World Cup 48 teams for the 2026 World Cup

[Mr_Bojangles]

FIFA have officially voted for it. 16 groups of 3.

So apart from the vote rigging, kick backs and human rights abuses building stadiums in country no one wants to see host they then go and do this so someone shithouse like a China or a India get in. How the heck does anyone who is some despot country with money stolen off the people be able to afford to cater for this too.

heck FIFA. The greatest thing in sport ruined. They finally did it.

 

[bok_party]

Farce this is. Ridiculous decision.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Hopefully we'll all be in Chinese concentration camps by then thanks to Trump.

 

[FAITH]

Copy
Paste

They're killing the prestige of the world cup.
Qualification stage will be a joke.

 

[Fryer Tuck]

2026 will officially see a 48 team world cup. 3 groups of 16.

OK, I know the decision was going to be today Euro time, but it sounds like its going through.


But really? 16 groups of 3… this is the thing I don’t get.


To be honest, I think there’s enough quality in the world to make 48 teams a go, but its all dependent on the format, which I believe is actually going to be the bigger indicator of poor football.


But the 16 of 3… two major things:


1. FIFA want more money, right? Why 16 groups of 3? Why not 12 groups of 4? 16 groups of 3 actually equals 8 groups of 4. It’s 48 games. The one that really expands it is the Round of 32, which adds 16 more games, hence giving us 80. At least give the teams some incentive to put in some effort at the tournament, which leads to the 2nd issue.


2. It is now official. You can Paraguay your way to the final. In fact, you can win the World Cup without technically winning a game of football. If you’re not a powerhouse nation, then the 48 team format actually favours you, because all you have to do is just make the Round of 32, and bring the stronger team to penalties. Knockout games will be even more tedious. This reeks of trying to get a US or China (PFFT) A World Cup with minimal effort. No really, just draw both your games, and you qualify for the knockouts, and once there, anything goes.


Oh speaking of, I did note that should they combine the Americas, the US is actually less likely to make it. China still will don’t do crap to make it to the World Cup, which means we could be having a World Cup where the US and China are not involved, with a nation like… oh, let’s go for… Finland, going from a very little chance of qualifying for the World Cup, to suddenly having a fair shot of winning the whole thing. They have more chance of winning the World Cup now then they do for qualifying with the current format.


The sad thing is, the number is going to be blamed more than the format.

FINLAND WORLD CUP WINNERS 2026! Better than the stink Nordics and Eesti, now officially on the cards!

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

OK, I know the decision was going to be today Euro time, but it sounds like its going through.


But really? 16 groups of 3… this is the thing I don’t get.


To be honest, I think there’s enough quality in the world to make 48 teams a go, but its all dependent on the format, which I believe is actually going to be the bigger indicator of poor football.


But the 16 of 3… two major things:


1. FIFA want more money, right? Why 16 groups of 3? Why not 12 groups of 4? 16 groups of 3 actually equals 8 groups of 4. It’s 48 games. The one that really expands it is the Round of 32, which adds 16 more games, hence giving us 80. At least give the teams some incentive to put in some effort at the tournament, which leads to the 2nd issue.


2. It is now official. You can Paraguay your way to the final. In fact, you can win the World Cup without technically winning a game of football. If you’re not a powerhouse nation, then the 48 team format actually favours you, because all you have to do is just make the Round of 32, and bring the stronger team to penalties. Knockout games will be even more tedious. This reeks of trying to get a US or China (PFFT) A World Cup with minimal effort. No really, just draw both your games, and you qualify for the knockouts, and once there, anything goes.


Oh speaking of, I did note that should they combine the Americas, the US is actually less likely to make it. China still will don’t do crap to make it to the World Cup, which means we could be having a World Cup where the US and China are not involved, with a nation like… oh, let’s go for… Finland, going from a very little chance of qualifying for the World Cup, to suddenly having a fair shot of winning the whole thing. They have more chance of winning the World Cup now then they do for qualifying with the current format.


The sad thing is, the number is going to be blamed more than the format.

FINLAND WORLD CUP WINNERS 2026! Better than the stink Nordics and Eesti, now officially on the cards!

Portugal did that in a 24 team Euros.

 

[WealstoneRaider]

Do we know what the confederation split will be? Is north and South America merging?

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

R.I.P the World Cup . Possibly my favourite sporting event, something that has provided so many fond memories of has been ******* destroyed by the corrupt, money-grabbing heckbags at FIFARCE.

