Because it's a tournament, with a cup...aka, a mini world cup or loser cup...whatever you want to call it. They don't want anything to diminish the importance of the world cup. Having a "consolation" world cup does just that and they would never allow that. Anyone who understands the history of FIFA and what the world cup represents understands that. That's why such an idea never came from soccer nations such as England, France or Italy who have missed the world cup in the past. Surprise, surprise, it came from the US, a nation who doesn't have that soccer culture. That's why it's a NO. Not only the World Cup is a big deal but so are the WCQ. That tournament kind of reduced it's importance if nations knows that "hey, I can always get into that one". Lastly, this is the US we're talking about. Could they help themselves to not make it a bigger deal than it actually is? The answer to that is irrelevant, FIFA would never allow anything to take away any buzz from the World Cup. I know you're going to disagree with all the above. Always? By the way: The US needs to stop hosting the gold cup or tournaments and start getting use to going into hostile environments. Not winning on the road sank the USMNT.
Wait you are talking from both sides of your mouth with a lot of nonsense. You say no one cares about this Cup but then say FIFA does not want anything to take away from their World Cup. If no one cares about it then how is it taking away from the World Cup? And come on now. Giving a Cup to team that wins some series of friendlies is not really that big of a deal or a distraction. And yes, when a Federation decides to play in the USA a friendly then it would always make more money in the stadium they are playing in rather than the home alternative. Unless they have lousy accountants or something. But whatever. You don't think this tournament can happen. I think it can.
the only person here talking nonsense is you. Robert Borden is spot on, it will never happen fifa would never allow it most teams would not even bother showing up for it and the leagues in their countries would go mental as the season is long enough as it is already
How is it nonsense to say that a Friendly tournament can happen in the USA (during a time period friendlies occur in the USA anyway). One that can make money for the host and the Federations that are being rumored to play in it. You think this hypothetical tournament news was magically leaked by a multi Billion Dollar Corporation like Disney/ ESPN just for kicks and giggles? Honestly..
Some of you people around here sound exactly like the people who said a Copa America would never happen in the USA. Well those people are quiet now because they currently look like idiots.
It was sanctioned: On 26 September 2014, FIFA announced that the tournament had been added to the FIFA International Match Calendar, meaning that clubs had to release players called up to the competition. They won't for your tournament
It sounds like a fun idea on paper but i doubt it'll get much participation by the higher rated countries, if anything they'll bring U20 teams. Too much crap going on right now in Italy with this overhaul process and something like a meaningless tournament is the least of their worries.
I don't get it, @HomietheClown. For whatever reason, there is a belief that since the US is involved it has to be some grand tournament that is meant to take focus from the World Cup. I've said many of the same things you have and mentioned the #SheBelieves Cup and Tournament of Nations that have been hosted just this year. It's basically some branding on a few exhibitions that could fit in a FIFA window. The US men's team has moved on from what they likely would have been at the World Cup. We already saw that in Portugal. For the US, the team on the field would be about the future. For USSF/SUM, it would be about filling in a little of what they will miss out on also.
We get it. You think FIFA will follow the money and make it happen You think FIFA will not like the competition and not. What is going to happen is that a bunch of teams will end up playing various amounts of friendlies in the US in the lead up to next years - somebody will put them all and some kind of table and announce a winner and say the USA finished second. Done. J I certainly hope that the usual rules apply to this thread. In that if anyone posts exactly the same post as they did before they can't reply any more. Failing that, we can only hope the very act of duplication forces the universe to reset itself and we can all be put out of our misery.
As everyone has it very clear, and its all only about money and since we are also the best ranked team, of all the crop. We get, 50 % of all the money, paid in rock solid gold bars, completely free of taxes. You can split the rest between all the other teams, the USSF, FIFA, Infantino and whomever else you wish to share it with. Oh, and btw, we also get to choose referee's, where we play, against whom we play and when we play. Don't like it, well, then forget it.
Saudi's are qualified to the WC. They can't have their say on this one. Unless of course they want to switch places with another team (if that were the case, we would accept to switch places with them, for free)
Anyway, when would this tournament to take place? In May? When all European Leagues are still on, when CL and EL are still playing? Or in June, when those not present at WC will want to have some well deserved rest after a heavy season (like Robben, or Immobile should be resting preparing for next European season, not playing meaningless friendly tournaments).
