Good news for the All Whites?
FIFA World Cup expansion - now with added OFC qualification!
Bad news for football?
Might give the other Oceania teams an amazing incentive.
Good news for the All Whites?
Bad.
Under current format we get 2 meaningful games every 4 years, one of which is at home. 5 games if we qualify.
Now we get 2 games every 4 years. Plus one game for each stage we qualify for. We'd need to reach the quarterfinals to get 5 games.
Even if we qualify for the knockout stages, it wouldn't really mean anything - especially if we got there by beating a team in a penalty shootout.
Not to mention 32 teams was perfection. This new format is much worse. The one good thing FIFA did was the World Cup, and now they've gone and ruined it so they could win an election.
I hope we win
Good news for the All Whites?
Bad.
Under current format we get 2 meaningful games every 4 years, one of which is at home. 5 games if we qualify.
Now we get 2 games every 4 years. Plus one game for each stage we qualify for. We'd need to reach the quarterfinals to get 5 games.
Even if we qualify for the knockout stages, it wouldn't really mean anything - especially if we got there by beating a team in a penalty shootout.
Not to mention 32 teams was perfection. This new format is much worse. The one good thing FIFA did was the World Cup, and now they've gone and ruined it so they could win an election.
*Assuming we qualify of course
Best option would have been for FIFA to include the two top Oceania teams in the final round of Asian qualifying, assuming they won't get rid of Oceania and break Asia in two. Whilst this will provide more income, I'm not sure ultimately it will improve the quality of the football the All Whites play.
Good news for the All Whites?
Bad.
Under current format we get 2 meaningful games every 4 years, one of which is at home. 5 games if we qualify.
Now we get 2 games every 4 years. Plus one game for each stage we qualify for. We'd need to reach the quarterfinals to get 5 games.
Even if we qualify for the knockout stages, it wouldn't really mean anything - especially if we got there by beating a team in a penalty shootout.
Not to mention 32 teams was perfection. This new format is much worse. The one good thing FIFA did was the World Cup, and now they've gone and ruined it so they could win an election.
Really?
It's an interesting one for OFC. Works out well in the sense that WCQ isn't diluted because of more entry spots. Assuming added money comes with it, I wonder if there is an opportunity to socialise some of that money to fund a more comprehensive qualifcation process for both the Confeds Cup and the World Cup. Rather than have it all lumped in at once. Long shot, I know.
It does have the added Fever Forum bonus of going from a hope that we qualify for a World Cup to us being able to angst over not making it.
Too much to write myself but think this is best I have seen with problem of having the extra teams and groups of 3.
It's an interesting one for OFC. Works out well in the sense that WCQ isn't diluted because of more entry spots. Assuming added money comes with it, I wonder if there is an opportunity to socialise some of that money to fund a more comprehensive qualifcation process for both the Confeds Cup and the World Cup. Rather than have it all lumped in at once. Long shot, I know.
You have to say this is a good thing for the AWs
Too much to write myself but think this is best I have seen with problem of having the extra teams and groups of 3.
https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/5mwf3a/oc...
8x6 is far preferable. Group winners only to QF
It's also possible that expanding to 48 is very bad for Sth America. Their qualiers are excellent and IMO the best football going.
It's an interesting one for OFC. Works out well in the sense that WCQ isn't diluted because of more entry spots. Assuming added money comes with it, I wonder if there is an opportunity to socialise some of that money to fund a more comprehensive qualifcation process for both the Confeds Cup and the World Cup. Rather than have it all lumped in at once. Long shot, I know.
You have to say this is a good thing for the AWs
Only if OFC direct entry
If not its join East Asia if AFC splits
If not that yeah we're fudgeed
It's an interesting one for OFC. Works out well in the sense that WCQ isn't diluted because of more entry spots. Assuming added money comes with it, I wonder if there is an opportunity to socialise some of that money to fund a more comprehensive qualifcation process for both the Confeds Cup and the World Cup. Rather than have it all lumped in at once. Long shot, I know.
Yes for sure. Having a viable and competitive qualification process is critical for success.
Best option would have been for FIFA to include the two top Oceania teams in the final round of Asian qualifying, assuming they won't get rid of Oceania and break Asia in two. Whilst this will provide more income, I'm not sure ultimately it will improve the quality of the football the All Whites play.
Again with this? AFC won't split and absorve OFC. I think Oceania will be granted 1,5 spots, which means an Island team will get thrashed every four years in the playoff but at least they will have better chances than they do now.
I thought the 32 team format was perfect to keep the WC both competiting and entertaining, but clearly there's been a lot of pressure to expand it. I don't like this idea, the group stage will have loads of meaningless matches and that thing about deciding drawn matchs on penalties sounds very MLS in the 90s when they decided drawn matches in some weird way. But all possible formats were pretty bad I guess.
