Saudi were tough in the last group stage of qualifying. Australia/Japan/Saudi playing for two spots and we couldnât score vs them. Very compact and we didnât have enough creativity to beat them. They arenât inherently bad but some teams just arenât well designed to play in any way that isnât on the counter.
I think people are reading too much into small sample sizes of tournaments (which is why tournaments are great). There are still plenty of good teams not here that could be across just about every confederation.
I think going 64 would be better than 48 and the players/clubs would go for it if it included a lot less domestic qualifiers in season.
Yes. 48 teams is going to blow
Literally everyone gets in
There is a lot of fairly uncompetitive soccer in the group stage as it is. They need to at least keep it as 4 teams/group. With the current plan you literally have the same number of games as now.
If they did 12 groups of 4 they could do:
-8 byes in group stage (use current tiebreak rules to sort out who the top 8 group winners are.
-remaining 4 group winners play the bottom 4 2nd place teams.
-The other 8 2nd place group teams play each other and the winners play the teams with byes.
-Proceed from there.
Wouldnât that also make them more money than the same number of games with a shittier product?
Thatâs way more games overall. Right now we are at 64
12 groups of 4 would mean 72 games just in the group stage
The winners could have to play 8 games instead of 7
Isnât that good for FIFA? Why expand for the same number of games with worse teams?
Itâs what 95 games vs 64?
The issue is this. Europes extra 4 teams will be ok
Africas extra teams will be trash
Oh look now Panama and Trinidad and Barbados are in the WCF
Itâs two things. The group games will suck more too
Seeds 1-11 wonât be in the same group
Also with 12 groups and 15 euro teams. Only a few groups will have double euro
Going to be a lot of groups like this
Brazil
South Korea
Ghana
England
Costa Rica
New Zealand
Just more games and more trash games that no one cares about.
So Italy and other good teams donât miss?
Juat in general they can sell more tickets and drag the event out longer.
FWIW Iâm in favor of leaving it as is. Their current plan basically guts the group stage which is the best part.
Yeah, this. Itâs one of FIFAs dumbest ideas. Not âLetâs hold a WC in Qatarâ level, but not that far off.
Having everyone but the last place team in every group advance is crazy to me.
Sorry itâs 16! groups of 3
So you will have -0- euro teams in the group stage together
Where as now. At least half the groups have two euro teams
There will be 48 group stage games and 31 knockout games. No one cares about 3 v 4 at the end
16 groups where the only interesting groups will be Brazil v euro v x
Or Argentina v euro v x
Canât wait to see group K
Bolivia
Cameroon
Denmark
China, sure. Not sure how many teams theyâre gonna need for India to qualify, but itâs gotta be a lot more than 48.
I havenât checked how they did in qualifying. Itâs just based on the fact that India doesnât do shit developing any sport except for cricket.
Arenât there 32 group stage games in the new plan? Plus 31 knockout games and the 3rd place game?
Itâs the same number of games Iâm pretty sure. And less competive games.
Currently there are 64 total games
In 2026 there will be 80
The odd number groups is dumb too. As pointed out. Teams an and b play on day 1. Then 5 days later a plays c. Then 5 days later. B plays c
Also your team only gets two games for sure
Ahh ya I am miscounting the group stage. Itâs 48+32 you are right.
Eta-How do you do the last match day in this format? Wonât the one team who has to play their 2nd game first be at a disadvatage?
There seem to be huge scheduling disadvantages not to mention the massive amount of dead rubbers on the third round of group games between 1st and 2nd in the group. Iâm shocked they didnât do something like 12 groups of 4, top 2 from each group auto qualify and then the top 8 (of 12) best performing third place teams also qualify. This is what Euro champs do since they expanded to 24 (obviously half the amount of groups and top 4 of 6 third place finishers)
I think they want to make it easier for the big boys to
- Qualify
- Get out of the groups
Groups E
Argentina
Australia
Algeria
They just need to win 1 game to advance. Even 0-1-1 might get you through if you lose 1-0
Really devalues the qualifying and then the group stage
Canât wait to see the concacaf hex in 2030
Oh wait. Entire hex is in + maybe more
nope. I refuse to believe theyâre that stupid. wonât happen.