The USSF should tell FIFA to go fly a kite with that idea. FIFA is going to reach a terminal crisis point very soon, it cannot go on like this. The best thing they have going for them is that the most viable alternative to their rule of the existing system, that being the ESL conspiracy, are operating from the same non-viable zombie-brained expansionist logic they are. We're killing the golden goose here.
Well I don't think they'll force hosting upon USSF, it just makes sense given that FIFA likes to to do a prep event (which was traditionally the Confederations Cup, but was the Arab Cup this time around). It's also possible they already have somewhere else in mind, but I haven't seen any reports about it yet. The whole thing may also fall apart because I don't think FIFA has UEFA on board yet. Or the last I read. This may have also changed, I just haven't seen any reports. FIFA definitely doesn't think long term and is very focused on trying to maximize their current revenue, with no thought as to the long term impact. Hence the every two year push, and them idiotically breaking off the relationship with EA Sports.
Long term thinking is no longer a skill or a value incubated in the elite ladders and training spaces people travel through on their path to power in the global business community. We will reap the whirlwind for that.
I think the expanded CWC is going to run into some pretty insurmountable roadblocks. It's FIFA trying to take control and make money off of UEFA -- there's a lot of places UEFA is going to compromise, but none of the big clubs want to play more games in the CWC for someone else to get the money. It'll just be a shittier Champions League. The only good that would come from it is a better recruiting tool for clubs outside of Europe, which is great, but the Super League clubs didn't want to even share with UEFA, they sure as hell aren't funding the rest of the world.
Well if we want to get really nutty with it, who blinks first if the three remaining European Super League rebels cook up a deal in which they are permanently guaranteed three of the, say, eight UEFA slots in this tournament? If FIFA has Real, Barca and Juve plus a handful of elite Western Hemisphere clubs all of a sudden they have a tournament to sell to TV and the shoe is very much on the other foot in terms of the leverage over UEFA.
CAF, and UEFA have the greatest depth in the world. Without question. CAF basically has a giant pile of teams between 6th and probably 20th that are better than any team outside the top 5 or 6 in the AFC, and Concacaf, and probably better than the bottom of Conmebol (I mean the very bottom, and that probably applies to just 6th-8th or 9th in CAF) and the fourth tier of UEFA. When I look at CAF, there is just a lot of talent and potential in sides like Burkina Faso, Mali, Benin, Gabon, DR Congo, Zambia etc and then you have the teams that just missed like Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, South Africa (apparently hosed by home town cooking against Ghana). Maybe I overrate them a touch, but I am really intrigued by the idea that we get first timers like Burkina Faso, Mali, and DR Congo, and teams like Nigeria and maybe South Africa, as well as Algeria get in, along with Egypt. Who knows. I just know a country the size of Africa, with all the soccer talent they have, should be getting more than 5 teams in, even if they do usually find a way to ----- it all up. I can tell you that other than Tunisia (always a bore) I found the rest of CAF thrilling to watch. Senegal fought hard w/o Mane, Cameroon beat freaking Brazil and didnt stink up any match, Ghana fought hard every time out unlike at the Cup of Nations where they ---- the bed and of course Morocco brought their best version of themselves ever. An expanded cup basically makes me excited about CAF, and to a lesser extent Conmebol because the former just has so many good teams, that never quite break through and because conmebol, cycle to cycle is usually at least 6-7 deep in great to good to solid teams. Concacrap, we know stinks, so adding more of our teams aint helping anybody. UEFA, well, less chance Itally or Netherlands or other big dogs screwing up but technically Italy still wouldn't have made it supposedly and they already have a million teams in. The AFC remains a confederation with 2 consistently good teams and usually 2 more teams that can sometimes bring it. I don't think adding teams will help much, though I like the idea of a few other nations that have never made it, getting a chance to see their guys get pummeled, it's just, they are going to get pummeled. We know that because if these teams could never get past the big four of the AFC, and usually the big 4 is only a big 2, why would we expect them to shine? They won't, but so what, it's still fun to have your nation there. I enjoyed 1990 even though we stunk after all, it was awesome to see my team on the field for the first time in my lifetime back then, it will be for those fans too and who knows, maybe they pull off a thrilling result, it can happen.
