World Cup 2026

Simon B

Doloras

Who is going to buy tickets to games if the Orange Goblin might just cancel them to punish state/city governments whom he doesn't like

 
It’s ok, FIFA won’t tolerate any political interference. Oh wait…

Trump says FIFA chief would back moving World Cup games

US President Donald Trump says that FIFA chief Gianni Infantino would support moving 2026 World Cup games from US cities for security reasons if necessary.

In September, Trump raised the possibility of moving games amid his crackdown on Democratic-run cities, but at the time FIFA said that it was up to football's governing body to decide where games are held.

"If somebody is doing a bad job and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni, the head of FIFA, who's phenomenal, and I would say, let's move it to another location. And he would do that," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if games could be moved from Boston, one of the host cities.

"Very easily he would do it."

Trump's comments came a day after he met close friend Infantino in Egypt at a summit on a Gaza ceasefire, where the FIFA boss joined more than two dozen world leaders who were discussing peace in the Middle East.

response from Fifa should be to tell trump where to go and place himself, or insert his comments. if a city is in the clutches of a national disaster maybe, but not the deluded thoughts of a president with severe mental deterioration. If doing a bad job is any measure, them the US shouldn't be holding any games given how their leader is handling matters

Castar

Taking this with a grain of salt, but supposedly a leak of our home WC kit surfaced yesterday. Any thoughts?

https://www.footyheadlines.com/2025/10/blog-post_12.html

G2_zWW-XAAAPU_u.jpg 239.18 KB

that looks like a black & white picture of Jupiter's surface.

LG

Castar

Taking this with a grain of salt, but supposedly a leak of our home WC kit surfaced yesterday. Any thoughts?

https://www.footyheadlines.com/2025/10/blog-post_12.html

G2_zWW-XAAAPU_u.jpg 239.18 KB

that looks like a black & white picture of Jupiter's surface.

Or a weather system over Waikato this week

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I think the new kit looks decent

Thursday 20th Nov, New Caledonia to know the draw for March 2026 intercontinental tourney.

https://www.oceaniafootball.com/fifa-headquarters-to-host-fifa-world-cup-2026-play-off-tournament-and-european-play-off-draws/

Parking at a quarter-final match in Kansas City on July 11 would cost ticket holders US$125 while the price for group-stage matches was US$75.

Of course the article doesn’t try to put these numbers in context - anyone know what typical parking prices at a big sports event in the US look like?

What is it with America's obsession with driving to sporting events?

Depends on the location and sport/activity. Most football stadiums, you're going to drive to. Baseball is going to be a mixed bag (parking is almost impossible around Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs) but I can't imagine anyone taking transit to Kauffman Stadium (Kansas City Royals)). Basketball and hockey are probably going to be accessible via transit, but many folks will still drive. Amphitheater shows and festivals will probably be driven to. Arena and club/theater shows are more likely to be accessible via public transit.

Have you heard of the concept of a "tailgate" it's a very common ritual for many Americans before many large events. This is only possible because so many folks drive to the venue.

 

Buffon II

What is it with America's obsession with driving to sporting events?

Buffon II

What is it with America's obsession with driving to sporting events?

I mean the answer is generally because they have to. There are some World Cup venues in the US that should be decently accessible via public transit. But as an example, when I was in Kansas City for the Copa America, I was about 4 miles south of downtown which put me closer to Arrowhead where the World Cup matches will be… I was still 6.8 miles from that stadium. Our match was where Sporting Kansas City plays… it was 19 miles from where I was staying. Nine of us shared an Uber out there… what else can you do? I hope they have shuttles arranged to get people to stadiums (particularly KC, Dallas, Santa Clara and NYNJ) because I can’t imagine the mess trying to Uber out there is going to be for tens of thousands of people. 

Tailgating is great fun and a culture unto itself… but it’s also much more associated with football which is a fall sport. It’s one thing to tailgate on a Sunday morning in October. It’s another thing to try to tailgate in July. If FIFA even lets anyone tailgate.

Those parking prices are high, but not astronomical compared to major American sports. I think the prices listed for the group stage probably are close to what you’d pay to for a parking spot for an NFL playoff game. I basically never drive to sporting events over here, so the whole culture is kind of odd to me. Even in Canada a lot of our stadiums are pretty centrally located and accessible compared to many in the U.S. Americans love their cars and public transportation is villainized. I had multiple Americans tell me I'd be taking my life in my hands to use MARTA in Atlanta... and it was absolutely fine. But that mindset explains a lot about how people attend sports in the States.

Appreciate those responses lads/lasses.

Can't say it's a culture i'll ever be interested in personally.

I caught the Metro in LA a few weeks after opening (1990's?) and apart from the half-dozen gun-toting security guys I was the only person in my carriage.

