I read where FIFA is thinking about expanding to 32 nations for the 2019 or 2023 WWC, if the 2015 WWC is enough of a success. Keep in mind, even 2019 is seven years from now, so that gives additional nations some time to develop and be competitive by 2019. So who's in your 32, as far as the allotted spots per confederation, and what nations will get there? Here are my predictions for the 2019 WWC, which I will go ahead and predict will be held in Australia. HOST (1.0) (Australia) CONCACAF (4.5) CONMEBOL (4.5) CAF (4.0) UEFA (11.0) AFC (6.0) OFC (1.0) (New Zealand of course) HOST: Australia CONCACAF: USA, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, (Jamaica) CONMEBOL: Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay CAF: Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Cameroon UEFA: Germany, Sweden, France, England, Norway, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland AFC: Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam OFC: New Zealand Group A: Australia, England, Colombia, Cameroon Group B: Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, Vietnam Group C: Brazil, Spain, Nigeria, Thailand Group D: Japan, Norway, Switzerland, Costa Rica Group E: Canada, South Korea, Ghana, Iceland Group F: Sweden, North Korea, Argentina, South Africa Group G: USA, Italy, New Zealand, Uruguay Group H: France, China, Denmark, Jamaica
IIRC 4½ spots out of 32 is what CONMEBOL have in the mens game. And there CONMEBOL have one World Class team (Brazil same as the womens game), one very good (no such in the womens game) and several rather good (if one is generous they could be said to have two such in teh womens game). So they will get fewer tha 4½, I would guess 3½. That spot going to CAF if they manage to get more than one teams passed the group stage or one among the last 8. Probably to UEFA oterwise unless some other Confed shines during 2015. (Wich od course means that should CONMEBOL do so we are back at your prediction).
2023 or 2027 I hope, and I would take .5 from Conmebol and give it to Africa, Conmebol only has 10 members, 4 is more than enough, is not like Conmebol outperforms other Feds in the women side like the do the men side.
That would be awesome! In a few years there will be enough competitive national teams for a WWC with 32 teams. I also hope that Australia will host the 2019 WWC with 32 nations, the country is big enough to host such a large competition. I would allocate the spots this way: HOST (1) (Australia) CONCACAF (4) CONMEBOL (4) UEFA (13) CAF (4) AFC (5) OFC (1) UEFA definitely deserves 13 spots in a 32 team world cup! UEFA's no. 13 (Scotland) is ranked no.22 in the world! Nigeria as the best African team is only ranked no. 27.
You are correct that it is no chance for 32 alreday at the 2019 WWC, and most likley will not be before 2027. But 2023 is not at all imposisble (justa bit unlikely).
But its not even that much harder to organise a 32 team WWC because it makes the format a lot easier. By 2019 there should be enough competitive countries for a 32 team WWC. It does not make a lot of sense if 16 out of 24 teams reach the knockout phase. Where is the excitement in that?
It make it a heck of a lot harder to find arenas and, you need a third more. That is double that of any WWC ever played at the time they decide about 2019. If they wanted to go to 32 teams without testing 24 they would have done so for 2015, they need to evalutae 2015 first and when that can be done 2019 have alreday been awarded.
But there are many countries that could easily organise or even co-host a 32 team WWC, especially since they would only need a few bigger stadiums for the knockout phase. And if you include 13 UEFA teams like in the men's WC the quality of the tournament would not suffer. Also the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 will finally have 16 instead of only 12 teams. This was about time, as we could see that all the playoffs (Scotland vs. Spain, Ukraine vs. Iceland, Austria vs. Russia) were really close and all those teams would really deserve a chance.