It's a shame they didn't divvy up the new slots in a way that reflects this. CAF goes from 5 to 9 plus a playoff spot, but they could have 11-12 without a ton of diminution in the quality of team getting in. AFC is goes from 4.5 to 8 plus a playoff spot and those last couple are going to be absolute garbage, insultingly worse than the UEFA and CONMEBOL teams that will still miss out. They should have forced ASEAN and Australia to join OFC in order to rationalize this a bit better. Much better travel-wise for all involved too.
Lots of votes in both Asia and CONCACAF so they were always going to get more spots than they probably deserved. Europe probably deserves more than the 16 or so they are going to to get, but if we’re going to go to 48 you can’t give half the slots to Europe. The question is when does the next push to expand from 48 come? Hopefully not for awhile.
Diego Forlan craps on the level of competition in Concacaf, and he’s not wrong, but the one thing Conmebol needs is our money! Forlan didn’t hold back 😯, he ain’t lying tho. pic.twitter.com/gOFgBVMnQi— CABRA Futbol (@cabrafutbol) December 16, 2022
I would guess we're at 64 teams by 2034. That way they can do 16 groups of 4 and then the top 2 in each groups will make it to the knockout stage of 32. So they increase the total # of games without increasing the number of matches for any individual team.
TV's not going to add to the pie for Solomon Islands vs Burkina Faso, especially since they make so much lesser opposition for the Brazil's and England's. This is where the every two years thing is coming from, that's adding to the inventory TV actually wants.
China is at least close and had qualified before. They’ve pulled back a bit on their investment in the game, but they could be World Cup worthy in a 48 team World Cup without a ton of effort. India is really really bad though. They have a long way to go to even get close in the 48 team field.
Yeah in my opinion they should just change knockout games (other than finals) to 2-legged. That way you have more high quality games and less absolute games but more profit. Also stamps out a little of the luck factor. Doesn’t seem like they’ve even considered this.
How many South American players are employed in concacaf nation leagues? Seems like quite a few national teamers actually play in our leagues. I don't disagree w/him, but I'd like to think he'd appreciate the possibilities. It's not like we're trying to water it down. Currently the bottom half of conmebol is definitely inferior to the best of Concacaf (Paraguay, Venezuela, Bolivia, Chile as compared to USA and Canada, and eventually Mexico will be back to the team that's basically if in conmebol, a clear top 4ish side. None of us are arguing teams outside the top 3 in concacaf are worth much in terms of conmebol, but we've already shown with a vastly inferior side making the semis in 1995 and 2016 that we aren't out of our league when compared to that confederation at all.
What point is there to a two-legged tie if both teams are away at the same tournament? Knockout stage first legs would again be a substandard TV product. This is where the every two years thing comes from, it's the only way to add to the inventory of the kind of games TV wants. (The elephant in the room, just to be clear, is ALL of this expansion stuff cheapens and weakens the World Cup as a brand. It's all robbing Peter to pay Paul, there's no free lunch here)
Neither country loves soccer. China is at least as much about basketball as soccer and India definitely seems much more passionate about cricket rather than soccer. China totally failed to build on their '02 run. Since then they fell off a cliff for nearly 20 years never even close for most of the cycles (I don't think they even qualified for the playoff once since '02 and some real, straight up ---- squads have made that playoff over the ensuing five cycles).
Doesn't matter, the added marketing opportunities for FIFA in China if they're in the tournament are enormous. FIFA is very much hoping 48 gets them in, and it might. It will need to be bigger to get India in.
He's right. If you're a C'BOL fan what do you want with C'CAF. Plus, the US looks like would be a semi-regular host, taking the fan experience away from South Americans.
He's not wrong when it comes to a competitive stand point. However, the thing that CONCACF Brings is money. The US, Mexico, and Canada have enormous amount of wealth and stability politically. Something which cannot be said about CONMBEOL. Soccer is becoming more popular in the US and Canada and we have seen both nations spend a lot of money to grow the game in those areas. It's going to be interesting to see if they ever do merge or have merged competitions from time to time.
Every team would be playing 3 games in group, and then there's an extra round in the knockout phase, so there's one more game for the finalists.
I don’t think China has made the playoff but they’ve consistently been in the last round of qualifying. India struggles to even make it to that round. But China is close enough that with a bit more investment they could probably make the expanded format, whereas India still has a long way to go.