Buffon II

What is it with America's obsession with driving to sporting events?

A lot of their new stadiums are built in industrial areas too, I believe? Often in places not well covered by public transport, even in the cities that have a public transport system.

But overall they’re a huge country that thinks about space differently and as a result expects a drive. I watched a few crowd interactions with Aussie comedian on a US tour. Often people had driven two hours from the surrounding area, and a surprising minority had driven 8-10 hours! Outside that NE area there’s a lot of vast empty amorphous space between places.

All this discussion reminds me of what happened when Taylor Swift played at the MCG.  Headline read ...
Americans are confused by aerial view of Melbourne stadium hosting Eras Tour: ‘No parking lots’
‘Am I the only one thinking where the parking lot is?’ asks TikTok user

 https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/taylor-swift-eras-tour-melbourne-stadium-b2498793.html 

Crazy that the World Cup draw is only three weeks away.
Exciting to find out who the AW's will be playing in the finals next year.
"The draw for the 2026 World Cup will take place at 6am NZT on Saturday December 6, at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC."

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/football/football-world-cup/fifa-world-cup-2026-draw-date-start-time-qualified-teams-and-how-it-works/P4EQ6P3RLZEZPGB3E77LF65CUA/

The following teams have qualified for the 2026 Fifa World Cup:

AFC: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan (debut), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan (debut)

CAF: Algeria, Cape Verde (debut), Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia

Concacaf: Canada (co-host), Mexico (co-host), United States (co-host)

Conmebol: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay

OFC: New Zealand

UEFA: England, France

And the qualifying play-offs draw for the final March matches is only five days away:
https://www.plus.fifa.com/en/content/draw-fifa-world-cup-26tm-play-offs-2025/73cd565a-4a6d-46e5-9581-bb2e951a3329?gl=nz

How on earth is the draw supposed to work. Which pots do the playoff spots go into, when the ranking of the teams that qualify through those playoffs is unknown? And, pools are not supposed to have more than 1 team from a Confederation other than UEFA, so how do they avoid intercontinental playoff winners ending up in groups with other teams from that confederation? 

Edit: 
https://x.com/FootRankings/status/1988971948651462756?t=_OdYIx6Mf125sdD_tGNKVg&s=19

This tweet says it apparently hasn't been decided how the playoff spots will be potted. Either all in Pot 4 or the ranking of the highest ranked team that could possibly qualify from a playoff would be the ranking used to determine which pot that spot would go in. But this does not address how non-UEFA confederation double-ups will be avoided.

Anyone else no longer able to copy & paste comments from Stuff articles?

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360887899/fifa-world-cup-draw-decision-could-hurt-all-whites-chances

yep, they've changed something in the backend which stops it

Very weird, because I just copy and pasted the following from that article just fine – and I'm not on any sort of device where I'd have special privileges - but of course I'd encourage you to click through and help keep me in a job

It was expected FIFA would stick with the same procedure it used for the last World Cup, in Qatar in 2022, and for the last Women's World Cup, in Australia and New Zealand in 2023, where unknown playoff winners were placed in pot four.

But Football Meets Data reported last week it had received “strong indications” FIFA would change to a procedure where the unknown playoff winners would be seeded according to the ranking of the best team in each playoff path.

Up to six of the All Whites’ weakest possible World Cup opponents under the established procedure would no longer be potential opponents under the new procedure.

Maybe it’s browser-/device-dependent because I can’t even select text in that article from my phone, let alone copy it. Will have to try it on a desktop.

Simon B

Maybe it’s browser-/device-dependent because I can’t even select text in that article from my phone, let alone copy it. Will have to try it on a desktop.

Ah, this is it (no copy and paste on mobile – I'm a serial laptop user). Will see if I can see what's what.

I can't do it from a laptop. 
Maybe give up the Stuff gig and just write for YF full time?

A more informed audience, to compensate for a salary package equivalent to the minimum wage in Somalia.

me either, on both my work and personal laptop I am unable to highlight text on the stuff website.

*correction on my personal laptop I can highlight text and copy it.

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odd that it's blocked on my work laptop.

So the new teams we currently have are:
Jordan
Uzbekistan
Curacao
Cape Verde

New teams we could potentially have are:
New Caledonia
Suriname
North Macedonia
Kosovo
Albania

How on earth is Austria in Pot 2 and Norway in Pot 3. 

Austria made the R16 at last year's Euros. Norway weren't even there.

But yes Haaland and his mates the team to avoid from Pot 3.
Them and yesterday's opponents Ecuador.

Hopefully NC can get some decent prep/warm up games before that March tourney. I'm not they even played this Nov window.

That would be no match for Bolivia. Playing in Latino Mexico almost a home game for the Bolivians. Guadalajara is also at about 1,600 metres which Bolivia will enjoy if their playoff game is there.