Saw this on Twitter: "Using FIFA rankings, here's how World Cup 2026 groups could look. Seeds listed first; top 2 go through. Hell of a draw for Wales and England"
Good news for the All Whites?
Bad.
Under current format we get 2 meaningful games every 4 years, one of which is at home. 5 games if we qualify.
Now we get 2 games every 4 years. Plus one game for each stage we qualify for. We'd need to reach the quarterfinals to get 5 games.
Even if we qualify for the knockout stages, it wouldn't really mean anything - especially if we got there by beating a team in a penalty shootout.
Not to mention 32 teams was perfection. This new format is much worse. The one good thing FIFA did was the World Cup, and now they've gone and ruined it so they could win an election.
But good for New Zealand Football (the entity). Almost guaranteed money for the organisation, trips for execs...
Too much to write myself but think this is best I have seen with problem of having the extra teams and groups of 3.
https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/5mwf3a/oc...
8x6 is far preferable. Group winners only to QF
Clubs would never let that happen.
I'm in two minds about this.
From a financial point of view its great for NZF. We would get a big financial shot in the arm every WC. It would give the game here almost total financial security....providing NZF don't fudge it up.
From a playing point of view I'm not so sure. OK it would get the AW's more media coverage att home every four years and we would have two possibly three WC games to get excited about.....but then what? what about the other three years? the AW's are invisible in NZ.
I would prefer us to be in the expanded WC Asian playoffs.The AW's need profile games, both home and away. If we were in the Asian playoffs we would get home and away games against high profile sides like Australia,Japan Korea etc. In some ways going straight to the WC directly from Oceania would feel a little like we snuck in through the back door. Under the expansion Asia will possibly end up with at least three more places. If we could not qualify out of that group we wouldn't deserve to be at the WC IMO. But if we did it would at least feel like we had earnt our place.
As a fan I want to see my side play important matches at home against proper sides....Oceania does not do it for me.
COCKerill in SMH today: oz should consider return to Oceania. LOL
I'm in two minds about this.
From a financial point of view its great for NZF. We would get a big financial shot in the arm every WC. It would give the game here almost total financial security....providing NZF don't fudge it up.
From a playing point of view I'm not so sure. OK it would get the AW's more media coverage att home every four years and we would have two possibly three WC games to get excited about.....but then what? what about the other three years? the AW's are invisible in NZ.
I would prefer us to be in the expanded WC Asian playoffs.The AW's need profile games, both home and away. If we were in the Asian playoffs we would get home and away games against high profile sides like Australia,Japan Korea etc. In some ways going straight to the WC directly from Oceania would feel a little like we snuck in through the back door. Under the expansion Asia will possibly end up with at least three more places. If we could not qualify out of that group we wouldn't deserve to be at the WC IMO. But if we did it would at least feel like we had earnt our place.
As a fan I want to see my side play important matches at home against proper sides....Oceania does not do it for me.
Jumping the gun there
Too much to write myself but think this is best I have seen with problem of having the extra teams and groups of 3.
https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/5mwf3a/oc...
8x6 is far preferable. Group winners only to QF
Clubs would never let that happen.
Which is why 40 at 8x5 was the smarter move or a transition.
COCKerill in SMH today: oz should consider return to Oceania. LOL
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
Saw this on Twitter: "Using FIFA rankings, here's how World Cup 2026 groups could look. Seeds listed first; top 2 go through. Hell of a draw for Wales and England"
I quite like this. In fact I like it a lot.
Best option would have been for FIFA to include the two top Oceania teams in the final round of Asian qualifying, assuming they won't get rid of Oceania and break Asia in two. Whilst this will provide more income, I'm not sure ultimately it will improve the quality of the football the All Whites play.
Again with this? AFC won't split and absorve OFC. I think Oceania will be granted 1,5 spots, which means an Island team will get thrashed every four years in the playoff but at least they will have better chances than they do now.
I thought the 32 team format was perfect to keep the WC both competiting and entertaining, but clearly there's been a lot of pressure to expand it. I don't like this idea, the group stage will have loads of meaningless matches and that thing about deciding drawn matchs on penalties sounds very MLS in the 90s when they decided drawn matches in some weird way. But all possible formats were pretty bad I guess.
I just said that If you actually read what I Iwrote. Which is why I said getting the top two sides in the final round of Asian qualflying is the better option to actually develop football talent. If that isn't an option, well, fine, but sorry to actually want NZ football to develop from being a plankton.
I'm in two minds about this.