 

[RossFC]

The world cup was ruined for me over 10 years ago when Australia got robbed.

 

[Cruyff14]

Farcical.

 

[Bojan KantKick]

There is already a fred for this but i appreciated the moderator melt.

 

[Indie_]

The world cup was ruined for me over 10 years ago when Australia got robbed.

Was a pen though. As much as my nine year old self would be disgusted by that admission. Was there.

 

[WealstoneRaider]

The world cup was ruined for me over 10 years ago when Australia qualified.

Efa

 

[RossFC]

Was a pen though. As much as my nine year old self would be disgusted by that admission. Was there.

+ the 3 yellows given to a Croatian player vs us too. It was very dodgy.

 

[Indie_]

+ the 3 yellows given to a Croatian player vs us too. It was very dodgy.

Well we still got through the group at least so that one doesn't hurt really, more just baffling. I think it's fitting that the only player to receive three cards in a football game will be Simunic though. Absolute scum.

 

[WealstoneRaider]

The last decent World Cup was 1966 to be fair

 

[Zidane98]

The last decent World Cup was 1966 to be fair

When was the last decent Euro Tournament?

 

[Fryer Tuck]

Pandering to the African and Asian feds has led to this. That's actually how Blatter stayed in power so long, he didn't need the votes from UEFA or SA, the developing football powers voted for him. So now you've got a World Cup which will be more open to those parts of the world but will mean a drastic fall in quality as a spectacle. Also note that despite being 16 more qualified teams, only two of those are allocated to UEFA. Stick a fork in the tournament unfortunately

Man, I can't wait to see Germany vs Tahiti and Brazil vs Kyrgyzstan. **** FIFA.

OK, bring it here, but this bugs me...

1. Tahiti can still do the same in a 32 team World Cup. New Zealand has an off day, and they end up playing an island nation in North America. Their place will be well deserved if they do that.

2. The Kyrgyz?! We have plenty of other good nations, and you pick the middle of the road Asian team. We could just as likely see Latvia v Japan.


48 is a silly idea, but I think the formatting is even more stupid, because it doesn't even make sense from the 'more money' angle, especially if they're thinking about combining the Americas (and let's be honest, I can see why they want to, because seriously, virtually all of SA will get in, what's the point?)

I see the merits of more teams in Africa (their qualifying system doesn't even all the very best of Africa to go though, and they do have a lot of talent), and there is potential in Asia. What's going to kill it is the format.

I predict that if FIFA was using 24 teams with 8 groups of 3, it would be just as boring despite the 'higher' quality teams just simply on the merit that the format punishes teams that attempt to go big and rewards the one that plays it 'defensively.'

Portugal did that in a 24 team Euros.

Exactly right, and it wouldn't surprise me if a smaller nation did the same. Australia's hopes have actually been bolstered by this change in format.

Blame the format more than the number.

I see one of the formats was 40 teams with 10 groups of 4 and only 6 runners up going through... if they had to expand, this would have been by far the best option. There was also one for 8 groups of 5, with top 2 going through, which would cover the money angle, along with getting in some new, but quality talent in. (It also guarantees 4 games for each side, making most of the 'US/China' angle while ensuring quality goes through to the knockouts.)

With this format, the group stage might as well be a qualifying round for the knockout world cup.

 

[Cruyff14]

Was a pen though. As much as my nine year old self would be disgusted by that admission. Was there.

You're only (turning) 20? heck off!

 

[Zidane98]

Already posted in the other thread but what are the possibilities of someone starting up a rival WFA (world football association) and getting all the major nations to secede? Imagine it wouldn't be too difficult. The hard part will be getting the African / Asian countries on board because of their cosy (corrupt) relationship with FIFA. Could FIFA do anything about it if it happened? Are national FA's obliged to be a member of FIFA?

 

[WealstoneRaider]

When was the last decent Euro Tournament?

Wait you mean to tell me there's a Euro Tournament

 

[Zidane98]

Wait you mean to tell me there's a Euro Tournament

Here's a couple of reminders:






Some of England's more glorious moments

 

[WealstoneRaider]

Here's a couple of reminders:






Some of England's more glorious moments

Oh that tournament. Yeah good times

 

[Zidane98]

Oh that tournament. Yeah good times

Ja. Das ist Gut.

 

[WealstoneRaider]

Ja. Das ist Gut.

Ok