World Cup set to expand to 40 teams from 2026 as part of Fifa reform plan

[TightEnd]

• Fifa executives meeting to discuss changes, hours after latest arrests
• Proposal seen as a sweetener to convince 209 associations to pass reforms

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/dec/03/world-cup-expand-40-teams-fifa-reform?CMP=fb_a-football_b-gdnfootball

is this a step too far for the world cup?

[horseplayer]

Nope

A rare clever move from fifa blatter did a lot of good in the developing parts of the football world and they are scared the next cab of the rank will not

[celtic]

Scotland still won't qualify.

[Doobs]

Scotland still won't qualify.

Was going to post the same, but then realised there weren't likely to be any/many more European teams, just more cannon fodder. 

[Graham C]

Scotland still won't qualify.

Maybe extend the Euros to a 40 team event to give them a fighting chance ?

[DungBeetle]

Can't access the link, but does it mention the format?

Will either be 10 groups of 4 with 16 getting through (so some 2nd places teams will fail).

Or 10 groups of 4 with 32 getting through, which will mean some 4th place teams getting through.

Or will it be group winners through (10) with some kind of playoff to get the final 6 teams for the "current" second round?

Or a preliminary round to get to the 32 teams "proper" and then format as current?


None of the above feel great?

[TheDazzler]

Can't access the link, but does it mention the format?

Will either be 10 groups of 4 with 16 getting through (so some 2nd places teams will fail).

Or 10 groups of 4 with 32 getting through, which will mean some 4th place teams getting through.

Or will it be group winners through (10) with some kind of playoff to get the final 6 teams for the "current" second round?

Or a preliminary round to get to the 32 teams "proper" and then format as current?


None of the above feel great?

The format will be interesting.
In 1982 when they first went from 16 teams to 24, they had 6 groups x 4 teams. The top 2 qualified from each group so 12 teams. They then had 4 groups x 3 teams with each of the winners going to the semi finals.

[celtic]

Scotland still won't qualify.

Maybe extend the Euros to a 40 team event to give them a fighting chance ?

As long as the were grouped with Gibraltar, faroes, Malta etc.

[DungBeetle]

Can't access the link, but does it mention the format?

Will either be 10 groups of 4 with 16 getting through (so some 2nd places teams will fail).

Or 10 groups of 4 with 32 getting through, which will mean some 4th place teams getting through.

Or will it be group winners through (10) with some kind of playoff to get the final 6 teams for the "current" second round?

Or a preliminary round to get to the 32 teams "proper" and then format as current?


None of the above feel great?

The format will be interesting.
In 1982 when they first went from 16 teams to 24, they had 6 groups x 4 teams. The top 2 qualified from each group so 12 teams. They then had 4 groups x 3 teams with each of the winners going to the semi finals.

Good point - maybe they'll solve it with a second group stage.  But people didn't like it because teams got knocked out without losing a match in the 3 team groups.

[TheDazzler]

Can't access the link, but does it mention the format?

Will either be 10 groups of 4 with 16 getting through (so some 2nd places teams will fail).

Or 10 groups of 4 with 32 getting through, which will mean some 4th place teams getting through.

Or will it be group winners through (10) with some kind of playoff to get the final 6 teams for the "current" second round?

Or a preliminary round to get to the 32 teams "proper" and then format as current?


None of the above feel great?

The format will be interesting.
In 1982 when they first went from 16 teams to 24, they had 6 groups x 4 teams. The top 2 qualified from each group so 12 teams. They then had 4 groups x 3 teams with each of the winners going to the semi finals.

Good point - maybe they'll solve it with a second group stage.  But people didn't like it because teams got knocked out without losing a match in the 3 team groups.

They could go with 8 groups of 5 teams, so every team gets 4 games. Top 2 qualify and you're left with 16. I guess that's what they'll do?

[DungBeetle]

Yeah - that's a very long first round though and will leave lots of dead rubbers?

[Archer]

Can't access the link, but does it mention the format?

Will either be 10 groups of 4 with 16 getting through (so some 2nd places teams will fail).

Or 10 groups of 4 with 32 getting through, which will mean some 4th place teams getting through.

Or will it be group winners through (10) with some kind of playoff to get the final 6 teams for the "current" second round?

Or a preliminary round to get to the 32 teams "proper" and then format as current?


None of the above feel great?

The format will be interesting.
In 1982 when they first went from 16 teams to 24, they had 6 groups x 4 teams. The top 2 qualified from each group so 12 teams. They then had 4 groups x 3 teams with each of the winners going to the semi finals.

Good point - maybe they'll solve it with a second group stage.  But people didn't like it because teams got knocked out without losing a match in the 3 team groups.

They could go with 8 groups of 5 teams, so every team gets 4 games. Top 2 qualify and you're left with 16. I guess that's what they'll do?

I've just read that is the way it would be done. It adds a week to the torney duration and involves 96 matches in total.

[DungBeetle]

Can't access the link, but does it mention the format?

Will either be 10 groups of 4 with 16 getting through (so some 2nd places teams will fail).

Or 10 groups of 4 with 32 getting through, which will mean some 4th place teams getting through.

Or will it be group winners through (10) with some kind of playoff to get the final 6 teams for the "current" second round?

Or a preliminary round to get to the 32 teams "proper" and then format as current?


None of the above feel great?

The format will be interesting.
In 1982 when they first went from 16 teams to 24, they had 6 groups x 4 teams. The top 2 qualified from each group so 12 teams. They then had 4 groups x 3 teams with each of the winners going to the semi finals.

Good point - maybe they'll solve it with a second group stage.  But people didn't like it because teams got knocked out without losing a match in the 3 team groups.

They could go with 8 groups of 5 teams, so every team gets 4 games. Top 2 qualify and you're left with 16. I guess that's what they'll do?

I've just read that is the way it would be done. It adds a week to the torney duration and involves 96 matches in total.

Some of the groups will be pointless viewing for a couple of weeks if the two big guns win their first two matches.  This is a bad idea imo.