Maradona backs Infantino's 48-team World Cup plan

[webfact]

Maradona backs Infantino's 48-team World Cup plan

By Brian Homewood
REUTERS

 

Diego Armando Maradona warms-up before the FIFA Legends tournament ahead of the FIFA awards ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland, January 9, 2017. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

 

ZURICH (Reuters) - Diego Maradona is delighted by plans to expand the World Cup to 48 teams and Argentina's former captain said on Monday that it would rekindle interest in the tournament.

 

The FIFA Council is expected to approve a proposal to expand the finals from 32 to 48 teams, starting in 2026, when it meets on Tuesday.

 

Maradona, one of the greatest players to grace the game, has been a long-time critic of FIFA but the two sides buried the hatchet last year after Gianni Infantino was elected president of the global soccer body to replace the disgraced Sepp Blatter.

 

"I'm delighted by Gianni's initiative because it gives chances to teams that otherwise would start the qualifiers knowing they had no chance of getting to the World Cup," Maradona told reporters after a veterans' match at FIFA headquarters.

 

"It gives each country the dream and it renews the passion for football, it appears to me to be a fantastic idea," added Maradona, who captained Argentina to World Cup success in 1986.

 

He said it was important for the sport that FIFA's image improved after it was battered by a corruption scandal that has seen 40 individuals and two sports marketing companies indicted in the United States.

 

"We want a FIFA that is clean so people come back to the stadiums, with so much corruption people have got tired of always seeing the same thing," said the 56-year-old.

 

Maradona was a frequent critic of Infantino's predecessor Sepp Blatter and claimed there was "a mafia" inside FIFA.

 

He had also previously criticised Infantino, saying it was "very wrong to go from drawing the lots to running for FIFA president."

 

The remark was a reference to Infantino's previous role as general secretary of European soccer governing body UEFA, where his duties included supervising draws for European competitions.

 

(Reporting by Brian Homewood; Editing by Ken Ferris)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-01-10

[LammyTS1]

Shame they can't introduce this for Qatar 2022. 

Now means 23% of FIFA members will reach the finals. Be good to see new countries playing on the world stage. Bring it on!

[Chicog]

Who cares what the drug taking, cheating, Argentinian pot bellied pig thinks?

 

[siam2007]

On 12/01/2017 at 5:53 PM, LammyTS1 said:

Shame they can't introduce this for Qatar 2022. 

Now means 23% of FIFA members will reach the finals. Be good to see new countries playing on the world stage. Bring it on!

 

 

Germany 14 Vanuatu 0

 

this is what you want to see at a World-Cup ?

[carmine]

38 minutes ago, siam2007 said:

 

 

Germany 14 Vanuatu 0

 

this is what you want to see at a World-Cup ?

 

Nail on the head.  Its a totally crap idea from start to finish.  

[LammyTS1]

Nothing crap about it. The best teams will still reach the latter stages & if they don't, well they don't deserve to. Simples!


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[carmine]

44 minutes ago, LammyTS1 said:

Nothing crap about it. The best teams will still reach the latter stages & if they don't, well they don't deserve to. Simples!


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Well thats your opinion but your argument in favor isn't up to much.  And have you noticed you are very much in the minority?  I find the argument against the increase completely logical but apart from saying more countries should be allowed in i don't here anything else from you backing the case.

[LammyTS1]

 
Well thats your opinion but your argument in favor isn't up to much.  And have you noticed you are very much in the minority?  I find the argument against the increase completely logical but apart from saying more countries should be allowed in i don't here anything else from you backing the case.

OK. So you want statistics that will completely validate how an increase has been long overdue & show how your argument against an increase is totally illogical:-

1950 Brazil - number of entrants 34, number of finalists 13. 38% of entrants qualified.

1982 Spain - number of entrants 109, number of finalists 24. 22% of entrants qualified.

2018 Russia - number of entrants 211, number of finalists 32. 15% of entrants qualified.

As you can see, with each World Cup, more and more countries are entering. From 13 for Uruguay 1930 to 211 for Russia 2018. How can they continue letting more and more countries enter without increasing the final places?

2018 will be the lowest % of qualifiers in World Cup history at only 15%. 1 in only 7 teams qualify, ridiculous.


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[Travel2003]

Maradona?  He still has a say?  In la la land maybe.   Good footballer of course, some time ago. But a total nutcase.

 

Why not increase to all FIFA members. this way 100 countries spend a lot of time and lots of resources to play only one match, then fly home again.

Or should it last for 100 days maybe, so they all can play an entire group?

An idiot idea, which is based upon money under the table, in "good old" FIFA style.

 

[LammyTS1]

Maradona?  He still has a say?  In la la land maybe.   Good footballer of course, some time ago. But a total nutcase.
 
Why not increase to all FIFA members. this way 100 countries spend a lot of time and lots of resources to play only one match, then fly home again.
Or should it last for 100 days maybe, so they all can play an entire group?
An idiot idea, which is based upon money under the table, in "good old" FIFA style.
 

Or why don't they just have 16 teams all from Europe? Would that be better for you?


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[LammyTS1]

Maradona?  He still has a say?  In la la land maybe.   Good footballer of course, some time ago. But a total nutcase.
 
Why not increase to all FIFA members. this way 100 countries spend a lot of time and lots of resources to play only one match, then fly home again.
Or should it last for 100 days maybe, so they all can play an entire group?
An idiot idea, which is based upon money under the table, in "good old" FIFA style.
 

This just goes to prove how out of touch with modern football you are.

100 countries? Try 211 competing nations for Russia 2018.

Which country are you from? Zaire? Rhodesia?


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[Travel2003]

11 hours ago, LammyTS1 said:

 

This just goes to prove how out of touch with modern football you are.

100 countries? Try 211 competing nations for Russia 2018.

Which country are you from? Zaire? Rhodesia?


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Really? That is your takeaway from my post? I used the number 100, as an example.

 

I believe there is a phrase called "cherry picking arguments".  

Your MO?

[LammyTS1]

Really? That is your takeaway from my post? I used the number 100, as an example.
 
I believe there is a phrase called "cherry picking arguments".  
Your MO?

I am still awaiting someone to back up their argument as to why the finals quota should remain or reduce?

I've provided facts & figures supporting the increase.


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[Travel2003]

Will they all play their total number of group games?

Or will some just be eliminated after one match?

Will there be more groups, so there are fewer games? If yes, much more Stadia, or a much longer contest (couple of weeks longer)?

Will we see tiny nations (as already mentioned here) lined up against big guns, with ridicules scores, which can be used to line up 2nd string players to get the best a rest?

Finally, is this increase of participants not really just an economical plan from FIFA (tv rights, etc)?

 

 

 

[bangkok blue]

48 team world cup isn't a bad idea, as long as format isn't messed around with. This bonkers idea of 16 groups of 3 and having penalty shoot our for drawn games is straight out of the Sepp Blatter book of lunacy! 12 groups of 4, top 2 go through as usual, with 6 best 3rd place teams joining them in K.O round of 32. It would mean 8 games instead of 7, but if they insist on changing to this format, when international football is becoming under valued to Champions League, then it could soon be a dead duck!