a regional paper - but delay is more because of APL preference for other areas
 
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