FIFA International Match Calendar: Proposed Changes & General Discussion

I counted 78 if they make the domestic cup, continental and CWC finals.

 

I used the number of state matches they played this season.

 

Botafogo RJ doesn't seem as strong this year as 2024 so them making all these finals (domestic cup, club WC, mickey mouse CWC) seems pretty far away atm. But yeah, 70-72 matches is still insane.

 

Yes.
It's the football equivalent of the EU.
Edit: bigger is more powerfull.

 

England, France and Spain wouldnot be calling the shots in a western UEFA.
England, France and Spain would be outnumbered by the rest, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Scandinavian countries etc.

 

For those who don't get the context, Gibraltar is a rock off the south coast of Spain which historically and symbolically controls access to the Mediterranean. The ancient Greeks claimed it was created by Hercules.

Spain is adamant that it's part of Spain but the UK, like with Northern Ireland and the Falklands has said its up to the people that live there.

In a 2022 referendum 187 people voted for unification with Spain. 17,900 said "no way José"!

 

Last night I watched Guatemala-Jamaica and looked up YouTube highlights for the CWC. Tonight I'll probably watch the late CWC match because nothing beats the Rose Bowl at sunset, and then I can catch the 2nd half of the Canada match. Work is the main obstacle to watching a whole lot.

 

I don't know about CONCACAF fans, but as a neutral follower from across the Pacific I've found the CWC games to be more entertaining than the Gold Cup games so far.

 

Completely ignoring the CWC here. I'm more heavily biased toward international football than most fans though.

I dont get the impression that the CWC is overshadowing the Gold Cup much, though, if at all. If anything, the CWC is having to work to get some recognition/traction among fans who don't know much about it. Even with smaller nations playing, the Gold Cup has some inherent pull. For example: Guatemala's well earned whooping of my side last night was played in LA, and naturally drew a huge Guatemalan crowd - incredible atmosphere that I don't think the CWC will be able to match for the most part. This will be repeated quite often throughout the Gold Cup.

 

I'm not the best observer of media coverage, but it seems like you could watch a lot of mainstream US sports media without noticing either tournament is going on. Probably the thing that breaks through the most is hot take commentary on the USMNT. For example on the front page of the ESPN website, you have to scroll through college baseball, NFL offseason, Stanley Cup Finals, MLB games, NBA draft, WNBA games, NBA Finals, US Open golf, more college baseball, NBA offseason, college football offseason, and then you find the scores for both tournaments.

This is nothing like how the World Cup is covered, where for both men's and women's it is always treated as a top event.

 

Yup.

 

You mean FIFA will continue holding the CWC during the Gold Cup? CONCACAF has had the Gold Cup in odd-numbered summers since 2003.

 

You mean freedom of movement between Spain and Gibraltar?

Spain and Britain have been opening and closing the border for centuries.

Spain last introduced checks in 2013 during a dispute about artificial reefs.

 

Hopefully Concacaf comes to its senses in 2029 and schedules the Gold Cup for July. As it was in 2021, 2017, 2015, 2013, and 2009. They used to do this to accommodate the Confederations Cup, so why not for the FIFA-prioritized CWC as well?

 

Television network scheduling and Stadium venue availability probably were obstacles but yes July would have been better for us fans who want to focus on both tournaments without conflicts.