Yep, some European based players (*cough* - Pulisic) already want to skip the Gold Cup as it is. This would be another reason to stay away. How about a Christmas Gold Cup a la AFCON?
I would love a December Gold Cup. California, Florida, Ariziona, Los Vegas, Domed stadiums. But there would be American College Football and NFL conflicts with FOX so it would not be ideal for television or stadium rentals.
Yes, freedom of movement. Specifically, the rule that says you can only spend 90 days in the Schengen zone over a 180-day period. So with "open borders" that applies to anyone arriving in Gibraltar. Including British citizens that are not Gibraltar residents. So in theory, the EU Schengen border control can prevent British citizens from entering Gibraltar, a British territory. I'm sure you can read all about it in the British tabloids.
Also, the players probably wouldn't like their festive season with family interrupted. This year's AFCON runs from 21 Dec 2025 – 18 Jan 2026. Because UEFA CL play resumes in the early part of February it's difficult fitting it anywhere else.
And FIFA keeps expanding its tournaments to the point of diluting competitiveness at the world stage. What's that FIFA? A 2nd WC slot for OFC you say? You want confeds to re-schedule their continental cups, too?
I actually don't know why FIFA panders to OFC so much. There's hardly any real lucrative market there, and they only have 11 FIFA members.
No, nothing in the tabloids because it's not a big deal. There's no Schengen border control as each country is responsible for its own borders.
Yes, with the support of the EU agency known as Frontex. A common border has multiple stakeholders. But enough about that. Is FIFA seriously considering bringing back the Confederations Cup? https://www.facebook.com/MickyJnrAF...s-cup-a-revamped-8-team-tour/707443281864868/
That's like saying Interpol pulls people over for speeding. Yeah bring it back. It could run from the end of the CWC to the start of the next league season. We could replace players with Optimuses (Optimi?).
As FIFA members they are entitled to be treated like the others. In the past they were of course very marginalised and have only been given more opportunities since they acquired FIFA confederation status in 1996. Now they have 1.5 WC spots - a fair allocation out of 48 - and 3 spots at the annual 48-team U17WC which should - together with the increased solidarity funding - significantly help their development.
Because it's a federation. It used to be a lot bigger but Aus defected. If you could design from scratch you could add Australia, Philippines, Indonesia and Japan to a Pacific federation but to do that now would deprive the Asian federation of a lot of income and eyeballs and mess with cultural ties.
Entitlements should come with responsibilities, though. FIFA is effectively subsidizing NZL with a free WC ticket. Not even AUS was given that boost into the world stage. I mean, despite founding OFC in 1966, AUS left OFC twice (1972-78, 2006) in hopes of joining AFC. Its first WC qualification happened while it left OFC (1973 qualifiers). AUS WC qualification always depended on turning a 0.5 WC slot into a full ticket. If OFC members want to be treated like other FIFA members, then OFC has some cleanup to do: stop NZL from bullying OFC members, where the 4 best teams are funneled into 1-match knockout brackets: All knockout 2026 OFC qualifiers were played at NZL (March 2025), as if NZL needed more help.
I've had daydream ideas about a confederation of Southeast Asian mainland plus islands plus OFC. Australia can stay in AFC of they want to. Mainland: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia Islands: Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei, Singapore, Timor-Leste OFC: current members I assume that there are myriad political and cultural reasons that this could never happen.
Is that NZL bullying or is it the other members not having the finances to support full home and away fixtures?
I have my doubts. Performances from OFC teams not named New Zealand in international competition have been consistently dire, basically amateurish. The populations aren't large enough for the most part, and football has stiff competition there from other sports too. There's probably nowhere else on the planet that has less potential for football development than the Oceanian island nations.
Are you assuming New Zealand are bullying Oceania or did Oceania decide to play where they can make the most money? There are 11 votes of which NZ has 1.
Back in 1964, both AUS and NZL were backed by FIFA president S.Rous on a *Pacific confederation* proposal, which would absorb Eastern AFC feds. Talks broke down in Tokyo that year, because AFC members knew how much the English FIFA president would protect English Commonwealth feds in qualifiers (see Apartheid South Africa in 1960s). So, AUS+NZL founded OFC in 1966 along with FIJ+PNG. Founders FIJ+PNG debuted in WC qualifiers years later (FIJ in 1981, PNG in 1996).
If the premise is boosting OFC growth, then why does NZL still hoard OFC qualifiers knockouts? If I understand correctly, revenue is collected by whoever hosts a qualifier: broadcasting and ticketing revenue is collected at home, not abroad. So NZL wins both inside and outside the pitch. Unfortunately, OFC football infrastructure is concentrated in NZL, to the point that the last two OFC confed presidents were caught embezzling FIFA funds spent in NZL... money meant to benefit all of OFC. Somehow, FIFA now subsidizes NZL with a permanent WC spot, while OFC growth funds remain locked within NZL.
Yup, you said it: "conspiracy". https://www.insideworldfootball.com...-bosses-charged-fraud-house-football-site-nz/