Impact of Nations Leagues (UEFA original, Concacaf) on World Football? [Multiple R]

There are many more teams in UEFA now with the collapse of the former USSR and Yugoslavia but the same or even with the new expansion just a few more spots available to them at the WC. No wonder so many of these sort of lower mid-tier UEFA teams like Romania and Ireland and Scotland are currently in the midst of these long World Cup droughts.

 

I wasn't aware Concacaf had a women's NL.

The UEFA woemn's NL has led to a significant improvement in competitiveness with many more games ending in draws or wins by a single goal than was the case in the previous traditional women's EURO and WWC qualifying groups.

 

St. Kitts is the only team that's out of its depth--every other team in League A is reasonably competitive. It's a symptom of using the rankings to seed the first edition--the women's teams from smaller countries have historically not been active enough to produce accurate rankings at the mid-to-low level of CONCACAF.

 

So, if I understand correctly, the top 3 in each group within League A will be in pot 1 for the UEFA world cup qualifying draw(?). Which is kinda important since only the top team from those qualifying groups make the WC w/o going to the crapshoot playoff system.

Judging from those groups, that goal of a top 3 finish shouldn't be too much of a problem for the traditional powerhouses.

 

Cannot think of a more unlikeable Group than Portugal, Croatia, Poland and Scotland.

Not cause I do not like the teams per se but more that I can see them all just trying to play not to lose rather than to go for wins.
Lots' of 0-0s and 1-0s in that kinda Group.

 

So that means that England won't be seeded in the wcq draw, which will be interesting, because only the first place of each group qualifies directly

 

Would be Hilarious if England finds a way to miss another USA World Cup.
(Not saying it will happen but the chance is there.)

 

I think its more likely to be a problem for the #1 seed that they get grouped with. If its Poland then no drama, but if its France, Portugal, Spain, Germany or Italy buckle up!

btw, not a totally simple group for England in League B of the Nations league but should still finish top 2 (otherwise they go to pot 3 ).

 

Portugal usually score plenty of goals whenever I watched them, while Scotland are an enterprising team, particularly at home.

 

You and I have been watching different Portugal matches.
They have the talent to score goals but when push comes to shove barely beat teams they are supposed to score a bunch against.

 

As for Scotland I think they can be entertaining but they can only do so much when teams are better than them and not willing to risk.

 

Portugal were top scorers in EURO 2024 qualifying with 36 goals and joint second top scorers in the 2022-23 UNL group phase with 11.

 

2-0 against Liechtenstein.
The way this Group dynamic shapes up I think it sets up 1-0s or 0-0s.
It is all about the grind.

 

Well the games will be close, about 75% of games in Leagues A and C in the first three editions finished as draws or wins by a single goal.

 

Now France, Belgium, Italy.
My goodness that is going to be a goal fest. France usually goes all out. Belgium still has talent to score. Italy with the new tactics will at least be trying to attack.

 

The group of death.

 

Not sure what this is based on. Portugal were one of the highest scoring teams in the last Nations League as well as in the last Euros and World cup.

Croatia never struck me as a boring team either.

 

Just the way I see it playing out between the four teams at hand. It is all about match ups and styles.

 

Yeah, that's the group of death for me. All teams have some risk of finishing in last. And anyone can win the group.

 

You ask, we serve

 

This isn't set in stone (yet?). A change to the 2026 WCQ regulations hints at an exception for the UNL ranking: "Any seeding based on team performance for each confederation’s preliminary competition shall, in principle, be based on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. Only the FIFA Organising Committee may approve exceptions to these criteria for the preliminary competition."

Have to wait and see how they handle this but might be some curveballs in there if they indeed go with the UNL. For example England finishing runners-up in their UNL group and then in the European WCQs having to go up against one of the hardest pot 1 teams (a Final 4 team) and one of the hardest pot 3 teams (all these teams will be in one of the groups of 4 because of dates needed for UNL Final 4 and promotion/relegation play-offs).