This is an awesome idea, and your concept shapes up really well. I don't want to detract from your hard work, but one thing is an issue - why would AFC want to do this? What do they gain from including a bunch of low-ranked OFC countries in a Nations League competition? Are the heavy hitters like Saudi, Japan and South Korea going to want to travel all the way to Auckland, let alone Honiara, Lautoka or Port Moresby? Do any of the OFC countries bring awesome huge new markets that make it commercially appealing? Even with idea of divisions, aren't those smaller/less successful countries going to be incurring huge extra costs?
Would be an awesome idea for OFC, but really only seems to benefit the OFC countries - and we hold none of the power levers in it. Would love to see it happen, but fear it'll be just another thing on the wishlist (like the whole 'move to AFC' thing which is rearing its head again).
Would be an awesome idea for OFC, but really only seems to benefit the OFC countries - and we hold none of the power levers in it. Would love to see it happen, but fear it'll be just another thing on the wishlist (like the whole 'move to AFC' thing which is rearing its head again).
KM you raise good points, but there is some major happenings in World football of recent times, that give the idea a glimmer of hope.
Pre Covid Infantino was pushing 2 major changes.
1. An expanded Club World Cup (32 teams?) played 4 yearly, and
2. Nations League setups in all Confeds, funnelling into a Global Nations League finals series I think involving only 8 teams (basically replacing the Confederations Cup).
Behind these 2 concepts apparently was some truly eye watering cash out of Saudi Arabia (these financial backers all mysterious).
Part of Infantino's selling point was that the world's football minnows (incl AWs) didn't play often enough, and that Nations Leagues setups would help this. Certainly now in CONCACAF for example the minnows are playing more often.
Then Covid hit and all went quiet on both ideas. Then last year surfaced FIFA's new idea of a biennial WC. Again you imagine the extra cash biennial World Cups would make is a huge FIFA driver. But lots of minnow countries voiced their support of this idea, as did our own Ryan Nelsen.
But UEFA & seemingly CONEMBOL hate the idea. Would screw up their Calendar of either a Euros/Copa America or World Cup every 2nd year. They have gone as far as setting up a joint office in London, as a threat to FIFA. Basically fudge off FIFA.
So could a Global Nations League finals series, only taking 2-3 weeks played in years prior World Cups (like old Confeds Cup), so not disrupting Euros/Copa America be a 'happy middle ground' solution?? Is that huge Saudi cash still around?
AFC is now the only big Confed now without a NL, with CONEMBOL teams to join the UEFA version. I think CAF's Africa Cup of Nations, is doubling as a Nations League??
So if that Saudi cash is still around a big big financial incentive for AFC via FIFA, could see them, include OFC in a combined Nations League (split maybe East & West), with both Confederations staying separate for WC qualifying etc
Who knows how this will play out with FIFA and UEFA. But it's likely decisions by the bigwigs at that level, all influenced by the mighty dollar, that will dictate what happens in tinpot OFC.
Wide speculation, but maybe this is why Pragnell is making promises about future AWs program, including games at home. Because he knows a Nations League is close to being a real thing! Wild optimistic speculation.
Who knows how this will play out with FIFA and UEFA. But it's likely decisions by the bigwigs at that level, all influenced by the mighty dollar, that will dictate what happens in tinpot OFC.
Wide speculation, but maybe this is why Pragnell is making promises about future AWs program, including games at home. Because he knows a Nations League is close to being a real thing! Wild optimistic speculation.