2023 will probably be the earliest we could see it. 2019 still has a slim chance. FIFA does want to eventually end up at 32 teams for the reasons mentioned above. They know there really isn't much of a difference these days between the #25 and #32 teams in the world. Heck, there isn't much of a difference anymore between #17 and #32. Anymore, the #3 and #4 teams in Africa (South Africa, Cameroon, etc.) are just as good as the #2 team (Ghana). The #9, #10, #11, and #12 teams in UEFA could easily beat the #6 team in UEFA on any given day. And so on. If it's 32, here is how competitive the WWC could be. HOST: Australia (in 2019 or 2023, when expanding to 32 teams, most likely 2023) CONCACAF: USA, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica CONMEBOL: Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Chile UEFA: Germany, France, Sweden, England, Norway, Italy, Denmark, Spain, Netherlands, Finland, Russia, Iceland, Scotland CAF: Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Cameroon AFC: Japan, North Korea, South Korea, China, Thailand OFC: New Zealand (They oversleep for all their matches in OFC qualifying, and still make it in) Now you can't tell me that sh*t ain't competitive. And oh yeah, Kiwi's... you overslept again. Your alarm didn't go off. You just woke up, and won't make it to the field until halftime. Papua New Guinea (in OFC qualifying) is only up 1-0 at the half, after playing the entire first half 11-on-0. They only scored one goal in 45 minutes, without any defenders or goalkeepers to worry about. The only goal came on the kickoff. The rest of the half they were called offsides time and time again until halftime. It's okay you overslept Ms. Kiwi's. You'll win the match, and get out of OFC qualifying easily still. And then they'll write a book about it, titled .... "OFC Qualifying is a real Bitch"
I don`t think there is the strength in depth (yet) I would love to see 32 teams but there would be to many mismatches. We've has come a long way from 1995: Noway 8-0 Nigeria; Norway 7-0 Canada; Brazil 1-7 Germany 32 teams in 2027 would be good. By then the Men's Championship would probably have 40 teams by then. HOST: Australia (in 2019 or 2023, when expanding to 32 teams, most likely 2023) CONCACAF: USA, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica CONMEBOL: Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Chile UEFA: Germany, France, Sweden, England, Norway, Italy, Denmark, Spain, Netherlands, Finland, Russia, Iceland, Scotland CAF: Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Cameroon AFC: Japan, North Korea, South Korea, China, Thailand OFC: New Zealand (They oversleep for all their matches in OFC qualifying, and still make it in) There would quite a few mis-matches in there
Brasil can host a 32 teams women world cup in 2019, they have the stadiums and a continent that never hosted it, but 12 teams Men Copa America is already designed to fall in Brasil in 2019.
Australia won't have the WWC in 2019 nor in 2023, because Japan will have it in 2023, and Japan AND Australia are both in Asian Confederation... I think that 2019 will likely go to South Africa, 2023 to Japan, 2027 to Brazil, 2031 to France...
You always have your theories, proffeseur At the moment we will think in next year WWC, is enough, at least for me
I agree with you. But you know as well as me that FIFA plans the WC one with another and with the will to alternate the continents. 2035 will be USA, 2039 China, 2043 England and 2047 (hopefully) Palestine... Hmmm... not sure for the last one...
FIFA should follow up with the Womens World Cup years after the mens WC is played. So skipping Germany (since they already had it) Japan 2019 South Africa 2023 Brazil 2027 Russia 2031 Skip Qatar?? would they allow women in shorts? Obviously countries would want to hold it, if they do not then open it up for bids to countries that have no chance of getting the men's WC.
Japan gave up officially the idea to host the 2019 WC. That's why they very likely host the 2013. That's why no other Asian country (Australia, China, Korea ,that is) will host either 2019 or 2023 WC.
Interesting thread started by a crazy fan. FIFA has confirmed 32 teams won't happen for 2019. 2023 is still up in the air, but starting to think it'll be in 2027 (and no later). 2015, 2019, and 2023 would give them 3 cycles at 24 nations, before expanding to 32. 2023 at the earlier, 2027 at the latest. 32 qualified nations, it'll happen in the 2020's, it's just a matter of when.
The Senior Women’s National team of Botswana are in camp in preparation for next month’s CAF African Women Cup of Nations qualifiers against Mauritius. The first leg qualifier comes up on March 5 at the Lobatse Sports complex, with the return leg scheduled for March 18 in Mauritius. http://ladiesmarch.com/index.php/2016/02/22/botswana-gear-up-for-awcon-quaifier/ CAF Qualifier is also qualifier for 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup