The World Cup

[Khalekan]

They may as well just scrap the qualifying tournament and let every country send a team to the Finals, just like the Olympics.

The Euros were tedious due to the pursuit of quantity over quality and the World Cup is heading the same way with this hare brained scheme.

 

[toffeejack]

They may as well just scrap the qualifying tournament and let every country send a team to the Finals, just like the Olympics.

The Euros were tedious due to the pursuit of quantity over quality and the World Cup is heading the same way with this hare brained scheme.

yep, the euros were horrific. However the expandment meant a team like wales could qualify and they then made it all the way to the semis, so the strength in depth can work. We all want that as football fans, but the expandment provided too many games, a mass of dull encounters, possibly caused by teams trying to save themselves .... however, the pleasing aspect of the whole tournament was the minnows causing upsets. So yeah, goes both ways.

 

[barneygumble]

yep, the euros were horrific. However the expandment meant a team like wales could qualify and they then made it all the way to the semis, so the strength in depth can work. We all want that as football fans, but the expandment provided too many games, a mass of dull encounters, possibly caused by teams trying to save themselves .... however, the pleasing aspect of the whole tournament was the minnows causing upsets. So yeah, goes both ways.

But Wales,Northern Ireland would have qualified regardless!
In the tournament, Wales too, would have progressed!

 

[toffeejack]

But Wales,Northern Ireland would have qualified regardless!
In the tournament, Wales too, would have progressed!

i believe the extra hope of their being more placings helped a few of the smaller nations. Iceland had a really tough qualifying group, they did brilliantly.

 

[summerisle]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38326076

World Cup finals format: Europe's leading clubs reject expansion idea

The organisation representing Europe's leading clubs has rejected calls for the World Cup to be expanded.

Earlier this month, Fifa president Gianni Infantino proposed a 48-team tournament consisting of 16 groups of three countries each.

The European Club Association (ECA) say the number of games played in a year is already at an "unacceptable level".

"We urge Fifa not to increase the number of World Cup participants," said ECA chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Fifa's council will discuss Infantino's proposal at a meeting on 9 January but the 46-year-old made expansion part of his election manifesto because he wants to allow more countries the chance to compete at football's flagship event.

The number of teams competing at a World Cup last increased in 1998 when the tournament expanded from 24 to 32 countries but any change to the current structure would not be likely to take effect before the 2026 World Cup.

Rummenigge added: "We have to focus on the sport again. Politics and commerce should not be the exclusive priority in football."

The ECA represents more than 200 clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Chelsea.

 

[Khalekan]

Apart from owt else, who the heck is going to be able to host this monstrosity?

The World Cup will wind of a nomadic tournament, with matches being played here, there and yonder just like the Euros are doing.

 

[TheBlueGibbon]

yep, the euros were horrific. However the expandment meant a team like wales could qualify and they then made it all the way to the semis, so the strength in depth can work. We all want that as football fans, but the expandment provided too many games, a mass of dull encounters, possibly caused by teams trying to save themselves .... however, the pleasing aspect of the whole tournament was the minnows causing upsets. So yeah, goes both ways.

Remove the group stage and make all rounds knockout, and you should avoid the tedium more.

 

[Rook]

yep, the euros were horrific. However the expandment meant a team like wales could qualify and they then made it all the way to the semis, so the strength in depth can work. We all want that as football fans, but the expandment provided too many games, a mass of dull encounters, possibly caused by teams trying to save themselves .... however, the pleasing aspect of the whole tournament was the minnows causing upsets. So yeah, goes both ways.

The Euros weren't horrific. The tourney needed more teams. Having 16 teams advance was horrific. Drop it to 12 and give a bye to the top 4. It gives the good teams incentive to go for 7 or 9 points in the GS and weeds out a little of the crap.

 

[toffeejack]

The Euros weren't horrific. The tourney needed more teams. Having 16 teams advance was horrific. Drop it to 12 and give a bye to the top 4. It gives the good teams incentive to go for 7 or 9 points in the GS and weeds out a little of the crap.

The vast majority of games i found were utterly dull. There was a lot of low scoring games (doesn't always mean it's a bad game, but in this case it did). The small nations causing shocks was a success, but if i wasn't welsh i'd have absolutely hated it. Worse than the SA world cup for me.

 

[Rook]

The vast majority of games i found were utterly dull. There was a lot of low scoring games (doesn't always mean it's a bad game, but in this case it did). The small nations causing shocks was a success, but if i wasn't welsh i'd have absolutely hated it. Worse than the SA world cup for me.

They were dull because there was no incentive to even try in the group stage. If you got 3 pts you are pretty much in.

 

[The Cowboy]

Remove the group stage and make all rounds knockout, and you should avoid the tedium more.

Except everyone is so terrified of losing. So the first round at least would just be a series of 0-0 bore-offs as they all clam up.