Potential 2026 WC Hosts (Update: Morocco Sole Challenger to CONCACAF Bid)

Tahiti OK.
But from Asia it would likely be the likes of UAE, China, Iraq, not Thailand.
From UEFA it would be the likes of Wales, Austria, Romania.
From CONMEBOL the likes of Ecuador, Paraguay.
From CAF the likes of Burkina Faso, South Africa, Guinea and if you're unlucky Algieria, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana.

 

UEFA don't have teams in the playoffs, they are happy with their 16. Thailand may get there by 2026, but if we used the current qualification then AFC's playoff team would be either China or Iraq. Thailand aren't far behind these teams.

In any case, sometimes who ends up in the playoffs can be interesting. We had to go through a double playoff (intra confederational and inter confederational) and in the latest FIFA rankings we are the highest ranked AFC team rather than the 5th.

 

Among the african teams you mentioned, I don't see much diferences on regards to the Concacaf teams you also mentioned. Same as for the asian teams.

Unfortunately, you tend to over rate african teams too much, when all WC's from the past have shown, that besides 1 or 2 of their teams present in the tournament, everybody else is simply average or simply not good enough. Till now (present times), we've never seen more than half of all their teams present at the WC, have a great performance there (not as if I'm asking for them to win it all, but simply make it to the next round), which is the real measure of the power of their Confed, while at the same time, not for only one WC, but for many of them, Concacaf teams have performed better with half or more of their teams effectively going through.

The only Confeds, where the teams making it to the playoff's, are up to a similar level or slightly lower level, to the teams that actually made it from their Confeds directly, are those from Uefa and Conmebol.

 

Guinea has Naby Keita. Who does Haiti have? While we're at it: The combined market value of the 23 man teams of Haiti, El Salvador, Curacao and T&T is worth 20% of Naby Keita's market value. Hell... 22 year old Francois Kamano is worth more than Haiti, El Salvador and T&T combined.

Burkina Faso and South Africa are all sides on the ascendancy.
Then they are DRCongo, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Algeria, Zambia, Cameroon, Mali - none of which made the World Cup. Most of those would offer no downgrade in quality to what Africa actually sent. Are you honestly saying in a matchup between El Salvador vs for example Mali the Africans wouldn't be massive favorites?

This has nothing to do with World Cup quality, but the depth of CAF as compared to CONCACAF.

CAF also has a lot of team on a similar level. You can state they are not top sides, but they are obviously better than what CONCACAF has to offer. And there is no big drop off in Africa in terms of quality. Africa has some 15 or so top teams at every cycle with a few countries slightly more dominant.

You can state I overate African sides. But your denigration of them is beyond ridiculous.

Sorry, don't have the patience to read any more stupid comments from the likes of you, so I'm putting in you my ignore bin. I find your incediary comments too bothersome, so best to ignore them.

 

So what ?

as a team, internationally, they don't exist

simple as that

 

Also: Guinea recently announced Amadou Diawara is back into the fold (again worth more than all of Curacao, Haiti, T&T and El Salvador). And this guy was wanted by Italy.

 

if you want to discuss about transfermarket and value of players, then you should do so at a thread refered to that issue.

But when you want to talk about the WC, restrict yourself to how they do, as team, in it. As not only once, but many times teams that cost lots less have beated and almost ridiculized other teams that cost 5 or more times higher.

Just remember what Costa Rica did to powerhouses Italy, England and Uruguay at the recent past WC, at group stage. And what they did there, really wasn't a "fluke". They were far more superior.

 

Those FIFA delegates are having to explain their (public) votes in #worldcup2026 decision. Brazil voted for Morocco — didn’t realize it would be public. Guinea — whose federation president was Morocco bid ambassador — voted for United 2026 because of “confusion” with electronics.

— Paul Kennedy (@pkedit) June 14, 2018

 

The Countries I mentioned have very good populations represented here. They will be like home teams here not only for the World Cup but also the playoff if they make it.
No question the expansion helps but Not having to face the USA or Mexico in Qualifying due to this decision helps even more. Almost every CONCACAF second and third tier team can dream about making it to the World Cup.

