[Archived] 48 Team World Cup "finals"

[Stuart]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38547638

Looks like this is probably going to happen. 16 groups of 4 teams? Won't come on until 2026 but if they do any more winter World Cups then it could be very disruptive.

This can surely only be about one thing: £

#FIFAOUT

[chaddyrovers]

More rubbish from Fifa again

[Oldgregg86]

Will make a mockery of the qualification process

[Baz]

The more the merrier for me.

[Oldgregg86]

Really. You want to see Iraq v Tunisia in a world cup. Or the likes of Germany playing a second string putting 8 past malta

[Baz]

Really. You want to see Iraq v Tunisia in a world cup. Or the likes of Germany playing a second string putting 8 past malta

If I was an Iraqi, Tunisian or Malteser then yes, absolutely - I'd love to see my country at the WC finals.

[Husky]

Really. You want to see Iraq v Tunisia in a world cup. Or the likes of Germany playing a second string putting 8 past malta

Who could forget that Germany v Saudi Arabia thriller.

It was like something from Iss Pro.

[4000Holes]

Just thought of 48 off the top of my head that I think would make a great tournament?

Spain

Portugal

Italy

Greece

Turkey

Croatia

Serbia

Hungary

Romania

Austria

Switzerland

France

Belgium

Holland

Germany

Poland

England

N Ireland

Wales

Denmark

Sweden

Norway

Iceland

Latvia

Finland

Ukraine

Czech Republic

Ireland

Russia

Japan

South Korea

North Korea

Australia

South Africa

Nigeria

Cameroon

Liberia

Kenya

Argentina

Brazil

Chili

Uruguay

Paraguay

Peru

Columbia

Venezuela

Mexico

USA

Scotland being the 49th but I accept I may have missed a few, so they maybe 54th or 55th.

[Stuart]

If I was an Iraqi, Tunisian or Malteser then yes, absolutely - I'd love to see my country at the WC finals.

Not really the same thing though if the tournament has been diluted to include them.

[Amo]

MOAR TEAMS. MOAR GAMES, MOAR $$$$

[Oldgregg86]

Yeah great for those countries. They should still earn the right by qualifying to play in the greatest tournament on earth. All the qualifiers with the likes of Gibraltar and San Marino , they should have a chance to qualify but not mess the format up, dilute the tournament to include them to make money. The two years of qualifiers are tedious as it is. The football calendar is packed as it is. More games equalls less quality towards the end of the tournament. Especially in hot countries and the knock on effect of the league's when the season starts. It's a no from me. More teams were added in 1998 and has the excitement and or quality improved since then. I think we all know the answer

[Husky]

MOAR TEAMS. MOAR GAMES, MOAR $$$$

There's only one thing I hate more than soccer ball . . .and that's soccer ball players.

[Mr. E]

Why not just get rid of the qualification process all together and have everyone at the World Cup finals? And give them all participation awards beforehand? Forget anything about a sporting competition, just have fans all around the world gather together to give Fifa money.

What a joke.

[bellamy11]

Groups of 3 is madness. The final game is so fixable, if both teams stand to quality 1st and 2nd.

I don't really understand/believe in any tournament format where original starters don't neatly sieve down into knockout stages of 8, 16 or 32. "Best placed" losers is such a weird concept and totally unfair given the small number of games played.

So yeah, rubbish. I'd understand expanding to 64 teams more than I would 48.

[DE.]

Goes without saying that, much like the Euros, it will dilute the quality of the tournament as a whole. Also makes the qualification process even less interesting than it already is.

[Mike E]

How about go with 64 teams and go with a straight knockout tournament?

Oh, not enough money in that. Gotcha.

[Baz]

Yeah great for those countries. They should still earn the right by qualifying to play in the greatest tournament on earth. All the qualifiers with the likes of Gibraltar and San Marino , they should have a chance to qualify but not mess the format up, dilute the tournament to include them to make money. The two years of qualifiers are tedious as it is. The football calendar is packed as it is. More games equalls less quality towards the end of the tournament. Especially in hot countries and the knock on effect of the league's when the season starts. It's a no from me. More teams were added in 1998 and has the excitement and or quality improved since then. I think we all know the answer

Agree the 2 from 3 in a group thing is silly, and I'd agree it's about money too. However, I always like to see some of the lesser footballing nations getting their chance - look at Iceland, Northern Ireland etc and I'm sure their fans do. Quality wise, the last few world cups have been very poor anyway way back before 98.

Qualifiers are as dull as ditch water anyway, there should be a pre-qualifying group knock out phase for those finishing bottom of their group last time around. UEFA need to look at that separately to see if they can introduce more knock-out rounds for the European sides.

[Oldgregg86]

I love seeing an under dog get a chance. That's what makes football great but they have to earn the right to play in the WC and an under dog or two always gets in. The three team league also has no draws and penalties after every game. How many games would end up ten men behind the ball and hope for the best with so many poor sides involved.

[A cup of beans]

For all the moralities, familiarities when it comes round, I'll be excited by it.

[jim mk2]

For all the moralities, familiarities when it comes round, I'll be excited by it.

Andorra v San Marino. Yep, I can't wait.

[A cup of beans]

Andorra v San Marino. Yep, I can't wait.

Close match up, worth a watch

[Mattyblue]

I've always enjoyed the Euros. Top 16 teams, 4 groups of 4. Great format.

Expanded to 24 and I thought Euro 2016 was a poor tournament. Third placed teams qualyfying and then third placed teams getting out of their group in the finals.

The group stages at the WC will be even worse. 2 out of 3 teams progressing? Bore draws, teams playing the final group game knowing what they need to do etc.

More nonsense from the game's 'custodians'.

[McClarky]

So we're going to have 3 team groups and penalty shoot outs eh? Look forward to that, it's an invitation for teams to play for a 0-0 and take their chances in the penners. Most will think if they can win 1 shoot out they will go through so no point doing anything in the games. The knockout stages will be good but this ruins qualification as it makes it too easy to qualify and will lead to more poor games and few decent ones. A bad move. Go back to 16 I say, the world cup was much better with higher quality and less games.