World cup 2026 Draw

[melbcityguy]

Probably best to have a discussion about the draw in specifics rather then the seeding.

Pot 1: United States, Mexico, Canada, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany

Pot 2:
Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia

Pot 3:
Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa

Pot 4:
Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand, UEFA Play-off Qualifier 1, UEFA Play-off Qualifier 2, UEFA Play-off Qualifier 3, UEFA Play-off Qualifier 4, Confed Play-off Qualifier 1, Confed Play-off Qualifier 2

So we want to avoid Norway and Algeria should be able to beat the others


Audiences in Australia can watch the FIFA World Cup 26™ Final Draw live from 4am AEDT on SBS and SBS On Demand, with a replay of the event leading into the Australia Championship Final later that afternoon at 2:30pm AEDT on December 6.

 

[JS96]

Looking closer, I didn't realise some groups cross borders or time zones. On group has a single game in Kansas City while the rest are East Coast.

Interesting look at all the cities that bid and missed out. Given the temperature, domes of Detroit, Indianapolis, Minnesota and Las Vegas would've been ideal. Didn't realise Chicago missed out but Soldier Field is falling apart and it's best fans don't go there in the interest of safety.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Probably best to have a discussion about the draw in specifics rather then the seeding.

Pot 1: United States, Mexico, Canada, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany

Pot 2:
Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia

Pot 3:
Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa

Pot 4:
Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand, UEFA Play-off Qualifier 1, UEFA Play-off Qualifier 2, UEFA Play-off Qualifier 3, UEFA Play-off Qualifier 4, Confed Play-off Qualifier 1, Confed Play-off Qualifier 2

So we want to avoid Norway and Algeria should be able to beat the others


Audiences in Australia can watch the FIFA World Cup 26™ Final Draw live from 4am AEDT on SBS and SBS On Demand, with a replay of the event leading into the Australia Championship Final later that afternoon at 2:30pm AEDT on December 6.

England to draw Ecuador, South Africa and Haiti and still not make it out of the group is my rediciton... Can't wait for such classic world cup matches as Cape Verde v Uzbekistan and Ivory Coast v Curacao .... Its a shame Lichtenstein didnt make it...

 

[BA81]

Can't wait for such classic world cup matches as Cape Verde v Uzbekistan and Ivory Coast v Curacao .... Its a shame Liechtenstein didnt make it...

Chillax, I’m sure ‘ll qualify next time..!

I’m no fan of a 48-team WC myself but those matchups you mentioned genuinely do seem like they’d dish up more mouth-watering play than what Popa’s been subjecting us to lately

 

[HonestSpursFan]

Chillax, I’m sure ‘ll qualify next time..!

I’m no fan of a 48-team WC myself but those matchups you mentioned genuinely do seem like they’d dish up more mouth-watering play than what Popa’s been subjecting us to lately

I love that teams like Cape Verde and Curaçao have qualified, and that New Caledonia could now qualify! But 48 teams is enough. 64 is too many.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Hahahahahaha nah mate, not even really about that... Greek national team already has a Euro, no other award, at least in my lifetime, is even conceivable...

I just really think 48 x teams is way way way to many.. World Cups, at least growing up, were meant to be the pinnacle of national team football.... Looking at the list of countries already qualified, just doesn't inspire much admiration for the potential football to be on display.. Sure some of the smaller games might be entertaining but we arent going to get a Brazil v Italy in 86 for example.

On the other hand, I love the fact that some of these minnows get a chance to play some giants of the game on the world stage.... Im all for that but... just being nostalgic for the WCs of the past I suppose., don't mind me.

 

[BA81]

Hahahahahaha nah mate, not even really about that... Greek national team already has a Euro, no other award, at least in my lifetime, is even conceivable...

I just really think 48 x teams is way way way to many.. World Cups, at least growing up, were meant to be the pinnacle of national team football.... Looking at the list of countries already qualified, just doesn't inspire much admiration for the potential football to be on display.. Sure some of the smaller games might be entertaining but we arent going to get a Brazil v Italy in 86 for example.

On the other hand, I love the fact that some of these minnows get a chance to play some giants of the game on the world stage.... Im all for that but... just being nostalgic for the WCs of the past I suppose., don't mind me.

I agree re. 48 teams being too many for the WC finals, but what can we do about it? If FIFA were to undo it they’d just be accused of doing so purely out of appeasement towards the game’s traditional powers.

Personally I would’ve kept it@ 32 but would’ve still introduced this intercontinental play-off group-stage/whatever it is they’re going with this time.

 

[dr. bellows]

I agree re. 48 teams being too many for the WC finals, but what can we do about it? If FIFA were to undo it they’d just be accused of doing so purely out of appeasement towards the game’s traditional powers.

