World Cup Expansion to 48 Teams (Update: FIFA Council Agrees 2026 Slot Allocation)

Do we even know if penalties will be used?
It is, indeed, all hypothetical. But isn't it better to ask these questions now and try to find a remedy rather than wait and see how it all plays out?
All we need is one instance of collusion described above and chit will hit the fan.

 

That was the rumor that some sort of spot kicks (Penalties or run-ups like old MLS) would be used.
I will assume that will be the case until proven otherwise.

 

Another possibility to use, to reduce chances of having collusion between teams, would be to simply "flip a normal head and tails, coin, to the air" to decide whom goes through and whom doesn't.

Of course, special provisions should be taken, in not using the coins hidden in Infantino's or any other FIFA's high officials pocket, as with almost complete certainty, those coins must be all, 2 headed coins.....

 

I would say the team with the Higher FIFA ranking goes through.
(Better than a coin in my book.)

 

that would give extra issues to have more collusions taking place, as higher ranked teams, will know in advance that by being equaled by other teams, it is them who would go through anyway.


The only thing that really reduces chances of having collusion among teams, is by reducing unsporting advantages to any of the diferent teams.

nahhh, nothing beats the coin, as it will always be a 50 % chance for both teams the same, to go through, where no one knows in advance, if it will favour or disfavour them, when the moment comes.

 

Give me an example of how it would give extra issues assuming that there are shootouts that give less points for those sort of wins.

 

well, what to say on it, GOD all mighty, gave some the ability to think, while at the same time it didn't give it to others....., well whatever, here's the example :

Before tournament begins :
team A ranked 1st
team C ranked 2nd
team B ranked 3rd

after, during tournament :
Team A wins on pk (2 p) vs. team B (1 p). result after regular time 0-0
Team B wins on pk (2p) vs. team C (1 p). result after regular time 0-0

Team A and team C, as they know in advance that they are both better ranked than team B (which is also not playing that last match date of the group), decide to take a 90 minute "nap", which at last ends in a 0-0 draw, after which they agree to have team C win on pk (2 p) vs. team A (1 p).

Final standings : All 3 teams tied with 3 pts. each; no goals scored; and no goals received; but as teams A and C are better ranked than team B, they get to go through sending team B back home......

(and btw, if you haven't noticed, all matches went to pk's)

 

FIFA rank should not used for anything, it already gives you a higher seed and thus an easier group. If you screw that up, if anything, you should be punished, not rewarded. We don't want this to be as predictable as the Gold Cup or unfair to minnows as the Copa Centenario.

Penalty kicks after every tied game seems to fix a lot of problems, it just feels odd, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be done. I'd like to see this and three team groups tried at Euros in 2020 or 2024, or some other half decent tournament, but I know that won't happen because nobody wants to play just two games. I find groups of four where two of three 3rd place teams go through really dull though, so the proposed WC format should be better.

 

No one asked for your life story here.

 

In a three- way tie I guess the coin flip could be applied.
Although I think it all depends on how the second round is set up.

Would team"C" in this case truly be satisfied with finishing second place if it meant having to play a team like Germany in the second round of 32. Maybe Finishing in first would have them face a team like Korea or Cameroon.

That may be a bit of incentive to not sleep for 90 minutes and go for a win. Winning the Group should be an incentive.
So I do not see it being as cut and dry as you try to imply it is.

 

Team B just needed to score a goal, and then they are not in this scenario. 3 games with zero goals... can we have all 3 teams knocked out in the group stage?

 

In those hypothetical three-team groups, in case of overall tie in points, GD and goals scored, would the penalty shootout difference be used?

 

Do you think they should be? At first I thought you scenerio was unreasonable, but then I rembered there are only three games per group, so 3 0-0 or 1-1 ties is not that unreasonable, or even 3 1-0 game where each team ends with 3 points, although all might be less likely due to the diverse quality of teams.

 

Do a rehearsal at the U17 World Cup 2019....8 groups of 3 teams....

 

CONCACAF has done groups of 3 in its youth tournaments...

Now they have not had 16 groups of 3, but since 2009 there has been 10 total groups of 3 with no 3 way ties in the U20 CONCACAF Championship.

The U17 CONCACAF Championship had about 10 groups of 3 too with zero 3 way ties.

 

In other words, ruin another tournament?

Not everything needs to be tried to determine if its a stupid idea. Some conclusions can be reached through theory alone.

 

There are so many issues with 3-team groups that it can get confusing but, just to be clear, there are way more problems with 3-team groups than 3-way ties.

As you say, there were no 3-way ties in the CONCACAF u17 tournaments, but there were several cases where the 2 teams playing on the final match of the group could play to a result that ensured both progressed. Take for e.g. the US v Panama match in 2011.

 

If a team gets knockout they get knocked out.
As I have said plenty of times if you can't advance to a Round of 32 in what most people around here are claiming to be a "watered down and boring " tournament then it is your fault for not accumulating enough points or scoring enough goals.

 

I agree that if you finish last in a watered down group then you probably have yourself to blame for the most part. I think the point is more about spending 2 weeks of the best football tournament there is on a nonsensical group phase, when 4 team groups have proving to work much better.

 

As far as I know of no major tournament has ever tried three team Groups with a shootout.
That penalty/ run-up shootout could help things out.

 

Well, we've already listed numerous scenarios where you still run into problems. And its not like these scenarios are 500-to-one longshots. Not even 20-to-1

 

If you want to present a diferent scenario of your own , go on and do so, but what I posted was a reply to what someone else asked for.
In the scenario I posted, "your" goal does not exist.

About your last question : NO, if by any chance all odds, for all teams in the group are the same, FIFA will figure out a way to have 2 teams going through, while 1 team, not going through. From each group, only one gets the early tickets home.

 

I have only seen one scenario that I have already addressed earlier.
And pertaining to that I think teams will want to avoid the upper echelon type teams and try to win on a last match day instead of trying to collude and have to play a Group winner.
IT could be the difference in having to face Germany or Spain in the round of 32 or Iran or Peru.
I think teams will have the incentive enough to go for it and win the Group.

 

This would require all five penalties to be taken in a drawn match.

Team A 1-1 Team B ...... B on penalties 5-4
Team A 1-1 Team C ...... C on penalties 4-3
Team B 1-1 Team C ...... If penalties are level after four rounds, both would advance.

 

I've wanted this to happen for knockout games too, if 0-0 eliminate both teams. If its the final, award it the trophy to the third place game winner. It would certainly give more meaning to the third place game! If no third place game, don't award the trophy that year.