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

I watch every match of the current system. Have done so since '82 when U.S. TV made every game available.
When the 48-team tournament arrives I'll definitely watch every match from the Round of 16 to the final.
I'll probably (but not guaranteed) to watch all of the Round of 32. Probably depending on the matchups.
Group stage? Maybe half of that stage depending on the matchups. "Progress" be damned.

 

To each his own.
I will watch all the games. Whether it be the full 90 minutes or some condensed extended highlights version.

 

Also, assuming it is here in the USA I will try to attend as many matches as possible.

 

Priorities change. I used to have that same vigor years ago. I'm over 50 now and futbol (sports in general) is gradually fading on my list of things to watch. I only watch La Liga these days whereas I used to watch lots of Bundesliga, Premier League and Serie A as well.
I've recorded every World Cup match off TV since '86. For 2016 I'm debating whether to bother anymore. I'll definitely watch but not sure if I'll record.

 

Highly recommended. I was 'only' able to attend ten matches in '94 (all in California) including the final and it remains for me the best event I've ever attended including concerts and whatnot.

 

210 teams entered the World Cup. 32 of them made it to the final stages.

 

Correct. So what's your point?

 

The prices will be outrageous IMO. $175 caregory 2 , round of 16 ticket in WC2018. In US I think that will increase to $300+.

Yeah, I love the WC but I'll take a pass at those prices.

 

This is the problem that the Copa America Centenario had in 2016....ridiculously high ticket prices drove a lot of fans away.

And at WC 2026, the problem will be even worse, because with 48 teams in the first round, you are going to have a lot more mediocre match-ups. Nobody is going to be willing to pay nosebleed prices to see Slovenia play Qatar, for example, or Paraguay play Tunisia.

 

People might be willing to pay. Income inequality is rampant in the US and paying $1000 for your family of 4 to watch a game means nothing to many Americans.

But I'll watch at an air conditioned bar for $25, easy choice.

 

I was thinking the first round matches that apparently people around here don't want to see. Cameroon -Oman in a 70,000 seat stadium will be very cheap. Especially on the secondary market.

 

I think even the FIFA face value of a category 3 ticket in the group stage will be outrageous.

Lets not bother discussing the black market prices for a tournament 9 years in the future. I'm sure someone somewhere will score a ticket for $10 while some stock trader will pay $20,000 to see Mbappe live. That tells us nothing...

 

Stubhub and vivid seats and seat geek will provide.
They never fail me.

 

Well, I'm just talking about what I expect the price for a TST4 or face value individual match ticket to be like in 2026 compared to now (2018). Not sure why you're being so obtuse.

Its like if NYCFC tripled their ticket prices for 2018 but you then argued "oh, but you could still score a US Open Cup first round match for $8 on seat geek. Still cheap!"

Huh?

 

I am not arguing. Just saying I think there will be cheap seats to random first round matches that people will try to get rid of.

 

You never know!

 

Isn't AFC getting 9 spots or something crazy like that? If they always had that many spots, Oman would've qualified in 2014 and they may have qualified in 2018.

Be careful with your money.

 

According to the 2007-2011 American Community Survey there are 33,181 Cameroonian-born people living in the United States. If they and their kids all show up there could be quite an atmosphere.

And in 1994, 93,194 turned out to watch Cameroon vs Sweden.

 

To be honest, I'd buy tickets to root for Cameroon. I have a lot of concerns about the expanded World Cup, but ticket prices is not one of those. More games will help loosen supply.

In that sense, the expanded World Cup reminds me of friendlies. I won't watch them on TV, but if there's a good one in Denver (and the tickets are cheap enough) I might go.

 

I was one of them. The atmosphere was no where what it was in the Rose Bowl the previous day for Colombia-Romania but it was still enjoyable. The Swedes were very LOUD when the 'wave' hit their section.
I also attended Russia-Cameroon. Large crowd but the empty seats were noticeable. Those who had tickets in the lowest sections were able to move higher up the 'bowl' to have better views of the game.

 

That logic only kicks-in when the US isn't hosting.

 

Greed is destroying football.

Champions league, premiership, serie a, etc all corrupt.

International football used to be somewhat safe from this corruption, but that's changed.

I won't be watching the 2018 world cup, partly because Italy and Ireland won't be there, but mostly because the corporate aspect of football is driving me away from the game.

I never thought they'd be a day when I would have no interest in football but with every season my interest is waning considerably. It makes me sad to be honest.