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StanSP

2026 World Cup

By StanSP, in World Cup 2026

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Lionator

Lionator

Posted
Posted
13 minutes ago, Super_horns said:

Excellent team and squad no doubt who have a great chance in the USA.


Big issue next summer will be the heat and travel I feel .

I believe all but one of the eight World Cups held in the americas has been won by a non South American team, probably for good reason. 

  • Like 1
shen

shen

Posted
Posted

Nigeria, Wow. Ended up winning against Group leaders Benin 4-0 leapfrogging them into second place, while also edging into the last runner-up playoff spot ahead of Burkina Faso on GD. If they had won just 3-0, I believe they would've missed out. 

You have to feel for Burkina Faso here...

  • Like 1
RonnieTodger

RonnieTodger

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, shen said:

Nigeria, Wow. Ended up winning against Group leaders Benin 4-0 leapfrogging them into second place, while also edging into the last runner-up playoff spot ahead of Burkina Faso on GD. If they had won just 3-0, I believe they would've missed out. 

You have to feel for Burkina Faso here...

I thought a draw would’ve been enough for Benin, but South Africa would’ve leapfrogged them on GD anyway. 

RowlattsFox

RowlattsFox

Posted
Posted

Bellingham definitely gets back if fit and on form. Wouldn't be surprised to see if one of Foden or Palmer don't make the squad though. 

 

As good as the last couple of performances have been, you have to consider the opposition. Not the first time we've swept aside qualifying campaigns. 

  • Like 2
Alf Bentley

Alf Bentley

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, shen said:

Nigeria, Wow. Ended up winning against Group leaders Benin 4-0 leapfrogging them into second place, while also edging into the last runner-up playoff spot ahead of Burkina Faso on GD. If they had won just 3-0, I believe they would've missed out. 

You have to feel for Burkina Faso here...

 

So, both Nigeria and Cameroon sneak into the African play-offs....but only 1, at most, will make it out alive...

Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon and DR Congo, 1 to qualify for the inter-continental play-offs.

 

Inter-continental play-offs (2 to qualify for WC finals):

- Bolivia

- New Caledonia

- UAE or Iraq

- 1 of the 4 African nations above

- 2 x second-placed CONCACAF teams (perhaps Curaçao & Costa Rica, but groups are tight)

Sir Steve Howard

Sir Steve Howard

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Alf Bentley said:

 

So, both Nigeria and Cameroon sneak into the African play-offs....but only 1, at most, will make it out alive...

Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon and DR Congo, 1 to qualify for the inter-continental play-offs.

 

Inter-continental play-offs (2 to qualify for WC finals):

- Bolivia

- New Caledonia

- UAE or Iraq

- 1 of the 4 African nations above

- 2 x second-placed CONCACAF teams (perhaps Curaçao & Costa Rica, but groups are tight)

Shambolic UEFA don't get a representative in the playoffs (because whoever it was would obviously walk it). CONCACAF getting 6 spots and 2 in the playoffs is taking the piss.

Last time UEFA had an intercontinental spot was 2002, playoff was Ireland v Iran w/ home and away legs, incredible tie.

Detroit Blues

Detroit Blues

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, Sir Steve Howard said:

Shambolic UEFA don't get a representative in the playoffs (because whoever it was would obviously walk it). CONCACAF getting 6 spots and 2 in the playoffs is taking the piss.

Last time UEFA had an intercontinental spot was 2002, playoff was Ireland v Iran w/ home and away legs, incredible tie.

I'm going to caveat with - the expansion of the tournament is dumb, and the original selection of 32 teams was perfect.... BUT... CONCACAF's teams going to the inter-confederation tournament are likely to be pretty solid. Curacao is by far the lowest ELO ranked team (95), but they could easily displace Jamaica (75) for the top spot in their group. Costa Rica is (52) and Panama is (36). 

 

That compares well with:

 

Nigeria (62)

Cameroon (68)

Gabon (84)

DR Congo (65)

Bolivia (47)

New Caledonia (140)

UAE (73)

Iraq (68)

 

Are these teams better than the teams that will likely miss out in UEFA? Of course not. But that's not really the point of the World Cup. 

 

  • Like 2
BKLFox

BKLFox

Posted
Posted
14 hours ago, Lionator said:

The big question for Tuchel, does Bellingham and Foden get back in the team?

We need to learn from past experiences that a team isn’t always your star players.

For me Foden & Palmer now don’t make the starting 11 but play off the bench.

This team needs a Butt / Carrick type which Anderson & Wharton bring so it’s 1 of those sitting with Rice & Bellingham.

 

There will be a few ‘big’ names missing out on the squad 

  • Like 1
Sir Steve Howard

Sir Steve Howard

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, Detroit Blues said:

I'm going to caveat with - the expansion of the tournament is dumb, and the original selection of 32 teams was perfect.... BUT... CONCACAF's teams going to the inter-confederation tournament are likely to be pretty solid. Curacao is by far the lowest ELO ranked team (95), but they could easily displace Jamaica (75) for the top spot in their group. Costa Rica is (52) and Panama is (36). 

 

That compares well with:

 

Nigeria (62)

Cameroon (68)

Gabon (84)

DR Congo (65)

Bolivia (47)

New Caledonia (140)

UAE (73)

Iraq (68)

 

Are these teams better than the teams that will likely miss out in UEFA? Of course not. But that's not really the point of the World Cup. 

 

Nothing good has ever come out of CONCACAF I'm afraid, considering that outside of USA/Canada it's football mad.

Mexico perennial chokers.

USA's best player is at Cov ffs.

