FIFA agrees to expand World Cup to 48 teams

[Jonathan Fairfield]

FIFA agrees to expand World Cup to 48 teams

By Brian Homewood

 

 

ZURICH (Reuters) - FIFA has voted to expand the World Cup to 48 teams from its current 32, brushing aside concerns that the expansion would lower the overall standard of the tournament, and make it too long and unwieldy.

 

Soccer's governing body said on its Twitter feed that the FIFA Council, its decision-making panel, had voted unanimously in favour of the change which will be introduced at the 2026 tournament.

 

The new format will include a first round of 16 groups of three teams, FIFA said, with further details to be given later.

 

FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who replaced the disgraced Sepp Blatter in February, had made World Cup expansion one of his promises during his successful electoral campaign.

 

Infantino had initially suggested a 40-team tournament but then added another eight to that total in October.

 

FIFA's 211 member associations each hold one vote in the presidential election and 135 of them have never played at a World Cup, so expansion of the tournament was always likely to appeal.

 

Those who have never qualified include 41 out of 54 of its African members and 10 out of 11 members in the Oceania region.

 

Critics, including the powerful European clubs as well as some leading coaches, have said that FIFA is tampering with a winning formula.

 

The last World Cup in Brazil was widely regarded as one of the best in the competition's 87-year-old history, featuring shock results, last minute drama and outstanding individual performances.

 

Another worry with the new format is that there could be a number of matches at the end of the group stage where both teams know exactly which result will send them into the next stage.

 

The qualifying competition, meanwhile, is likely to become a mere formality for many of the strongest teams.

 

The inaugural World Cup in Uruguay featured just 13 teams and 17 matches. Sixteen teams took part from 1934, eight more were added from 1982 onwards and, finally, another eight in 1998.

 

(Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-01-10

[wilai]

[BangrakBob]

I read somewhere it will increase FIFA tournament revenue $1B+

 

  

[wilai]

And the Scotland vs Tonga game could be a classic!

[BangrakBob]

6 minutes ago, wilai said:

And the Scotland vs Tonga game could be a classic!

 

Yeah, ironically it devalues the spectacle.

[Chicog]

1 hour ago, BangrakBob said:

 

Yeah, ironically it devalues the spectacle.

 

But it gives Scotland an outside chance of getting there.

 

 

[BangrakBob]

Just now, Chicog said:

 

But it gives Scotland an outside chance of getting there.

 

 

 

Yes it will be fun watching them getting drunk in self-congratulation on finally qualifying only to get thumped by Djibouti in the first round 

[Baerboxer]

18 hours ago, BangrakBob said:

I read somewhere it will increase FIFA tournament revenue $1B+

 

  

 

That's a nice increase for the gravy train! 

 

See Blatter and Platini just weren't innovative enough! They had to go.

 

The investigations by the Swiss authorities against those 2 seem to be running on Thai time!

[StevieH]

18 hours ago, BangrakBob said:

I read somewhere it will increase FIFA tournament revenue $1B+

 

  

 

aye. adds an extra couple of weeks to the summer jolly for those hardworking FIFA executives, drums up a whole new bunch of advertising, sponsorship and broadcast revenues. to hell with the game itself and the fans of course like. 

[smokie36]

23 hours ago, Chicog said:

 

But it gives Scotland an outside chance of getting there.

 

 

 

I'm not getting excited.

[smokie36]

23 hours ago, BangrakBob said:

 

Yes it will be fun watching them getting drunk in self-congratulation on finally qualifying only to get thumped by Djibouti in the first round 

 

Unlike English fans we will view it as an excuse to escape the wife and go on a month long piss up with the lads.

 

You lot seem to think you are at war. 

[carmine]

Rather unlike FIFA to find a way of making more money for themselves to the detriment of the game.

[Chicog]

Well at least they haven't followed through on their suggestion of expanding that "Club World Championship" to a month...

 

 

[StevieH]

1 hour ago, carmine said:

Rather unlike FIFA to find a way of making more money for themselves to the detriment of the game.

 

it's all those new countries that are going to have that budweiser piss hawked at them that i feel sorry for.

[MrRed]

On 10/01/2017 at 5:46 PM, wilai said:

 

I knew there was a god!!  Panini wars

 

At least we might see Thailand at a finals before we die even if it is for just 2 games ...Imagine the hype here if they did get there?

[LammyTS1]

Shame it's too late for Qatar 2022.

Its always exciting to see new teams playing on the world stage. 

It now means 23% of FIFA members will reach the finals. 

The Champions league and Europa league has become stagnant now with the same teams playing the same teams & weaker nations having to go through 4 rounds of qualification just to get to the group stage.

Would be fantastic to see teams like Thailand competing. No SE Asia country has ever qualified. 

Thailand are currently sitting bottom of their final qualifying group of 6 & only top 2 or 3 can qualify.

Now Brazil v Thailand or even Scotland/Ireland v Thailand would be something else. Bring it on!