Personally I would’ve kept it@ 32 but would’ve still introduced this intercontinental play-off group-stage/whatever it is they’re going with this time.

I would have preferred a 40 team tournament rather than 48.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

I agree re. 48 teams being too many for the WC finals, but what can we do about it? If FIFA were to undo it they’d just be accused of doing so purely out of appeasement towards the game’s traditional powers.

Personally I would’ve kept it@ 32 but would’ve still introduced this intercontinental play-off group-stage/whatever it is they’re going with this time.

Once upon a time it used to be a really exciting journey to follow a minnow team on a cup run.. I mean everyone in the whole world was smiling at Cameroon v Argentina in 1990 for example... even some Argentina fans I suspect.... Next year 50% of the nations competing will be Cameroons.... it sort of takes the sting out of it for me.

 

[BA81]

Once upon a time it used to be a really exciting journey to follow a minnow team on a cup run.. I mean everyone in the whole world was smiling at Cameroon v Argentina in 1990 for example... even some Argentina fans I suspect.... Next year 50% of the nations competing will be Cameroons.... it sort of takes the sting out of it for me.

Not the best example you could’ve used - not least bc had already qualified once before(Spain ‘82 - and Roger Milla was part of the squad then too)

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Not the best example you could’ve used - not least bc had already qualified once before(Spain ‘82 - and Roger Milla was part of the squad then too)

Hahah sure mate , but still a minnow... I like minnows, I want them to shock the world, thats part of the magic... What I dont like is when 1/2 the world cup is minnows... thats all.

 

[GoAussies]

I would have preferred a 40 team tournament rather than 48.

My preference was 44 teams with the Round of 32 being the #1-#10 ranked 2nd place getters and then these 5 winners joining the 11 Group winners in the round of 16.

Mainly because I am not a fan of 3rd place getters moving to the knockouts or a 16 match round of 32 on the back of 2 weeks of group football which will be too much for most fans to really follow closely.

 

[BA81]

Hahah sure mate , but still a minnow...

Dead-cert that and see the exact same way, despite youse having won a Euros and boasting two of the most iconic clubs in the game..

 

[tsf]

Do we know where our games could be based on this? I am in Mexico for the cup, would be good if an aus game is down there, but doesn't faze me too much.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Dead-cert that and see the exact same way, despite youse having won a Euros and boasting two of the most iconic clubs in the game..

Hahahaah no doubt, but that sort of proves my point... in the Euros 2004 Greece were the ONLY minnow really, if there where 48 teams and Greece beat Malta, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan to make the finals instead of France and Portugal, it wouldnt have been so exciting....

Not sure IF im getting my point across?

 

[melbcityguy]

Hahahaah no doubt, but that sort of proves my point... in the Euros 2004 Greece were the ONLY minnow really, if there where 48 teams and Greece beat Malta, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan to make the finals instead of France and Portugal, it wouldnt have been so exciting....

Not sure IF im getting my point across?

Yeah quality not quantity

 

[Robbos]

Hahahaah no doubt, but that sort of proves my point... in the Euros 2004 Greece were the ONLY minnow really, if there where 48 teams and Greece beat Malta, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan to make the finals instead of France and Portugal, it wouldnt have been so exciting....

Not sure IF im getting my point across?

Yeah got it, 48 teams are way too much, it used to be such a great honour to qualify. they should have stuck with 32, which I know was twice as much as in my youth of 16 teams.
But we all know what FIFA wants.

 

[patjennings]

Probably best to have a discussion about the draw in specifics rather then the seeding.

Pot 1: United States, Mexico, Canada, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany

Pot 2:
Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia

Pot 3:
Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa

Pot 4:
Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand, UEFA Play-off Qualifier 1, UEFA Play-off Qualifier 2, UEFA Play-off Qualifier 3, UEFA Play-off Qualifier 4, Confed Play-off Qualifier 1, Confed Play-off Qualifier 2

So we want to avoid Norway and Algeria should be able to beat the others


Audiences in Australia can watch the FIFA World Cup 26™ Final Draw live from 4am AEDT on SBS and SBS On Demand, with a replay of the event leading into the Australia Championship Final later that afternoon at 2:30pm AEDT on December 6.

Salah could present a problem as well

 

[JS96]

Do we know where our games could be based on this? I am in Mexico for the cup, would be good if an aus game is down there, but doesn't faze me too much.

Not so clear as yet. It'll depend which group we draw but then also which slot in that specific group. I did see one or two groups have games in the USA and Mexico so there may be a split.

 

[NicCarBel]

32 was good. It was in one of the other threads - I worked out that the 1978 percentage of nations qualified to those entered (the last of the 16 nation tournaments) was very very close to 2022's (14-15%). The current format is 20-22% from memory