Things get weird in CONMEBOL too. A move to 64 and adding another qualification spot for CONMEBOL gets to the point where it basically wrecks the format. There are possible changes to mitigate it, but I'm not sure they would be politically or logistically feasible.
That's the large-scale solution. The small-scale one is to just switch Guyana and Suriname. Both strike me as very difficult politically, even the second due to Suriname starting to improve its national team enough to potentially be competitive with the bottom of CONMEBOL.
I do wonder what FIFA makes of this first expanded WC field. For all the talk of "muh global representation", the big markets in China and Southeast Asia are still totally unrepresented. Instead we have 3 different Arab nations + 1 more potentially coming through the IC playoff. With the addition of usual suspects Iran, we've got up to 5 teams in this tournament potentially just from West Asia. I guess Qatar can at least offer big oil money TV deals, but I'm not sure Jordan or Cabo Verde or Curacao are exactly what FIFA had in mind in terms of "untapped markets" or whatever.
I'm not sure, but it seems strange that CONMEBOL members would feel compelled to merge just because the WC qualifying becomes too easy. It doesn't become any more difficult or interesting by merging with CONCACAF. Since if they merge, instead of C'BOL getting ~8.5 spots, C'BOL-C'CAF would get ~17 spots. Qualifying would still be a joke; not just for the likes of Brasil and Argentina but for everyone until you reach Venezuela/Bolivia's level.
I read somewhere that FIFA will award their peace prize after the draw has finished. what’s the record for televisions around the world all being turned off at the same time?
Not sure. I only know the United States record for when the greatest number of TVs were thrown out of a window at the same time. 1990 World Cup when the US pay-per-view coverage stopped right before the PK shootout began. (Move your mouse to reveal the content) 1990 World Cup when the US pay-per-view coverage stopped right before the PK shootout began. (open) 1990 World Cup when the US pay-per-view coverage stopped right before the PK shootout began. (close)
Not necessarily, if they used Swiss system and teams played one or two of, say, six qualifying games against similarly ranked teams (Colombia, Uruguay, USA, Mexico and Canada for example).
I don't see how that makes qualifying better, given that the current format has matchups like Brazil v Argentina, Brazil v Colombia, Uruguay v Argentina, Peru v Chile, etc. The issue is that there is not much riding on the games. Well, basically nothing riding on them for the above-average teams apart from bragging rights.
I am so damn happy that the US World Cup got to happen during a cheeto term. US soccer fans deserve this misery.
No you see they called it the INAUGURAL FIFA Peace Prize. It's definitely going to be handed out again. Probably to some Saudi Prince.
Bragging rights mean something and at least there are matches against top quality opposition. Qualification is going to be easy for the best nations with 48 or 64 qualifiers. CONMEBOL's system is preferable to the situation in UEFA where England won all 8 of their matches without conceding. Spain were already qualified before they dropped any points. Norway won all 8 of their matches. Europe can't qualify so many teams and have meaningful fixtures. Same for CONMEBOL but at least the matches matter in their own right and some of the opposition will be very good.
Not "significantly". Think about it - if there are 6 games using a Swiss model containing all 40-45 members in C'CAF and C'BOL, and about 17 qualifying directly to the WC that means you'd only need 10-11 points to make it. And note, pot 1 teams will still have 2 very easy matches (think Aruba, Bermuda, etc) and 2 against pretty weak sides (think El Salvador, Jamaica). Not much chance of them finishing below 10 points. Heck, even Bolivia would be a good bet to get 9 points just from those 4 matches, before even talking about their other 2 matches against top sides. Though I would like to see the Swiss model implemented more.
No doubt there will be another. Once you have invented a mechanism for patronage you might as well keep using it. At least you will If you have a corrupt mindset.