World Cup to expand to 48 teams in 2026

[Majingir]

Quote: Originally Posted by dickey1331

It's looking like US/Mexico/Canada are early favorites Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

FIFA approved the fast tracking bid, meaning we'll find out by June 2018 the host(s).

I just hope they give Canada an automatic qualifying spot because they can't earn it. Let them be in it and have 8 years to focus on putting together a decent team. 10 games are held in Canada, if some feature Canada in it, that'd be huge in growing the sport here.

[ioanastasis]

What about 40 teams? 8 groups of 5 and the knock-outs start with 16 teams as usual... That way more teams are in the tournament and it's also not overkill

[Majingir]

Apparently there's a chance Morocco could come in and win the bid for this world cup.

Only something involving FIFA could possibly choose to award Morocco a global event over USA, Mexico and Canada. I think we all know the reasons why this is even a debate internally in FIFA.

[ZeroTheHero]

The WC should be 16 teams. The qualification rounds should include large parts of what's the actual WC now, and the Cup should officially start once the round of 16 begins. The actual cup matches, in other words.

[ACE8]

Quote: Originally Posted by ioanastasis

What about 40 teams? 8 groups of 5 and the knock-outs start with 16 teams as usual... That way more teams are in the tournament and it's also not overkill

This is what I was thinking as well, as it gives the actual teams participating some more time playing together in games that really count on a world stage before they get into the eliminating games. And can give a team that lost an early game or two to get back to the tournament a real strong chance to get back into it before it gets eliminated, so the real teams will go through with no excuses of a poor performance. The 48 teams idea it’s not so clever, as a team could get lucky and eliminate a real title contender, and it’s too many matches for people to keep an eye on games that really matter.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[brilliantsg]

Quote: Originally Posted by ACE8

This is what I was thinking as well, as it gives the actual teams participating some more time playing together in games that really count on a world stage before they get into the eliminating games. And can give a team that lost an early game or two to get back to the tournament a real strong chance to get back into it before it gets eliminated, so the real teams will go through with no excuses of a poor performance. The 48 teams idea it’s not so clever, as a team could get lucky and eliminate a real title contender, and it’s too many matches for people to keep an eye on games that really matter. Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

I think so, too much team too trouble and too long time on TV...Now the Worldcup has 16 team and will be end at 15-7 (01 month), what do you think about 40 team ? so long !

[Majingir]

Voting happens in just over a week. Fifa released a report showing where the bids stand. Right now it seems like the North American bid is drastically beating the Morocco bid.

[ZeroTheHero]

If anything, they should make the final World Cup tournament smaller. The qualifiers should instead be counted as the actual tournament, the group stages after the qualifiers should consist of home an away matches locally and when the cup matches start the tournament started in the host country.