FIFA to confirm 48 team World Cup to start from 2026

Means an increase from 64 games to 104.

The 16 groups of 3 teams has been binned - - with 12 groups of 4 with top two going through and eight 3rd best teams advancing to a new round of 32.

Coming 3rd in a group and still progressing.

Will be a lot of shite in the knock out stages, nqat.

Not going to help the quality is it. You’ll just end up with minnow nations like Georgia, Lichtenstein and Wales getting walloped more often

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More games

Need a team of mercenary all stars for any countries that dont qualify. Pirate flag and fans made up of POWs given 2 weeks freedom

Originally Posted by Bunker Buster

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More games

More chance of unexpected winners too

Originally Posted by est.1878

Need a team of mercenary all stars for any countries that dont qualify. Pirate flag and fans made up of POWs given 2 weeks freedom

That's not a bad idea actually. Apart from he flags and PoWs bit

Would give those who aren't keen on their home nation for whatever reason somewhere to hang their hat and allow players who can only play for shit teams a chance to show their stuff on the biggest stage (obviously thinking George Best here, but there's been a few Welshmen down the years would have benefitted as well).

Great idea. Just extend the year from 52 weeks to 60. More the merrier. Dying to see Sri Lanka vs Argentina. They know what they’re doing, these fifa lads.

Originally Posted by red red robbo

That's not a bad idea actually. Apart from he flags and PoWs bit

Would give those who aren't keen on their home nation for whatever reason somewhere to hang their hat and allow players who can only play for shit teams a chance to show their stuff on the biggest stage (obviously thinking George Best here, but there's been a few Welshmen down the years would have benefitted as well).

They'd do it for Haaland imo

The players really need a strong union to tell the likes of FIFA and UEFA to £#%&! off with all these extra games

Expanded Euros, expanded World Cup, expanded CL and FIFA are going for a big club world cup competition soon as well
All because they're greedy bastards

Top players will soon be playing 80 plus games a season

Absolute rubbish.

Only time I watch international football is the Euros, World Cup, and maybe the Copa America.

Now the former two are being padded out to include rubbish teams that can't qualify under the existing format.

Originally Posted by NedKelly

More chance of unexpected winners too

Originally Posted by Sparky***

Not going to help the quality is it. You’ll just end up with minnow nations like Georgia, Lichtenstein and Wales getting walloped more often

Just skews everything that. Scotland will end their qualification hoodoo (they will ) but it’s not apples with apples is it?

Originally Posted by Bunker Buster

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More games

More games of shite most likely. Love the world cup but this is a terrible idea imo.

You just have to look for the reason they're doing it. All about the money

Originally Posted by Whip Hubley

More games of shite most likely. Love the world cup but this is a terrible idea imo.

You just have to look for the reason they're doing it. All about the money

Anything the game’s ruling bodies have been doing for years, just reeks of incompetence, greed or corruption. Can’t remember anything they’ve recently decreed to benefit the game.

Originally Posted by Whip Hubley

More games of shite most likely. Love the world cup but this is a terrible idea imo.

You just have to look for the reason they're doing it. All about the money

Nope, there was about 3 shit games in Qatar and most of them included Poland....

The lesser teams always bring the effort and vibes ..

More African teams, the fighting Irish ...

Originally Posted by Bunker Buster

Nope, there was about 3 shit games in Qatar and most of them included Poland....

The lesser teams always bring the effort and vibes ..

More African teams, the fighting Irish ...

Good point tbf. Some refreshing faces from “3rd world” good but ffs, we’ll need to do something about all round fixture congestion after this £#%&!ing chaos resulting from the previous WC shoehorned in at all costs. Maybe everyone should register more players/more rotation etc. Bigger squads = bigger payroll = more income required = more sponsorship/more gate money/bigger stadiums = more snowflake fans required. Death of football to satisfy bloated £#%&!ing FIFA and international football.

Just bin the friendlies & qualifiers, let them all in and have a massive world cup comp....

It's almost capacity now with those missing out through qualification....

Just make it a one in all in competition ...



Least we don't then have mid season breaks for international football ...

Originally Posted by Bunker Buster

Just bin the friendlies & qualifiers, let them all in and have a massive world cup comp....

It's almost capacity now with those missing out through qualification....

Just make it a one in all in competition ...



Least we don't then have mid season breaks for international football ...

Would happily see a massive knockout comp for every single nation... £#%&! quals off..... the prospect of England going out to equatorial guinea in the first round is incredible