[3 minus 2]

could be looked at as a double edged sword on one hand it'll do wonders for the smaller nations that previousely had no chance of qualifying. On the other hand there's gonna be some truly forgetable games, but arent there always?. overall IMO its a good thing

[3 minus 2]

On 11/01/2017 at 9:21 PM, MrRed said:

 

I knew there was a god!!  Panini wars

 

At least we might see Thailand at a finals before we die even if it is for just 2 games ...Imagine the hype here if they did get there?

yep , the limited success  thai national team has been having  is already generating loads of new interest  in football add that to the income that it would generate for thai football win win for football imo

[3 minus 2]

On 11/01/2017 at 3:21 PM, carmine said:

Rather unlike FIFA to find a way of making more money for themselves to the detriment of the game.

 

detriment of the game?  cant see that one   enlighten me.

[carmine]

4 hours ago, 3 minus 2 said:

 

detriment of the game?  cant see that one   enlighten me.

 

4 hours ago, 3 minus 2 said:

 

detriment of the game?  cant see that one   enlighten me.

 

Under valuing the tournament by increasing the numbers to include substandard footballing nations

[nev]

13 minutes ago, carmine said:

 

 

Under valuing the tournament by increasing the numbers to include substandard footballing nations

Agree, should be reducing to say 16 teams not adding more.

[carmine]

21 minutes ago, nev said:

Agree, should be reducing to say 16 teams not adding more.

 

I agree.  Whilst the champions league is the highest quality of football on offer the world cup is the global tournament and the quality needs not just maintaining but improving if possible.  48 countries is simply preposterous....but then again, so is FIFA.

[3 minus 2]

nah, the top teams will get through anyway. this will just spread the 'honey pot' further or do you think that the status quo should be the only ones that prosper?

[3 minus 2]

On 11/01/2017 at 0:10 PM, Baerboxer said:

 

That's a nice increase for the gravy train! 

 

See Blatter and Platini just weren't innovative enough! They had to go.

 

The investigations by the Swiss authorities against those 2 seem to be running on Thai time!

 

thats probably cos it was never really about 'what blatter or platini  did or didnt do' this was just a power struggle

made by some extremely well  connected nasty f-----kers, trouble was the world and their aunties  actually believed them  and their media spun bullshit and still do it seems.

[LammyTS1]

Agree, should be reducing to say 16 teams not adding more.

Can't imagine anyone wanting to watch such a small tournament of only 16 teams.

Of course the top countries would be the only ones to benefit. Let the gravy train keep on running to the richest football associations!


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[LammyTS1]

 
I agree.  Whilst the champions league is the highest quality of football on offer the world cup is the global tournament and the quality needs not just maintaining but improving if possible.  48 countries is simply preposterous....but then again, so is FIFA.

Ah yes the champions league. Must remember to watch 1 match this season.

I've been watching the Thai national team in the qualifiers and for them to now have some sort of chance is only fair. It's pointless having qualifying tournaments when countries know from the beginning they have no chance of qualifying.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[carmine]

15 minutes ago, LammyTS1 said:

 

Ah yes the champions league. Must remember to watch 1 match this season.

I've been watching the Thai national team in the qualifiers and for them to now have some sort of chance is only fair. It's pointless having qualifying tournaments when countries know from the beginning they have no chance of qualifying.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

 

Why on earth is that?!!  They have to achieve that right, not have it handed on a plate.

 

Fine, with that attitude lets just make it a tournament for sub standard football.

[LammyTS1]

 
Why on earth is that?!!  They have to achieve that right, not have it handed on a plate.
 
Fine, with that attitude lets just make it a tournament for sub standard football.

Remember when Cameroon entered the finals and reached the quarter finals?

Remember when Kuwait qualified and France scored due to the Kuwait players hearing a whistle from the crowd & stopping?

Remember Hungary beating El Salvador 10:0? One sided yes but the top seeds couldn't match Hungary's feat.

Remember Scotland going 1:0 up in the opening game against Brazil, the world champions?

Did any of these make the finals sub standard? No, just more enjoyable.



Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[StevieH]

37 minutes ago, LammyTS1 said:

 

Remember when Cameroon entered the finals and reached the quarter finals?

Remember when Kuwait qualified and France scored due to the Kuwait players hearing a whistle from the crowd & stopping?

Remember Hungary beating El Salvador 10:0? One sided yes but the top seeds couldn't match Hungary's feat.

Remember Scotland going 1:0 up in the opening game against Brazil, the world champions?

Did any of these make the finals sub standard? No, just more enjoyable.



Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

 

none of those world cups had 48 teams either.

[3 minus 2]

1 hour ago, carmine said:

 

Why on earth is that?!!  They have to achieve that right, not have it handed on a plate.

 

Fine, with that attitude lets just make it a tournament for sub standard football.

 

 

nah, the current system is unfairly biased towards the european elite qualifying and  and  they improve via the tournemont and its rewards consequently every one outside of the elite doesnt. But  this change promotes football as opposed to promoting and preserving  the status quo. But ultimatly ,the football wont be sub standard cos as per the best teams will win