Yes, while everyone's focusing on potential World Cup investments, Russia has a major tournament on its hands in only 2.5 years' time. For their sake, I hope the ruble pulls out of its current tailspin... For the first time (at least since FIFA consolidated it as the quadrennial pregame for the World Cup), a confederation will have three representatives in this tournament. My best guess is that Russia [hosts] and Germany [world champions] will be the top seed in Groups A and B respectively, leaving the last UEFA representative available to be drawn in either group. A quick guide as to the remaining qualifiers: AFC: The winner of the ongoing 2015 Asian Cup in Australia, to be decided on January 31. CONMEBOL: The winner of the 2015 Copa América in Chile this June. CONCACAF: If the United States wins the 2015 Gold Cup in July, then we will go straight to the Confederations Cup. Otherwise, the US (2013 Gold Cup winners) and the 2015 champions will play a one-game decider, tentatively in October, for the Confederations Cup ticket. UEFA: The winner of the 2016 Euro in France; or the runner-up if Russia or Germany win the tournament. No clue what happens if the final is Russia-Germany, though. FIFA takes advantage of the situation to shoehorn in World Cup runners-up Argentina? (...ahem, assuming they don't win the Copa América...) OFC: The winner of the 2016 OFC Nations Cup/WCQ tournament, tentatively set to finish in November 16 (if New Zealand don't win the final-round group early). CAF: The winner of the 2017 African Cup of Nations in January-February.
Brazil has been to all confederations cup since FIFA rebranded the King Fahd Cup as the Confederations Cup They always qualified by being either continental or world champions* (they qualified in 2003 and 2005 due to being WC in 2002) and when they weren't either they were hosts. *In 1999 they played because France refused to do so. From the first time in a long time there is a big change that they won't make it The best placed UEFA team in the FIFA rankings will go. They did that for the 2003 Confed Cup
True. But there were still only two European teams in that 2003 tournament. I could see FIFA making up rules as they go along and invite Argentina as suggested by Paul Calixte.
Not sure if UEFA would agree to simply hand over its spot to a different confederation. Maybe they would just for once have a 3rd place match at the Euros.
Is it really handing it over if Germany is both the Euro champion and the World Cup champion? And Russia hypothetically is second? (Not saying it is going to happen but it is the hypothetical scenario that was given.)
Of course, this is a very unlikely scenario, but if it happened I imagine that UEFA (or any other confederation in this situation) would want to keep the three spots that are theirs according to the rules. The two teams who lost the Euro semi-finals would certainly think they have greater right to play in the Confed Cup than another team from South America.
They would think that. But there is precedence for the second of the World Cup to be invited. And with FIFA anything can happen. Especially if Argentina is more attractive($) to them.
To clarify this, last time, part of the Oceania Nations Cup also acted as World Cup qualifiers. After the preliminary round knocked the teams from 11 to 8, they played two groups of four (single-round-robin, in a single country), to get the top two in each group. At that point, they continued at the same site to play a "final four" to get the "confederation" champion for the Confederations Cup; then the same four teams played a home-and-home round-robin to get the team that played in the WCQ play-off round.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_OFC_Nations_Cup says the OFC Nations Cup and last round of World Cup Qualifying will be the same. The OFC Nations Cup will not be a tournament at one site. The OFC champion will be decided by 15 November 2016.
Kuwait and Oman were eliminated from the Asian cup, and therefore the 2017 confederations cup while Australia & South Korea move on... we will probably lose either Saudi or North Korea tomorrow...
The next qualifier will emerge from the 2015 Asian Cup Final between Australia and South Korea this Sunday. They've already faced off in this tournament, with South Korea getting the better of the hosts 1-0 in the group stage.
I had hoped CAF would go the playoff route that CONCACAF has and hold a playoff between the 2015 and 2017 champion. Not that teams don't take the tournament seriously, but it's the only remaining continental tournament that does not have a berth at stake. The CC has continued to grow in prestige and importance, and AFCON is a tiny bit hollow without it.
First time that an Asian country are the current champions of both the national level Asian Cup and the club level Asian Champions League. Good on ya, Strines!
Technically the first time a Non Asian team Geographically is the winner of both the Champions League and National Team competition.
The Gulf nations want Australia thrown out of AFC . They said this before the tournament began I believe they want it more now.....
why don't the Gulf nations try and join the OFC? Personally, I'd love to go to Tahiti on away days...
I would say there's a 50/50 chance at that happening seeing as how OFC has virtually guaranteed we do not see Tahiti again. Socceroos vs. USA is also an intriguing potential match (yes, Mexico I see you, but are you going to win 2 competitive matches in a row vs. the US on American soil? I'll believe it when I see it)
Who says a potential Confederation Cup playoff would be in the US? As in, what US city would be considered neutral? Columbus is too pro-US (soccer-wise, people, don't read politics into this ), while Mexico would get the majority of the crowd practically anywhere else.
I don't know. I think Australia and the OFC champion will be put in the same pot. Pot 1: Russia, Germany Pot 2: Australia, OFC champ Pot 3: Copa America champ, Euro champ Pot 4: CAF champ, CONCACAF champ That would make sense to me to keep both competitive balance and geographical distribution across the 2 groups.