Football in 2036

[Guest Bilo]

Seeing as I am bored at work on my last Friday here, I thought it might be interesting to get a few predictions down as to what football will be like in 25 years' time. Apart from the depressing realisation that I'll be 52, I can foresee a very different footballing world. Just a bit of fun like, I'm bored and need humouring.

• FIFA Club World Cup more competitive, lucrative and taken more seriously than ever before as Middle East businessmen invest in their domestic market. A combination of red tape and high taxation in Europe and a growing interest in Middle Eastern football after Qatar 2022 are factors.
  
• European clubs still hold much of the power, but the powerbase is shifting. England sees less money in the game after the high profile collapses of a number of top-flight clubs due to enormous debts, though with more home grown players than at any time since the 1990s thanks to foreign players choosing pastures new.
  
• The Spanish duopoly between Barcelona and Real Madrid is massively entrenched, becoming reminiscent of the SPL. The most powerful leagues are now the ever-profitable Bundesliga and the massively monied Russian Premier League with the English Premier League now roughly equivalent to the French league in the 2010s.
  
• In England, Manchester United remain powerful but their city rivals are only just recovering from the withdrawal of their Arab owners in favour of Middle Eastern clubs after Qatar 2022. Some of the big names of 25 years ago now find themselves as second tier clubs after financial woes, including Chelsea and Everton. Clubs with larger fanbases that spent little during the boom years such as Arsenal also do well. The Premiership has levelled out with promoted clubs no longer cannon fodder as the financial playing field becomes less important, and clubs with good youth systems such as Leicester and West Ham tend to do well.
  
• International football is slightly different, as Middle East sides are as weak as they have ever been due to the amount of foreign players in the Qatari and UAE leagues. China however have vastly improved after hosting the World Cup in 2026 and are often a match for some more famous names. Brazil remain the foremost power after winning World Cups in their own backyard in 2014 and the hothouse of Qatar in 2022, though Spain continue to impress. England have finally added to their total after victory in Russia, and continue to impress thanks to a domestic scene that has learned much from Germany in terms of youth development.
  
• FIFA remains obsessed with taking the World Cup to new places, and Australia hosted its first World Cup in 2034.
  
• Foxes Talk is still a bastion of negativity.
  

[Mike the Metal Ed]

Leicester City are defending the Champions League, or languishing in midtable in the Conference National, depending on who you ask.

But nah, that's an interesting thought. That's like trying to predict the current situation in 1986. Before the total death of top tier terracing, £72 matchday tickets, Manchester United's dominance, Blackburn's first league title since George V was on the throne, Chelsea's return to respectability, Sky Sports and the Premier League and Man City's oblivion and back. Who'd have thunk it eh? That was the summer we signed Steve Walsh. Things change a lot over such a long period of time, and it's hard to not see some of those things happening.

[Finnegan]

England winning another worl cup in our liftetime.

[Guest Bilo]

There are some good youngsters coming through these days but I thought, sod it, let's be massively optimistic amid the gloom.

Seeing as we'll probably be paying £1000 a ticket for Al-Khor away in the FCWC by then.

[The Doctor]

The sky bubble will have burst and player wages will have plummeted down to match up with normal folk.

Scotland will be looking to qualify for WC 2038, a first tournament in 40 years.

Alex Ferguson will have had his corpse re-animated and have led man utd to a 1,000,000th consecutive title.

England's national side will have been merged with Qatar after the FA lost a card game against Sepp Blatter.

A senile Rupert Murdoch accidentally buys Newcastle under the mis-apprehension that they were a major News company.

Arsene Wenger still refuses to admit that his arsenal side need to start trying to win games ugly, insisting style is more important than success.

Chelsea are owned by a homeless tramp who was walking past as Abromovich ran out of Stamford Bridge, chucking shares at people and fleeing back to Russia.

Wales will have just won a first game in two centuries, a extremely fortunate 1-0 win against a mouse that wandered into the millennium stadium.

[I am Rod Hull]

Leicester have merged with Coventry and now play at the Ricoh in front of crowds of 21,000 +..

[ScouseFox]

It is still going to be "Liverpool's year", despite no title in 46 years. And they're still the biggest club in the world.

[Mike the Metal Ed]

Leicester have merged with Coventry and now play at the Ricoh in front of crowds of 21,000 +..

That makes sense, I think it's nearer to Leicester city centre than Coventry.

[Finnegan]

Wales will have a 'new dawn' as we show 'good promise' and 'huge potdtial' to be 'in with a good chance' of qualifying for Luxembourg 2038.

[StanSP]

Tevez is still sitting on the bench refusing to play.

[ScouseFox]

We still don't have any wingers.

[Guest Bilo]

Nottingham Forest are still telling anyone who'll listen what a massive club they are because of their European Cup wins 56 years previously. They usually bombard the Dover Athletic and Braintree Town fans with the message prior to their Aviva Electric Car Insurance Super Football League Division Four clashes at Meadow Lane. This after the City Ground was stolen brick-by-brick in the Nottingham Riots of 2025.

[ScouseFox]

Yuki Abe finally understands.

[Finnegan]

Yuki Abe finally understands.

Yuki Abe finally kicks Gally out the way and scores a free kick.

[Bugg]

It is still going to be "Liverpool's year", despite no title in 46 years. And they're still the biggest club in the world.

[The Doctor]

Ritchie Wellens is still playing in CM for Leicester, with a zimmer frame. His speed of play has actually improved.

[Guest Bilo]

The Poznan has long since been replaced by the Lazio, where we Sieg Heil at the pitch and scream racial abuse at anyone not white.

Bilo and Finnegan condemn it, while acooling, lcfcstu and kids bemoan political correctness gone mad.

[Finnegan]

[Bugg]

Leicester City still need time to "gel"

[The Doctor]

Leicester just beat Barcelona 100-0 with all goals from youth-team players. Thraician bemoans lack of attacking spirit and commitment to producing youth-teamers.

[Guest Bilo]

Iain Hume returns to the Wang Fung Hong Chinese Supermarket Arena (formerly known as the Walkers Stadium, King Power Stadium, Showaddywaddy Park and Sol Bambarena) as manager of Toronto in the FCWC and is feted as a God. A queue of 40 somethings line up to kiss and polish his bald head before a vital home victory against his side, for which the Leicester City fanbase wholeheartedly apologise.

[I am Rod Hull]

Five times Pulitzer prize winner Nightguard, is Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II (yes she`s still around) for his services to literature...

[The Doctor]

The French national side have finally stopped surrendering.

Coventry are relegated, leaving Vodaphone Division 2 by Greggs for the first time since the Dinosaur team folded.

Osama Bin Laden re-appears as owner of Shrewsbury Town - re-named Fvck You America FC.

Kevin Barclay has had the Fosse Boys deported to Somalia for looking at a steward.

[Finnegan]

Leicester City still need time to "gel"

[I am Rod Hull]

LargeAl is named as the new England cricket captain for the up coming Ashes series in Australia...

In an interview he says "It will be a great honour to lead my country and i will wear the three lions with pride"...