I think it's a bad idea because it would be yet another blow to the merit/legitimacy of the World Cup as the crowning achievement of the sport. We already have people saying that the best football is played at the club level anyway, that the true best team in the world is the winner of the Champions League, and Europeans already think that their local club is a lot more meaningful to them than their national team. On top of that, throw in a tournament where Chile, Netherlands,and Italy, bring their absolute best squad and compete at full speed RIGHT before the World Cup is played... You are asking for people to question how good the World Cup really is and what the merit of the participants is. The sport needs desperately for the World Cup to be the crowning jewel of achievements. The ultimate prize for the very best players and coaches. If people don't see it that way, then the World Cup loses its glamour and its point. Therefore, anything that takes away even the slightest polish from the World Cup should be 100% discouraged (such as expanding the field to 48 teams). Now, if you are inviting all of these teams to play an alternative World Cup but do not expect them to bring their very best and play at their very hardest then why is that a good thing for the sport? Why should Americans (who already don't like football unless it's Premier League or La Liga) watching a watered down international tournament be supported? How is that going to grow the sport or help break the notion that football is boring in the US? I don't like it and I hope it doesn't happen.
On the bolded colored part, I agree completely on what you posted, but to achieve that goal, FIFA should also stop the crap in having a qualifier process, restricted strictly to the diferent Confeds, to decide which of their teams get those few allocated spots. If they really wanted the best, the qualifier process should be, with all the teams of the world playing against each other, without taking any consideration to which Confed they belong to, because doing so, would avoid some unworthy teams or weaker teams , getting WC spots over more worthy or better teams. The most clear example of this is preciselly Concacaf confronted to Conmebol, where almost all of their best teams were ridiculized when confronted to all of Conmebol teams during the Copa America Centenario. Shit, you guys (I believe you are mexican), suposedly the best Concacaf team, couldn't even impose yourselves over Venezuela, at group phase, and well you know what happened next, against us, the next stage (that's your "current" reality, don't forget it) If FIFA really wanted to have the best players, we (Chile) should've been given the spot Mexico got, as we are lots better than you guys, and you also know it, that if Mexico would have had a qualifier process similar to the one we had, against opponents as the ones we had, you wouldn't have made it neither. Now on regards to particularly, Italy. The WC gives lots of space to lots of teams worse than them. If it were based on level, never forget they have won 4 WC's in the past (last one very recently), and also countless times have also finished among top 4 in others. FIFA, only based on those huge achievements (which is something most of us can only dream for), should grant them an automatic spot almost for ever. Not unlikely, that in the near future, they wil win another WC, lots before we ever do. . . Seriously speaking an alternative WC, would be great. Would be lots better to implement it for the future as well, and cut the crap of increasing the WC allotment numbers. If the alternative WC proves to be better, in both broadcasting ratings and tickets sold, also proves that FIFA is doing things wrong on respect to the original WC, and would have the perfect tool, that could help make it better for the future. Only thing I would change, about it though, is to have smaller nations that can't host the main WC event, host it instead, as by having it in the USA, it gives very poor credibility to the whole thing, as being anything else than a money thing, instead of being a real alternative type of event. Besides, in the USA, it also becomes into another joke tournament as how the Gold Cup is known by most of the rest of the world beyond Concacaf frontiers (and no one that has a minimum sense of self respect, wants to be part of a joke for most to laugh about, for a few extra "bucks").
woooaahh, never imagined something like this coming (jokes and debates aside). In Chile, it is being reported by lots of media, that FIFA will not make any opposition or put any restrictions to the possibility of alternative WC for non qualified teams, where according to the press, they even have a FIFA spokesman that confirmed it verbally. http://triunfo.lanacion.cl/2017/11/...realizacion-de-un-torneo-paralelo-al-mundial/ http://www.biobiochile.cl/noticias/...ra-que-fifa-no-se-opondria-a-mundialito.shtml http://www.24horas.cl/deportes/rusia2018/fifa-no-se-opondra-al-mundial-alternativo-2563790 http://www.cooperativa.cl/noticias/...un-eventual-mundialito/2017-11-16/095317.html . . . well, now we can maybe start talking more seriously on the issue.....
I think its a great idea and I have no clue why people think it will take away from the WC because it wont. You could have a Confederations cup type format, it would be great IMO. Something like this Group A USA Italy Ghana Turkey Group B Chile Holland CIV Wales It would be a great way for some of these teams to rebuild, and a sort of consolation. I would be fully interested and it would be a great appetizer to the WC. It could take place during the pre WC friendlies and would be at a completely different timezone, so if the end stage bled into the beginning of the WC there would be no viewing conflicts. Of course if a team thinks they are above such a competition, I'm sure there would be plenty of nations willing to take their place.
I think it should be played during the same dates as of the WC. If FIFA also sanctions it, it could perfectly be played those dates that the WC will have no activity during the last knock-out stages, or at clock times diferent to those when WC matches get played, to not conflict with the WC broadcasting audiences. As another side effect of that, is that as most football leagues will not be playing anything, those dates, their clubs would have no problems in allowing more of their top players to take part in such an event as this.
Kinda pops that balloon on the idea FIFA would be vehemently opposed to it. And why would they, more games equals more money. Why do you think they expanded the World Cup for upcoming editions... Remember FIFA had never had the good other game as their overriding concern, just cold hard cash.