2026 FIFA World Cup

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Yes, but I think it still would have been appropriate to have a WWC without Toronto even if they were interested in hosting.


Ok.



You've forgotten the CPL, Super League, MLR, NLL, ECHL, AHL, USL League 1, NBA G League, and the soon-to-be NWHL team.

All of these, no matter how small or insignificant we think them to be, still carve up the sports entertainment industry.

Also, for the sake of posterity, Arena Football shut down prior to COVID.

There is almost always a league that plays "football in an arena" in operation in the U.S. The latest one is dead but another one will surface within the next couple of years I am sure.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by Acajack

There is almost always a league that plays "football in an arena" in operation in the U.S. The latest one is dead but another one will surface within the next couple of years I am sure.

This was the AFL, ie the third longest operating gridiron league after the NFL and CFL.

Anyway, World Cup...

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by JHikka

This was the AFL, ie the third longest operating gridiron league after the NFL and CFL.

Anyway, World Cup...

Yes.

WC will be a success in Toronto. It will be a success in Montreal. It will be a success in Edmonton.

I think we all agree, yes?

[Denscity]

Im guessing maybe only Toronto would have had 54000 people in a sold out stadium for the WWC finals like Vancouver did.

[Tg11]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Yes.

WC will be a success in Toronto. It will be a success in Montreal. It will be a success in Edmonton.

I think we all agree, yes?

Yes I can agree but at the same time it begs the question of where FIFA decides to hold the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final Group Draw? I can only imagine they either do it in US or if they do the Group Draw here in Canada then it would probably be held in Toronto at either Scotiabank Arena or Metro Toronto Convention Centre

[Tg11]

But with BMO Field you have the expansion and seeing the specs of it, it is actually pretty damn cool even though they are designs

[MolsonExport]

Maybe FIFA should award the World Cup to Bahrain. Or to Seychelles. Nauru? Andorra?

[stevanford1]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Maybe FIFA should award the World Cup to Bahrain. Or to Seychelles. Nauru? Andorra?

But....Hafnarfjordur Iceland is the obvious choice!

[HomeInMyShoes]

Originally Posted by stevanford1

But....Hafnarfjordur Iceland is the obvious choice!

Well Iceland has been more successful than Canada at World Cups, both with one appearance, but Iceland is up on goals for.

We've got a bit more talent these days, but we have such a long history of tragic playing and outcomes that it's going to take quite a bit for me not to think we suck at this game even if we achieve a slightly better than mediocre standing in the world.

[stevanford1]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Well Iceland has been more successful than Canada at World Cups, both with one appearance, but Iceland is up on goals for.

We've got a bit more talent these days, but we have such a long history of tragic playing and outcomes that it's going to take quite a bit for me not to think we suck at this game even if we achieve a slightly better than mediocre standing in the world.

, A sad truth an but accurate one.

[Tg11]

Well Canada has Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David

[svlt]

And those two guys frankly show more promise than the entire Icelandic team so there

[esquire]

Originally Posted by svlt

And those two guys frankly show more promise than the entire Icelandic team so there

We have a long way to go to match Iceland... I would be impressed if Canada ever managed to pull off something on the same level as Iceland's Euro 2016 performance.

[stevanford1]

Originally Posted by esquire

We have a long way to go to match Iceland... I would be impressed if Canada ever managed to pull off something on the same level as Iceland's Euro 2016 performance.

Indeed! Hafnarfjordur, Ísafjörður, and Hvammstangi produce some athletes! In all seriousness, so would I.

[Tg11]

How a 48 team World Cup *could* be done right.
INTRO


Asia has one less spot (7) than the proposed change (8). Europe also has three more than the proposed number (16), because I'm a little biased & think UEFA simply must get more spots to control dilution.

In principle, I think the expansion is a good idea, however.

Africa is loaded with talent, so 8 teams, instead of the current five, sounds about right. CONCACAF restricted to six teams,(usually the six best that reach the Hex), would still provide quality, while Asia would have a couple sides who traditionally come close to qualifying, but would clinch it this time.

Using 2026 as an example, as well as the (likely) possibility that the Canada-Mexico-USA bid wins, here's what an expanded World Cup could look like, as I outline below.

PARTICIPANTS.

Hosts (3): Canada, Mexico, United States of America.

CONCACAF (3): Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras.

CONMEBOL (7): Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru.

AFC (7): Japan, South Korea, Iran, Australia, Iraq, Uzbekistan, China.

CAF (8): Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Tunisia, DR Congo, Egypt.

UEFA (19): Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, England, Croatia, Poland, Switzerland, Russia, Wales, Serbia, Turkey, Iceland, Sweden, Republic of Ireland, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Netherlands.

OFC (1): New Zealand.

POTS.

Seeded Teams - Canada, Mexico, USA, Brazil, Argentina, France, England, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Chile, Uruguay, Colombia, Switzerland.

Second Pot (Remaining UEFA teams & 5 best according to rankings) - Croatia, Poland, Iceland, Wales, Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Turkey, Serbia, Ukraine, Russia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica, Ivory Coast, Australia.

Third Pot (Asia, CONCACAF, Africa, Oceania): Japan, Iran, South Korea, Uzbekistan, China, Iraq, Panama, Honduras, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, South Africa, Tunisia, Egypt, DR Congo, New Zealand.

