48 team World Cup (1 Viewer)

CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
16 groups of 3.

One out of four countries will qualify.

Some will travel several thousand miles & only see two games.

Others will be there for 7-8 weeks.

Cracking idea Gianni. Can't wait!
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
16 groups of 3.

One out of four countries will qualify.

Some will travel several thousand miles & only see two games.

Others will be there for 7-8 weeks.

Cracking idea Gianni. Can't wait!

Why do they always only go half measures!! It is never going to truly work until they have 96 teams, with 94 going through to the knockout stages.
 

CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
Why do they always only go half measures!! It is never going to truly work until they have 96 teams, with 94 going through to the knockout stages.

This will be next. Why not allow everyone in? Group A would be Andorra, Scotland, Gibraltar and Brazil. Would only need 6 months off work.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
16 groups of 3.

One out of four countries will qualify.

Some will travel several thousand miles & only see two games.

Others will be there for 7-8 weeks.

Cracking idea Gianni. Can't wait!
They do 16 groups of three, then one team is going to have to wait days for their first game in the competition, with the other two teams facing each other and then needing at least 3 days break.
 

Terry Gibson's perm

Well-Known Member
16 groups of 3.

One out of four countries will qualify.

Some will travel several thousand miles & only see two games.

Others will be there for 7-8 weeks.

Cracking idea Gianni. Can't wait!


It's not about the travelling fan though it's the tv audience and advertising revenues ;)
 

Johnnythespider

Well-Known Member
Why do they always only go half measures!! It is never going to truly work until they have 96 teams, with 94 going through to the knockout stages.
And the two teams that get knocked out will play each other in the losers semi-final with the winners automatically getting to the final and the 94 who qualified playing for one place. It's a sure fire winner
 

ajsccfc

Well-Known Member
I'd just bump it to 64 teams now. You add an extra knockout stage but keep the two in two out group stage and a bit of symmetry.

They're going to keep expanding so why not just get on with it.
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
Aren't you just going to end up with loads of games in half empty stadiums and games shunted off to channels like ITV4? Its hard to get much enthusiasm about the group stages now, things only really kick into gear when its the knockouts.
 

CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
Aren't you just going to end up with loads of games in half empty stadiums and games shunted off to channels like ITV4? Its hard to get much enthusiasm about the group stages now, things only really kick into gear when its the knockouts.

That happened in 2012, 2014 and 2016 anyway. However the attendance figures don't say so obviously!
 

Covstu

Well-Known Member
Are there 16 top class sides to take the top seed? I can probably name about 8 then struggling.
 

CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
Are there 16 top class sides to take the top seed? I can probably name about 8 then struggling.

If I had to pick 16 right now this would be it.
Brazil
Argentina
Uruguay
Columbia
Chile
Mexico
France
Spain
Germany
Switzerland
England
Croatia
Italy
Portugal
Belgium
Poland
 

Covstu

Well-Known Member
If I had to pick 16 right now this would be it.
Brazil
Argentina
Uruguay
Columbia
Chile
Mexico
France
Spain
Germany
Switzerland
England
Croatia
Italy
Portugal
Belgium
Poland
Switzerland, Poland and Croatia are world class? I think this emphasises the point but also there would have to be a move even spread of teams throughout the world rather than Europe biased so some of these may drop to seed 2 by that measure alone.
 

CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member

CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
Switzerland, Poland and Croatia are world class? I think this emphasises the point but also there would have to be a move even spread of teams throughout the world rather than Europe biased so some of these may drop to seed 2 by that measure alone.

Croatia have one of, if not the best midfield in international football.
 

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
Why don't they just have 48 groups of 1, then everybody gets to qualify.
England would still lose in the first round.
If I had to pick 16 right now this would be it.
Brazil
Argentina
Uruguay
Columbia
Chile
Mexico
France
Spain
Germany
Switzerland
England
Croatia
Italy
Portugal
Belgium
Poland
You can't not have any African teams. Also the Netherlands are stronger than Poland or Portugal.
 

CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
England would still lose in the first round.

You can't not have any African teams. Also the Netherlands are stronger than Poland or Portugal.

I just included the 16 best teams at this moment. There should be African, North American and Asian teams qualifying too obviously. The Dutch aren't that good and haven't been for some time.
 
P

patsy123ccfc

Guest
Qualifying for the World Cup should not be split into continents, there should be world groups. This will stop piss poor teams from everywhere bar Europe and South America qualifying. Sick of seeing teams like Senegal, Mexico and Australia at every WC.
 

ajsccfc

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't have Mexico in a list of piss-poor teams making up the numbers, they always seem to at least advance from the group stages. Senegal have qualified once and made the quarters.
 

CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
Do you mean the Mexican team that won Olympic Gold 4 years ago?
 

CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
Not sure why England are in there.

Because we are one of the top 16 in the world. Tbh in Europe once you get past Germany, Belgium and France there's a number of teams that are fairly well matched and results over the last few years indicate that. Us, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Croatia are all around the same level really.
 

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
Because we are one of the top 16 in the world. Tbh in Europe once you get past Germany, Belgium and France there's a number of teams that are fairly well matched and results over the last few years indicate that. Us, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Croatia are all around the same level really.
No way are we on the same level as Italy or Spain. And Portugal are more on a level with Switzerland, Russia, Czech Republic and Sweden. Portugal are a one-man team. Netherlands are far better than Portugal or Croatia or even us.
 

Sick Boy

Well-Known Member
Because we are one of the top 16 in the world. Tbh in Europe once you get past Germany, Belgium and France there's a number of teams that are fairly well matched and results over the last few years indicate that. Us, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Croatia are all around the same level really.

There is no way that England are on the same level as Spain, Italy, Croatia and Portugal.
 
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CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
There is no way that England are on the same level as Spain, Italy, Croatia and Portugal.

Last 3 games v Spain: WLD
Last 3 games v Italy: WLD
Last 3 games v Croatia: LWW
Last 3 games v Portugal: LLW

The Croatia stat doesn't tell us much as they were all over 7 years ago. Same goes for the first 2 games against Portugal as they were also some time ago but the third was in the Summer. The Italy and Spain games are all relatively recent and do represent an even set of results. Interestingly Spain have played Italy 3 times this year, drawing 2 and losing the other.
 

CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
Approved. Terrible idea. I guess it must mean they know where the tournament will be. Can't be many countries that can host anything of this size.

2018: We're going to get our heads kicked in.
2020: We're facing the prospect of getting an 11 hour flight from Baku to Bilbao and getting our heads kicked in again in Russia.
2022: We'll get locked up for opening a can of Stella, holding hands with our partners (male or female) and/or for wearing a pair of shorts in 50° temperatures.
2024: This one will probably be in Germany (1/5 isn't bad!).
2026: Travel several thousand of miles to watch us play San Marino and Greece.

Who's up for it?
 

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
A wise old history teacher once told us "all civilisations rise and fall". I think we are witnessing the slow but sure fall of FIFA.
 

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