From a financial point of view its great for NZF. We would get a big financial shot in the arm every WC. It would give the game here almost total financial security....providing NZF don't fudge it up.
From a playing point of view I'm not so sure. OK it would get the AW's more media coverage att home every four years and we would have two possibly three WC games to get excited about.....but then what? what about the other three years? the AW's are invisible in NZ.
I would prefer us to be in the expanded WC Asian playoffs.The AW's need profile games, both home and away. If we were in the Asian playoffs we would get home and away games against high profile sides like Australia,Japan Korea etc. In some ways going straight to the WC directly from Oceania would feel a little like we snuck in through the back door. Under the expansion Asia will possibly end up with at least three more places. If we could not qualify out of that group we wouldn't deserve to be at the WC IMO. But if we did it would at least feel like we had earnt our place.
As a fan I want to see my side play important matches at home against proper sides....Oceania does not do it for me.
Exactly what i think. Us in the expanded Asian playoffs is the best way to get meaningful games between world cups and develop talent.
COCKerill in SMH today: oz should consider return to Oceania. LOL
Inasmuch as I respect MC's intelligence, I could not stop laughing.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-game/8...
Personally I think it was either tongue-in-cheek, or a clickbait for enraged comments.... or both.
Too much to write myself but think this is best I have seen with problem of having the extra teams and groups of 3.
https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/5mwf3a/oc...
8x6 is far preferable. Group winners only to QF
It's also possible that expanding to 48 is very bad for Sth America. Their qualiers are excellent and IMO the best football going.
A lot of meaningless games in that format. Plus a lot of games, the tournament would be too long.
I'm surprised European clubs haven't complained as it is, with the tournament likely to be 8 days longer under the new format.
Agree Tegal (over 8 X6). But no meaningless games in the above scenario. Could get quite cut-throat even.
Imagine Spain 4 Australia 0 , Spain 4 (or 5) NZ 0 .......... then NZ v Australia
This could open the door for more chances at decent friendly games, as other countries won't be tied up with their own qualifiers
Think we'll see more boring games since like the last Euros the format is going to encourage draws. 2 draws all but guarantees progression and there will be teams going through with 1 point which doesn't seem right. But there will be more chance to qualify for countries who would usually just miss out.
Think we'll see more boring games since like the last Euros the format is going to encourage draws. 2 draws all but guarantees progression and there will be teams going through with 1 point which doesn't seem right. But there will be more chance to qualify for countries who would usually just miss out.
Except one of FIFA's brilliant ideas (Sarcasm) to solve this for the World Cups (Also to combat collusion between teams) is that instead of draws, we will have a result by now including penalties shoot outs.
This could open the door for more chances at decent friendly games, as other countries won't be tied up with their own qualifiers
perhaps. Really depends on how other confederation reshape qualification. Can't see any change in South America (unless they move to two groups of 5 to make qualification more meaningful?) North America could get rid of the hex entirely, but they would probably replace it with more games in the early stages to give minnows more opportunities for games. AFC....who knows really.
Think we'll see more boring games since like the last Euros the format is going to encourage draws. 2 draws all but guarantees progression and there will be teams going through with 1 point which doesn't seem right. But there will be more chance to qualify for countries who would usually just miss out.
Except one of FIFA's brilliant ideas (Sarcasm) to solve this for the World Cups (Also to combat collusion between teams) is that instead of draws, we will have a result by now including penalties shoot outs.
really? thats fudgeed. But its a fudgeed answer to a silly problem they have created
Think we'll see more boring games since like the last Euros the format is going to encourage draws. 2 draws all but guarantees progression and there will be teams going through with 1 point which doesn't seem right. But there will be more chance to qualify for countries who would usually just miss out.
Except one of FIFA's brilliant ideas (Sarcasm) to solve this for the World Cups (Also to combat collusion between teams) is that instead of draws, we will have a result by now including penalties shoot outs.
really? thats fudgeed. But its a fudgeed answer to a silly problem they have created
That's a problem that exists now those, isn't it?
from the guardian
"The proposed breakdown would comprise: Europe 16 teams (13 currently); Africa 9 (5); Asia 8.5 (4.5), South America 6 (4.5), Concacaf 6.5 (3.5), Oceania 1 (0.5), Host nation 1 (1)."
Bit shark if Oceania only gets 1 full spot. But also that concacaf gets more spots that south america. Europe doesn't need 16 places. That's just greedy. I mean, that's just fifa...
fyi, good article by the guardian on this.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jan/10/4...
To be honest, I'm not sure Oceania deserves more than one spot. Maybe if there was something in it that regulations that it could be looked at later but at the moment the conference doesn't have enough strong teams to warrant two places.
That's a problem that exists now those, isn't it?