Qatar 2022

Yea that's pretty much the same as I have been on about.

Don't even have to fiddle with the draw much at all tbh. Put the 8 UEFA teams + the 3 CONMEBOL teams (if you want a more seeded feel) or the 3 AFC or CONCACAF teams (if you want less of a seeded feel) on one side and the other 11 teams on the other and then you can have an open draw from there.

In my experience it isn't so much that they don't think they deserve them, it's just that they quite often don't think they'd be likely to earn them on the pitch.

 

I probably would've agreed with this in 2013, but with WC expansion on the horizon I don't think this makes sense. Inter-continental playoffs kind of lose their purpose when 48 teams qualify. So I wouldn't bother doing a major restructuring of the qualifying process and introduce something that will be obsolete in 4 years.

 

I have to even wonder how 2026 qualifiers will even work under the new format for every Confederation considering 2026 we will have 48 teams

 

I'd guess we're looking at minor tweaks in UEFA, OFC and AFC. Major overhaul in CAF (hopefully). CONMEBOL could go either way (keep same format or choose totally different one).

Of course in CONCACAF nothing really changes apart from 3 countries not participating in qualifying.

 

Qatar is under questionable working practices

 

It is kind of funny given the modern political landscape.

Players and Coaches around the World and even Leagues are kneeling, protesting with armbands and such when it comes to some things that are deemed wrong. (Which they have the right to do.)
BUT

When it comes to REAL atrocities directly affecting the sport and the the dignity of the game like...
... what is essentially slave Labor in Qatar/...

.... there is not a peep from anyone.

Players and Coaches who know about these atrocities should speak up and maybe even Tell FIFA to change the venue or else they will boycott.

Enough is Enough.

 

AMEN

 

I'm not sure players know what they could do or say about it since it doesn't impact them directly (or even indirectly). Unless they are actually from Qatar.

The on-going protests over systematic racism OTOH impacts players directly. When a black player speaks-out against that we hear him because we know he's living with that shit on a constant basis.

 

The Premiere League just said that they are going to have armbands for someone who has nothing to do with England and their Systems of government or whatnot.



The World Cup 2022 directly impacts many players and people being used as slaves and dying building the stadiums and hotels they and their families and staff will be using. The connection is apparent.

 

I only posted it so Thezzaruz wouldn't feel that he was alone in his thinking I agree with 48 teams an extended playoff system isn't required as I think the new group stage takes its place. I know if we don't make the 32 team knock out stage in 2026 it will feel like a failed campaign to me..

 

The latest rumor I heard is that the March matches that had to be postponed will be played in March 2022.

The intercontinental playoffs will be played in June of 2022 with the Draw occurring days after.

 

Yeah me too especially where I come from...I come from CAF because I am Ghanaian by blood but I come from CONCACAF too because I am Canadian too. With Ghana, in a 48 team format like there is no excuse to miss out on 2026 but also with Canada too coming from the host nation also, gives me the chance to potentially cheer on 2 teams

 

Yea the expansion of the WC itself has pretty much made any idea about an expanded qualifying system a moot point.

 

Yeah it has but the fact that the 2022 FIFA World Cup has not been stripped away from Qatar even after the slavery but all the corruption surrounding it, I wonder why Infantino and company haven't done anything about it?

 

I think you are confused a bit.

Qatar 2022 does not affect much of the world's players. Perhaps Nepalese and Thai players, but very unlikely for the rest of the world. No Bolivian player will boycott FIFA over Qatar 2022, because it would be a joke to do so.

English Premier League has jumped on the bandwagon of paying respects for a civilian murdered by policemen. That organization wants to avoid individual players protesting during match ceremonies, in order to protect its brand: let us all kneel, to avoid anyone calling out the EPL as the bad guy here.

Football players of African descent do understand what police brutality/repression is. They know plenty of stories where police have profiled them by race.

 

People within all leagues should jump on the bandwagon of going against the real atrocities affecting football. The World Cup being one of the major corrupt ones.

It is hypocritical for them to shut up about the World Cup yet talk about unrelated countries and things not directly related to the sport.

There is no other way to spin it in my opinion.

 

I am sure football players of ever color, race and creed can talk about police in many different ways.
That is all anecdotal and irrelevant to the topic.

 

If you had countries boycotting then FIFA would have no choice but to strip it away from Qatar, but no countries have come forward so it looks like Qatar 2022 will still happen

 

apparently AFC and CAF are planning to resume international qualifiers in October and November. They have ruled out the Aug/Sep window.

 

I like it...makes sense

 

As long as its safe, I have no problem with this. I do think certain regions based on how it was getting handled will be crushed by it in the second wave.

 

I wonder what this will mean for UEFA qualifying for 2022

 

Players should speak up about this in addition to the statements and gestures they are making regarding police brutality of blacks and other minorities in the USA and other western countries.

Thanks for posting this article from The Guardian.