England Forum - FIFA World Cup 2026: Other Teams Thread

64 teams means an extra 24 group games. Strip out r32 and that is a net increase of 8 matches but they're mostly poor quality. Especially as there would be a lot of dead rubbers where both teams are knocked out and a few where one team is already through. A good team could also have a disaster in their first match and never get back into it.

Adding 16 more teams also means a lot are worse than South Africa or Haiti. With just one going through in a group there would be some drubbings as all the top teams would have to try and pile on the goals in the first two matches. Things like the golden boot would be a farce. Not all goals would be equal.

Go with two through in the group and it is clean and more of the matches are worthwhile. That does mean a 128 match tournament and a logistical nightmare.

You could go with 3 per group and that might be where the 66 teams idea comes from. 22 group winners and 10 2nd place teams. The draw would be a big lottery for 2nd rank teams. There would be something on every match but there is a definite advantage to those playing last, especially in later groups, and you could have hosts going out after 2 matches.

The other thing is that it kills jeopardy in qualifying. It is already far too easy for England and a farce for the big teams in South America.

 

I've just finished watching the game. Turkey are honestly the most fascinating international team from a psychological perspective.

Very few international teams I can remember that consistently have such a low floor relative to the talent they often have.

This might be their best team on paper in my lifetime yet they were utterly abject. All this after reaching the QFs at the Euros two years ago.

You can just never be confident about anything with them. Unbelievably volatile.

 

I think that was the moment his fourteenth can kicked in.

 

Probably been mentioned before but France properly dropped the ball with Ayyoub Bouaddi.

 

Me too. I had to have an afternoon nap

 

I only had 3. I can't stand drink tbh

 

********ing lightweights

 

I had to pee twice this morning

 

Roger Milla brings back mermories. He was the first player I remember doing a corner flag goal celebration.

 

We could see the first proper hammering here.

 

Trying to go toe to toe with Germany is insanity. They'll rip curaçao to shreds

 

That didn’t take long. These are effectively a Dutch second division team. Let’s expand to 60+ teams though. God I hate Infantino.

 

England has been mentioned 10 times so far. They'll be going mad in Scotland

 

Nmecha is a player I feel we've missed out on