 

 

Detroit Blues

Detroit Blues

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, Sir Steve Howard said:

Nothing good has ever come out of CONCACAF I'm afraid, considering that outside of USA/Canada it's football mad.

Mexico perennial chokers.

USA's best player is at Cov ffs.

 

 

All in all, I think our confederation generally punches above its weight. CONCACAF has sent more teams to the round of 16 and the quarterfinals than every confederation other than UEFA and CONMEBOL.

 

  • The US has made it out of the group stage in 5 out of the last 9 world cups. The US beat England in 1950, and drew with England twice in 2010 (topping the group), and in 2022. 
  • Costa Rica made it to the quarterfinals in 2014, which included knocking England out of the group. 
  • Mexico made it out of the group stage in 8 out of the last 9 world cups. 
     

Clearly you're taking the piss, but Haji Wright (who is literally a player Leicester desperately needs), is probably 3rd on the depth chart right now at striker for the US, behind Balogun (Monaco) and Pepi (PSV). He also was incredible last night, and scored two excellent goals against Australia. Go look up his second goal if you want a good laugh. He cut so hard onto his left foot that the defender fell on his ass and watched Wright curl the ball in. 

 

Also, one last thing you're wrong about (respectfully). Baseball is the most popular sport in many areas of CONCACAF - DR, Cuba, Panama, etc. In fact, Mexico and Costa Rica are really the only "big" nations in CONCACAF where Soccer/Football/Whatever is the most popular sport.

  • Like 1
Alf Bentley

Alf Bentley

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, Sir Steve Howard said:

Shambolic UEFA don't get a representative in the playoffs (because whoever it was would obviously walk it). CONCACAF getting 6 spots and 2 in the playoffs is taking the piss.

Last time UEFA had an intercontinental spot was 2002, playoff was Ireland v Iran w/ home and away legs, incredible tie.

 

Iraq v Scotland or New Caledonia v Wales would certainly have been fun as play-offs.

 

But I'm not sure, say Kosovo or Albania "would obviously walk it" against Nigeria or Panama. Scotland haven't always walked it against Costa Rica, as I recall. :D

 

3 CONCACAF nations qualifying as hosts created a qualification issue, but risking hosts not qualifying would have created a bigger one. Perhaps 3 extra CONCACAF qualifiers plus 2 play-off spots is marginally too many? But perhaps not, as Detroit argues...marginal decision, I'd say. 

 

I'd definitely have preferred more finals matches to have been staged in Mexico and Canada, but that's a different issue - and a decision heavily influenced by money, obviously.

 

1 hour ago, Detroit Blues said:

I'm going to caveat with - the expansion of the tournament is dumb, and the original selection of 32 teams was perfect.... BUT... CONCACAF's teams going to the inter-confederation tournament are likely to be pretty solid. Curacao is by far the lowest ELO ranked team (95), but they could easily displace Jamaica (75) for the top spot in their group. Costa Rica is (52) and Panama is (36). 

 

That compares well with:

 

Nigeria (62)

Cameroon (68)

Gabon (84)

DR Congo (65)

Bolivia (47)

New Caledonia (140)

UAE (73)

Iraq (68)

 

Are these teams better than the teams that will likely miss out in UEFA? Of course not. But that's not really the point of the World Cup. 

 

 

I can't be arsed to scrutinise the complications arising from UEFA play-off qualification via the Nations League (apparently San Marino could still qualify mathematically?! :blink:).

 

But looking at the 6 lowest-ranked of the 12 sides currently standing 2nd in UEFA WC qualifying groups seems a fair comparison:

Czech Rep (42)

Scotland (45)

Albania (65)

North Macedonia (67)

Bosnia & Herzegovina (74)

Kosovo (99)

 

I wouldn't say that those UEFA nations have a particularly strong case for qualification ahead of the play-off contenders from other confederations - or that they'd have inevitably beaten them, if UEFA had been given more play-off places.....and that's without even considering your implied and correct point that the World Cup is meant to promote football as a global game.

 

p.s. In South America, Peru (48), Venezuela (49) and Chile (57) are all already out without a play-off option.

 

 

Edited by Alf Bentley
Fox92

Fox92

Posted
Posted
16 hours ago, Lionator said:

The big question for Tuchel, does Bellingham and Foden get back in the team?

Foden never does anything for England. Don't see how he gets into the team. 

  • Thanks 1
grobyfox1990

grobyfox1990

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, Sir Steve Howard said:

Shambolic UEFA don't get a representative in the playoffs (because whoever it was would obviously walk it). CONCACAF getting 6 spots and 2 in the playoffs is taking the piss.

Last time UEFA had an intercontinental spot was 2002, playoff was Ireland v Iran w/ home and away legs, incredible tie.

Iran away would be amazing, life affirming. If the club wasn't such a shambles they'd organise Tehran away for pre-season next summer.

  • Haha 1
Lionator

Lionator

Posted
Posted

To be fair the 32 team format is literally the best format of any competition in any sport I reckon. Once you get into best third places, the competition loses something. The next two world cups will be a joke. 2026 will be a Trump circus given he’s Infantino’s best mate. 2030 is likely to be played across 6 countries and 3 continents despite Spain (with or without Portugal) having the infrastructure to host a 48 team World Cup. 2034 is corrupt for obvious reasons but might be a laugh. 2038 it’ll probably be held on Mars. 

  • Like 1
StanSP

StanSP

Posted
  • Author
Posted
1 hour ago, Lionator said:

2038 it’ll probably be held on Mars

2038 will literally be a World Cup. 

 

Games on/in every continent. Domestic season pushed from September through to April. World Cup from June through to August. Footballers collapsing from burnout left, right and centre. 

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