 

Depends a lot on where the Playoffs are played too.

If you think about it the USA can help the CONCACAF by having the November tournament in Miami, Los Angeles, Houston, DC, and other places that can help an El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala etc. imensely in support.

Of course the matches have to be played on the field (and not in the stands) but having 70 thousand fans rooting for a Central American side against an African or Asian team does make things even more interesting no?

 

http://ifpnews.com/exclusive/qatar-may-use-irans-kish-island-for-2022-fifa-world-cup/

 

Good post, but for truth it's not as if they actually need that sort of support, or as if they are specially asking for it cause they can't do it by themselves.

What they are doing there, is developing good relationship with neighbouring countries (only separated by a strip of water), and since their most natural neighbours (UAE and the Saudi's), have taken a very radical position on respect to them, they must take as option, to seek for that support somewhere else.
.
.

Anyhow, I would love to see Iran as a co-host of Qatar for this WC, and not only serving as possible training camps, but also having some of the matches of the WC being played there (would put aside the myth, that persians can't get along with arabs, when it benefits them both).

 

Yes.
Even teams like that in the CONCACAF who do not have huge populations can benefit from this United Home field because they are more familiar with the Stadiums since they play here every 2 years in the Gold Cup.

 

They need help in hosting 32 teams. I don't believe it is only a relationship type thing you are portraying.

 

Might not be football (of course a diferent type of monster), but only 3 years back they had a world's handball championship for 24 teams, exclusively in their own homeland.

Also held the Asia's cup of nations in 2015 (football), although for only 16 teams.

Also held the under-20 WC youth WC in 1995, for 16 teams

You may have plenty of doubts regarding them, given the size of their country (you sure aren't the first, nor will be the last), but truth is that they've organized many diferent world level tournaments on diferent sports already, and have come out from them without any organization or administrative problems.

Somehow it seems you don't believe small countries, can organize big events the same way as a big country can, but you would be amazed if you really open up your mind a little bit. As it is perfectly possible to do so.

 

It does not matter how much of an open mind anyone has.

Hosting 32 teams and hosting the thousands of visitors they are expecting is like nothing they have ever prepared for and may take some help from Iran and others when everything is said and done.

 

Well, I think Morocco missed the biggest opportunity they wull ever have

Apart from that, congrats to USA, will be a good world cup, but without passion on every street. Not the first one and not the last one either!

 

Oh please.

I heard that France hosted a recent euro and it was not that passionate on every street. Many people in Paris did not even care...
...But many visitors say it was a great host in 2016.

I have not heard a peep about people saying France was a bad host in fact.

 

There is a huge amount of enthusiasm in the USA. I can tell you that nearly everyone in USA workplaces is aware of the decision, including those who don't normally follow soccer on a regular basis. And many of them are already talking about where the nearest host cities are and which games they could attend.

Americans love big events, like the Olympics, and they know the World Cup is a big deal like the Olympics. They may not be out on the street celebrating, mostly because they expect to host big events, but there is a lot of buzz about the World Cup coming back to the USA. And that is just the general public. Add in the millions of real soccer fans in the USA, and it is guaranteed to be a fantastic World Cup.

 

As I mentioned in another thread, this probably cannot happen unless Iran's current regime is booted out. Providing training camps to help out Qatar is one thing, but hosting actual World Cup matches is quite another. Iran does not even allow female spectators into their stadiums to watch men's football. Not so good for the fan experience...

I would be much more open to the idea of Iran co-hosting a World Cup if they could just get their politics in order. Please, Iran, just go back to this...



Pre-1979 Iran. Nice country.

 

Good host, bad team.

 

Gotta change those Canadian stadiums over to natural grass surface.

This isn't the Women's World Cup to be playing on rubber surface.

 

It should be a great event on 2026, I was just teasing another fella about current enthusiasm level in the US.

 

The same is true for a number of the US stadiums.