2026 WC USA (et al): Worldwide Opponents Watch [all R's]

Everyone focuses these days over Champions League but I still find Ferguson''s overall career the most impressive -- he won at St. Mirren, Aberdeen and United, improving each of them, often drastically, then keeping them going for a while, then they fell afterwards. So much consistency, so much player turnover and while they had money, it didn't seem like that was the primary driver.

In terms of shorter terms, early Mourinho's results are hard to argue with. But I think we see how much that can be the individual players at times. Still, winning UCL with Porto is kind of nuts.

Ancelotti has had a great career and he's probably underrated simply because he hasn't been as controlling or consistent in his style, but it's a lot to put on the UCL finals as the determining factor.

 

NEW: Inside FIFA congress
🎫 FIFA reduce Club World Cup prices again, many group games now available for $30
🇳🇿 New Zealand target 2038 trans pacific World Cup, seeking co-hosts, which may mean USA + Fiji
😓 Infantino’s Trump ties worrying Canada + Mexico https://t.co/O4qv3fTJYe

— Adam Crafton (@AdamCrafton_) May 17, 2025

Talk of New Zealand wanting to share the 2038 World Cup with the US.

 

Besides the fact that I can't see FIFA saying sorry South America, you got 3 games in 2030 (unless that turns into the 64 team March Madness CONMEBOL wants) so you can't host in 2038, the miles involved in having a New Zealand/Pacific US World Cup (including apparently building a World Cup stadium in Hawaii for the cause) makes this seem impossible.

 

Yeah I mean they probably change the rules but under the current rules only CONCACAF or OCEANIA can host (and Australia is part of the Asian Confederation for these purposes).

 

Just a short 16 hour flight away.

 

Map of the 2038 World Cup hosts:

 

They've already changed the rules. See FIFA statutes section 61.4. It's back to can't host two consecutive tournaments. Only AFC is excluded from 2038.

FIFA-Statutes-2024.pdf

61. Competition venues
1. The Council shall decide the venue for the final competitions organised by FIFA, with the sole exception of the venue for the final competition of the FIFA World Cup™ and the FIFA Women’s World Cup™, which shall be decided by the Congress in accordance with paragraph 2 of this article. 2. The decision on the venue for the final competition of the FIFA World Cup™ and the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ aims to achieve the objective of securing the best possible hosting conditions in the host country/countries and shall follow the procedure below:
(a) Based on specific regulations to be issued by the Council, the FIFA general secretariat shall establish a fair and transparent bidding procedure, inviting all qualified member associations to submit a bid and defining in detail the requirements for the bidding and hosting as well as criteria for selecting the host of the event.
(b) Based on its best judgement, the FIFA general secretariat shall submit to the Council a public report evaluating the compliance of all bids with the bidding procedure and the requirements for hosting the event, taking into consideration the defined criteria for selecting the host.
(c) The Council shall review the report and designate, based on its best judgement and in an open ballot, up to three bids to be submitted to the Congress for a final decision. The result of each ballot and the related votes by the members of the Council shall be made public.
(d) The Congress shall select the host venue from the bids designated by the Council. An absolute majority (more than 50%) of the member associations present and eligible to vote is necessary in the first ballot. If an absolute majority is not reached in the first ballot, then the bid with the lowest number of votes in the first ballot is eliminated. In the second ballot, or if fewer than three bids are presented to the Congress, a simple majority (more than 50%) of the valid votes cast is sufficient. The result of each ballot and the related votes by the members 55 XIII. Competitions FIFA Statutes of the Congress shall be made public.
3. A Congress may not award the hosting rights to more than one FIFA World Cup™ at the same meeting, except if the Council takes a specific decision in this respect.
4. The right to host the event shall not be awarded to members of the same confederation for two consecutive editions of the FIFA World Cup™

 

I’m not sure how that’s just Asia. Europe nor Africa also should be excluded under that given they are hosting 2030. The more ambitious one is South America given the amount of games they get in 2030 is small.

 

Look at point 4 again. It doesn't exclude a hosting confederation from the next 2, just stops them hosting two in a row.. Asia is hosting 2034 so can't do 2038, but everyone else now can.

 

That’s not how I read that clause. And most importantly it’s not how New Zealand is reading it.

 

I'm not sure how you can read it any other way than "The right to host the event shall not be awarded to members of the same confederation for two consecutive editions of the FIFA World Cup".

 

The commonly held understanding is that once you host it you can’t for two straight tournaments. Which is why 2034 for instance could only be bid on by Asia or Oceania.

 

My point is that they quietly changed the regulation last year.

 

I don’t believe that language is new and can see no evidence of the rule being changed. Feel free to point me to a story or anything that demonstrates a rule changed occurred.

And not to say FIFA won’t change the rules. But it would have been a big story if they had and it’s not likely without a World Cup to award for awhile.

 

If you don't believe what the regulations say then I guess there isn't much point carrying on the discussion. Not sure why you think any change should have been a big story. FIFA will probably decide who they want and stich up the bidding procedure to ensure that result as they did for 2038 anyway.

 

I mean there was no rule change. And you are just reading the rule in a way in which it hasn’t been interpreted.

FIFA very well may change the rules come bidding time, but we also may be heading towards a World Cup that basically rotates between Europe, Saudi, and the US (with China hosting at some point if they ever want to) with countries from the rest of the world taking a few games. With a 48 team World Cup there’s not of places that are equipped with the stadiums FIFA requires. And it’d be a massive financial investment for the ones that don’t even if they share hosting duties.

 

Breaking from Halifax: Canada’s men’s national team has a new member on their coaching staff for part of this international window:

US national team and Toronto FC midfielder Michael Bradley. #CanMNT

Details at @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/bjfA97BGj1

— Joshua Kloke (@joshuakloke) June 2, 2025

Michael Bradley has joined the Canadian national team staff, for part of this window at least.

 

"soon"

pic.twitter.com/u8X4Y4msVg

— No Context CanMNT ⚽️ 🇨🇦 (@NoContextCanMNT) June 3, 2025

 

Jordan and Uzbekistan qualify for their first every World Cups!

South Korea also punches their ticket for the 11th time in a row.

Australia effectively punched their ticket with a dramatic 90th minute winner against Japan. They just need to avoid losing by 5 goals to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday


5 of the 6 4th round slots have been awarded too with Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Iraq already advancing. The last spot will be determined at a neutral site game between Oman and Palestine in Jordan. Palestine must win to advance, a draw would send Oman through

 

Crazy how forgiving AFC is. Saudi and Qatar still both quite likely to be at the World Cup despite poor campaigns. Uzbekistan is actually pretty quality (and has been at the youth level too), Jordan is the big surprise at this stage.

 

The Uzbeks have had a good run. They’re legit.

 

Norway thumping Italy 3-0. How high do you think nerves in Italy are right now?

 

Jesse Marsch spoke this morning about his anger over the gastrointestinal illness that has swept through the Vancouver Whitecaps after their CONCACAF Champions Cup final in Mexico City on Sunday. He said 3 members of his Canadian MNT had been "poisoned". Very strong stuff. pic.twitter.com/SqeQVWl4qD

— Joe Callaghan (@JoeCallaghan84) June 6, 2025

Some interesting comments from Marsch

 

Berhalter and White are in USMNT camp and look just fine

IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE HAS BEEN POISONED BY A LIGAMX SQUAD, YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION

— Pablo Iglesias Maurer (@MLSist) June 6, 2025

 

AFC have a system which allows the cream to float to the top. You don’t miss out because of one bad game. Two may see you out, but if you are relying on one game then you’ve had some bad results in the lead up to that one