GROUPS

Group A: Canada, Nigeria, Turkey

Group B: Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Iraq

Group C: France, South Korea, Peru

Group D: Chile, Tunisia, Sweden

Group E: Italy, Honduras, Czech Republic

Group F: Colombia, Ukraine, New Zealand

Group G: Switzerland, China, Ivory Coast

Group H: Mexico, Wales, DR Congo

Group I: Brazil, Serbia, Uzbekistan

Group J: Netherlands, Iceland, Ghana

Group K: Uruguay, Japan, Russia

Group L: Spain, Cameroon, Australia

Group M: England, Ecuador, Panama

Group N: Germany, Croatia, Iran

Group O: Argentina, Costa Rica, South Africa

Group P: USA, Egypt, Poland


This is a hypothetical draw that I saw done on Reddit that I would share with all of you

https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comm...be_done_right/

[Tg11]

Another hypothetical draw someone else did on Reddit

ALLOCATION

Hosts - USA, Mexico, and Canada.

CONCACAF (3) - Costa Rica, Honduras, Jamaica

Asia (8) - Japan, South Korea, Iran, Australia, China, Iraq, Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates

Africa (9) - Cameroon, Nigeria, DR Congo, Zambia, Cape Verde Islands, Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Egypt

Oceania (1) - New Zealand

CONMEBOL (6) - Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

UEFA (16) - Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, England, Sweden, Croatia, Switzerland, Norway, Ukraine, Turkey, Czech Republic, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Playoffs Teams from each Confederation - Tahiti, Panama, Venezuela, Syria, South Africa.

Hypothetical 2 Teams qualifying from the Playoffs - Venezuela and Syria

POT SEEDINGS

Pot 1 - USA, Mexico, Canada, Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Croatia, Portugal, Belgium, Italy, England, Switzerland

Pot 2 - Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Sweden, Bosnia & H., Nigeria, DR Congo, Turkey, Venezuela, Ukraine, Japan, Iran, Tunisia, South Korea, Egypt, Ghana

Pot 3 - Norway, Australia, Czech Republic, Syria, Uzbekistan, Iraq, UAE, China, New Zealand, Burkina Faso, Zambia, Cape Verde Islands, Jamaica, Honduras, Cameroon

GROUPS

A - Canada, Iran, Burkina Faso

B - France, Czech Republic, South Korea

C - Italy, Ecuador, Jamaica

D - Uruguay, Cape Verde Islands, Sweden

E - Switzerland, Ghana, United Arab Emirates

F - Spain, Venezuela, New Zealand

G - Croatia, Uzbekistan, Peru

H - Germany, Nigeria, China

I - Mexico, Australia, Zambia

J - Argentina, Syria, Ukraine

K - Belgium, Egypt, Costa Rica

L - Portugal, Turkey, Cameroon

M - Netherlands, Iraq, DR Congo

N - England, Colombia, Bosnia & Herzegovina

O - Brazil, Japan, Honduras

P - USA, Tunisia, Norway


https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comm...up_could_look/

[Tg11]

Apparently FIFA has already had their workshops here for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Montreal, Toronto and Edmonton in the 3 host cities and it is pretty safe to say that Montreal, Toronto and Edmonton are confirmed now...FIFA gave the stamp of approval

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by Tg11

UEFA (19): Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, England, Croatia, Poland, Switzerland, Russia, Wales, Serbia, Turkey, Iceland, Sweden, Republic of Ireland, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Netherlands.


https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comm...be_done_right/

Where's Belgium ? Currently #1 ranked team in the world if you believe FIFA rankings.

I would include them at the expense of Poland, Wales, Republic of Ireland

[Tg11]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

Where's Belgium ? Currently #1 ranked team in the world if you believe FIFA rankings.

I would include them at the expense of Poland, Wales, Republic of Ireland

Yeah I know unless the person thinks they won't qualify in the next 6 years

[Tg11]

Not necessarily because it gives us more games than your traditional World Cup (64 games) whereas in 2026 we get 16 extra games (80 games).



Knockout stage we get Round of 32, Round of 16, Quarter Finals, Semi Final and the Final itself. Yeah so basically we get a lot more football to watch...and with 48 teams at least more teams get a chance to be there.



- With 16 more teams joining the World Cup party, feel-good stories should keep flowing in soccer. Just look at Costa Rica’s run to the 2014 World Cup quarter-finals and Wales reaching the European Championship semi-finals in 2016. FIFA President Gianni Infantino believes this generates “football fever” far beyond the host nation(s).

- With 16 additional games, there’s more soccer for fans to watch in stadiums and on television, generating additional cash for FIFA. For broadcasters, there are 24 extra broadcast slots, not just 16, because there will no longer be final rounds of group games kicking off simultaneously.

- FIFA estimates its commercial income will climb 20 per cent, and raise profits by $640-million (all figures U.S.) compared with the equivalent rates for the $5.5-billion 2018 World Cup. This would help guarantee the $5-million grants from each World Cup for each of the 211 FIFA member federations, and create extra for development projects.

- The 80 games can be squeezed into 32 days, the current length of the 32-team World Cup, according to FIFA. The individual players’ workload won’t increase as the four semi-final teams will still play a maximum of seven matches.