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FIFA 2026 WC - general

As we enter the 2026 FIFA World Cup's end game, on Le Foot this week we look at the life and times of the Frenchman who basically invented sport's greatest tournament.....



Jules Rimet, who's dream of universalism, working-class inclusion, and peace through sport became football’s global empire.
And now we have enshittification.
 
Security, get this man out of the building please.


Fucking beauty.

Now can we also have the following to enable us a more "american experience".

5 ah-fence interchange per game. 1 more for extra time. NFL

5 dee-fence interchange per game. 1 more for extra time. NFL

2 designated players that can play at 10 minute (12v11 powerplays) part MLB part NHL

Quarter time and three quarter time. NBA

Countdown clock. NBA

Two referees on field at all times. NFL, MLB,NHL and NBA.

A masked player who could be either a face or a heel and can score a goal for either team, create a foul for either team and is allowed to double chicken wing suplex any player they want. WWE

Im sure that I could think of more stupidity to recommend to infangulo and his team of corporate thieves.

1 goalkeeper for 18 yard box another goalkeeper for teams half to 18 yard box. Only allowed to handle the ball 1 per minute. Countdown timer and you know that the reserve goalkeeper gets lonely on the bench so we have to give them participation.
 
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How would the spots be dished out in a 64-team World Cup? How many spots for each confederation?
Double the 32 world cup, surely? I have done essentially that (Which left 5, so I added one extra to the smaller confederations), with hosts to come from the confederation allotment

Asia 10 direct
Africa 11 direct (including 1 host for 2030)
North America 7 direct
South America 8 direct (including 3 hosts for 2030)
Oceania 1 direct
Europe 26 direct (including 2 hosts for 2030)

Then that leaves 1 playoff spot - so could theoretically do a CONCACAF/CAF/OFC/AFC playoff spot for the final place.
 
Double the 32 world cup, surely? I have done essentially that (Which left 5, so I added one extra to the smaller confederations), with hosts to come from the confederation allotment

Asia 10 direct
Africa 11 direct (including 1 host for 2030)
North America 7 direct
South America 8 direct (including 3 hosts for 2030)
Oceania 1 direct
Europe 26 direct (including 2 hosts for 2030)

Then that leaves 1 playoff spot - so could theoretically do a CONCACAF/CAF/OFC/AFC playoff spot for the final place.
So based on this World Cup, it would be (new teams in italics):
  • AFC (10): Australia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, UAE, Uzbekistan
  • CAF (11): Algeria, Cameroon, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
  • CONCACAF (7): Canada, Curaçao, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, USA
  • CONMEBOL (8): Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela
  • OFC (1): New Zealand
  • UEFA (26): Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Wales
  • Playoffs (1/4): Gabon (CAF), New Caledonia (OFC), Oman (AFC), Suriname (CONCACAF)
Alternatively (and preferably), UEFA could scrap the second round and Nations League provisions entirely and it would be:
  • UEFA (26): Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Macedonia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Wales
For the playoffs, I’d predict Suriname to beat Gabon in the final, giving them the final spot.
 
TBH I wasn't thrilled with going to 48. But at the end of it no one was thrashed. What happens when you go to 64.

Then the flip side of making it easier to qualify is that the four years in between has no tension. Where is the feeling of satisfaction in such a large qualifying cohort
 
How about reverting back to 24 (4 groups of 6- 60 group stage matches, top 2 go through to QF, then semis than final. Hold it every 3 years to give infangulo funds to create more freedom medals.

1 * Host Nation
1 * Previous edition runner up
10 * UEFA
4 * CONMEBOL
3 * CAF
2 * AFC
1 * CONCACAF
1 * Round Robin (between 11th UEFA, 5th CONMEBOL, 2nd CONCACAF, 4th CAF, 3rd AFC and 1st OFC)

Will there be dead rubbers. Most likely yet how many dead rubbers will there be in the 64 team format.

Will confed qualification rounds of the 64 team tournament, have meaningful attendance when Australia qualifying, is pretty much a certainty. I couldn't picture people flooding in to Socceroos games. Why waste my money when I can save it to go to the actual tournament. Watch it online or FTA.

Will players be more careful knowing that cheese slices have to be balanced out over 5 games instead of the 3. Will squad selections be substantially more important and the use of sentimentality (Leckie) has to be abandoned. Games will be 4 days apart, match fitness will be important.

Plus I would like to watch a tournament where the best in the world participate. I really don't consider Iraq vs Panama as a drawcard to attend another tournament.

I'll step down off my soapbox now.
 
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