New Caledonia a better chance against either Jamaica or Suriname, but would still be at very long odds.

https://www.oceaniafootball.com/new-caledonia-on-the-brink-potential-world-cup-play-off-opponents-revealed/

Johan Sidaner’s New Caledonia are just two wins away from making history and they now know who stands in their way.

In March, under the bright lights of Mexico, the Oceania hopefuls will collide with one of Jamaica, Suriname, or Bolivia in the FIFA Intercontinental World Cup Playoff, a do-or-die pathway to the FIFA World Cup 26™.

With the final round of qualifiers wrapping up this week, the six playoff contenders are locked in. Iraq and DR Congo, the top seeds, head straight to the playoff finals, with their potential opponents for the last two berths at the expanded 48 team World Cup, one of OFC Runners-up New Caledonia, CONCACAF sides Jamaica and Suriname, and Bolivia from CONMEBOL.

FIFA has chosen Mexican cities Guadalajara and Monterrey to host the matches.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360882397/who-all-whites-can-draw-2026-fifa-world-cup

.......best scenario a UEFA team from Pot 2, and a non UEFA team from Pot 3...........

Im not a great fan if FIFA rankings but it looks like NZ will be the worst ranked team at the WC. Basically we struggle to beat anyone out of Oceania. 
All the articles I have read about best/worst teams to be drawn against have NZ in there easiest draw.
I think we are capable of a result at the WC. If every team think we are the easybeats then thats to our advantage

I wouldn't rule out Suriname (123rd) qualifying via the March intercontinental tourney.

Worst ranked maybe, but we won't be the worst team at the World Cup. Better prepared for sure than some others.

A quick gander and looks like apart from 1 game each against Saudi (2025) and Qatar (2023) at Gold Cup tourneys, Haiti (84th) for example have only played CONCACAF teams this whole 4 year WC cycle, since early 2022.

austin111

Im not a great fan if FIFA rankings but it looks like NZ will be the worst ranked team at the WC. Basically we struggle to beat anyone out of Oceania. 
All the articles I have read about best/worst teams to be drawn against have NZ in there easiest draw.
I think we are capable of a result at the WC. If every team think we are the easybeats then thats to our advantage

Being seen as easybeats is most defiantly a bonus for us. Whilst we may not win against a lot of teams outside of those small nations in Oceania we have pushed other opponents very hard and they havent found it easy.
Come the WC whoever we draw will be pushed hard and if we are lucky maybe they'll be looking to rotate some players and take us lightly. Like Italy in 2010, we manage to score from a set piece early and defend well then we could steal a win and throw the cat amongst the pigeons.

just in case anyone has forgotten, or god forbid wasnt aware of football back then.

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That's right we finished above Italy, and were the only team not to lose a game the entire tournament.

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I would be quite surprised if any team we played against rotated their players in a consequential match for the opposition. The downside would far outweigh the benefit of resting key players. Only really if it is the third group game for an already-qualified side would I expect that; the draw looks like it has Pot 4 teams playing Pot 1 teams third, so, if correct, we may face one if they win their first two matches.

In 2026, there are 100s of hours of match footage and terabytes of data to analyse. I doubt any mystery will exist around us at all - Auckland City at the CWC were fully analysed and faced top strength teams, for example, and their disparity versus the opposition was much greater. From the moment the draw is done in a couple weeks, those three teams will be poring over every match we've played for years. 

carlind

I would be quite surprised if any team we played against rotated their players in a consequential match for the opposition. The downside would far outweigh the benefit of resting key players. Only really if it is the third group game for an already-qualified side would I expect that; the draw looks like it has Pot 4 teams playing Pot 1 teams third, so, if correct, we may face one if they win their first two matches.

In 2026, there are 100s of hours of match footage and terabytes of data to analyse. I doubt any mystery will exist around us at all - Auckland City at the CWC were fully analysed and faced top strength teams, for example, and their disparity versus the opposition was much greater. From the moment the draw is done in a couple weeks, those three teams will be poring over every match we've played for years. 

Not quite the case re: the draw, while A1 v A4, B1 v B4, D1 v D4 have been locked in for MD3, that's only the case so far in the three host nation groups to provide early clarity, but more importantly, A4 etc aren't automatically the pot four team, teams get drawn in to one of the four slots.

they'd be hard pressed to win both of those you'd think.

theprof

just in case anyone has forgotten, or god forbid wasnt aware of football back then.

image.png 24.96 KB

That's right we finished above Italy, and were the only team not to lose a game the entire tournament.

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And we should have scored another against Italy. Wood beat his man then dragged his shot wide.

To be fair, Italy should never have been given the pen in the 29th min, was a clear dive!