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FIFA Planning To Expand World Cup From 2026

Jordinho

Jordinho

Martin Peters
Staff member
World Cup set to be expanded to 40 teams from 2026 as FIFA reforms add 32 extra games over additional week
  • The World Cup is expected to be expanded to 40 teams from 2026
  • Eight places will be added to the current format in longer tournament
  • The first phase will consist of eight groups of five with 32 extra games
  • Proposals were surprise part of FIFA ExCo committee reforms in Zurich
  • Disgraced UEFA President Michel Platini first mooted idea back in 2013
A 40-team World Cup is now expected to be staged in 2026 following the FIFA reforms to be announced later on Thursday.

This will see eight groups of five in the initial stage of the tournament leading to an extra 32 matches in the group stage and an extra week of competition.

This will cause massive extra organisational headaches for the host county that will be chosen by the whole 209-country FIFA congress for the first time - probably in 2019.

The enlarged World Cup decision, which doesn't have to be ratified by Congress as it is not included in the FIFA statutes, has surprisingly come out of the reform process whose recommendations were put to the FIFA ExCo on Wednesday.

Ironically the idea of a 40-team World Cup was first mooted by banned UEFA President Michel Platini in 2013. And it has also been recently promoted by UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino, who sat on the reform committee, during his campaign for the FIFA presidency.

The extra eight World Cup places will be seen as a sweetener for the FIFA Congress to accept all the proposed reforms in which it is included.

Certainly it will go down well outside Europe where it is felt UEFA, who will have 14 representatives at the 2018 World Cup (13 plus host county Russia), have a disproportionate number of places.

Currently Africa have five, Asia 4.5, Europe 13, North, Central America and Caribbean 3.5, Oceania 0.5, South America 4.5, plus the host nation.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sp...teams-2026-FIFA-reforms-add-eight-places.html

Yes, the places are not proportionate. Europe has too few. At least it will remain 8 groups to keep qualifying to the next round easily understandable.
 
Does mean that the groups won't be able to end at the same time any more though, reopening the chance of a bit of embarrassing collusion?

Still, another week of the World Cup, if they've any sponsors left by then... kerching!
 
Seedy Ron said:
Does mean that the groups won't be able to end at the same time any more though, reopening the chance of a bit of embarrassing collusion?

Still, another week of the World Cup, if they've any sponsors left by then... kerching!
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Very good point. It has been refreshing not to have 'engineered' results in recent World Cups, but have groups of 5 will mean the prospect of a 'Argentina 6 Peru 0' job happening again
 
it shouldn't make a difference to that, it's 2 more groups

edit: doh, didn't read it fully

even more of a stupid idea
 
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Seedy Ron said:
Does mean that the groups won't be able to end at the same time any more though, reopening the chance of a bit of embarrassing collusion?
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Excellent point, but you have to understand their position. The current reforms are tightening up on their traditional means of remuneration.

I can think of two positives. The expansion will allow Europe to retain its allocation, perhaps even get a couple of extra slots. At some point there would be further pressure to reduce the current UEFA allocation.

The expansion also raises the bar for potential hosts and makes it even more a preserve of big countries. It might make an England world cup in our lifetime possible, or at least the younger of us.

I can see one absurdity in the qualifying. As it is the South American confederation play a single league with 90 games to halve the number of teams. In future that 90 games could be to eliminate only four or even three teams.
 
Why do they have to meddle with things and fudge them up? Were the 16 nations that played in 66 less entertaining than the 32 at the last one? Really tinkles me off. Another reason to ignore international football.
 
Seedy Ron said:
Does mean that the groups won't be able to end at the same time any more though, reopening the chance of a bit of embarrassing collusion?

Still, another week of the World Cup, if they've any sponsors left by then... kerching!
Click to expand...

Like the disgrace of Gijon in 82. That aside I don't like this idea. Just like increasing the number of teams in the Euro's it's done for profit and doesn't take into consideration sporting fairness.
 
Craig_J said:
Like the disgrace of Gijon in 82. That aside I don't like this idea. Just like increasing the number of teams in the Euro's it's done for profit and doesn't take into consideration sporting fairness.
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I actually don't have a problem with that, if you are in that situation and you don't "make sure" you are fudging stupid.
 
Craig_J said:
Like the disgrace of Gijon in 82. That aside I don't like this idea. Just like increasing the number of teams in the Euro's it's done for profit and doesn't take into consideration sporting fairness.
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I think this is less about profit and more about getting the smaller nations on board when it's time to vote, just like Blatter always did, by giving them something.
 
Match fixing was presumably deemed illegal, even in the 80s? I was only 1 at the time so wasn't au fait with FIFAs rules and regs.
 
Seedy Ron said:
Match fixing was presumably deemed illegal, even in the 80s? I was only 1 at the time so wasn't au fait with FIFAs rules and regs.
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I don't think it can be proved it was premeditated match fixing, the argument is it was two extremely defensive and conservative teams minimising the risk of elimination
 
galeforce said:
I actually don't have a problem with that, if you are in that situation and you don't "make sure" you are fudgeing stupid.
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It's not that I have a problem with it either (It IS match fixing but it's the organisers fault), but forgetting past mistakes and making the same ones again is fudgeing stupid. You'd think something like that would be taken into consideration.

And as Mr_B says FIFA probably shouldn't be allowed to make any decisions that affect the game right now anyway.
 
Craig_J said:
It's not that I have a problem with it either (It IS match fixing but it's the organisers fault), but forgetting past mistakes and making the same ones again is fudgeing stupid. You'd think something like that would be taken into consideration.

And as Mr_B says FIFA probably shouldn't be allowed to make any decisions that affect the game right now anyway.
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completely agree on both points

if someone can game the system like that then the system is at fault
 
The preliminary allocations are as ridiculous as expected.

AFC: 8
CAF: 9
CONCACAF: 6
CONMEBOL: 6
OFC: 1
UEFA: 16

South America and Europe getting shafted as usual.

If USA were to host, based on current ranking:

C8LzgH4VYAAD2Oz.jpg:large
 
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