New 48 team World Cup !!!

[daib0]

A FORTY-EIGHT TEAM WORLD CUP!



BBC Sport

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/38449674

Global football federations are "overwhelmingly in favour" of plans for a 48-team World Cup, Fifa president Gianni Infantino says.

The head of football's governing body outlined his vision for an expanded tournament comprising 16 groups of three teams earlier this month.

The top two teams in each group would progress to the knockout rounds.

A decision will be made in January but any change to the 32-team format is unlikely to come in before 2026.

Fifa's council will discuss the proposal at a meeting on 9 January but Infantino, 46, made expansion part of his election manifesto.

"We have to be more inclusive," he said at a sports conference in Dubai, adding that a 48-team tournament was the most financially appealing. "If we can have a format that does not add any additional matches but brings so much joy to those who don't have the chance to participate then we will have to think about that," Infantino said. "When discussed with the associations in the summits they were overwhelmingly in favour, but more discussions will have to take place."

The number of competing teams at World Cups last changed in 1998, increasing from 24 to 32


See link above for full article ... would you be in favour?!

[Gibbon]

Unfortunately one of them will still be England. Yawn.

[daib0]

if it goes this way, then the qualification groups would probably be quite small!

[mrblackbat]

Voted in. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38565246

I'd much rather see qualification opened up to the world stage.

However, if they really want 48 teams in the World Cup, for me, I'd rather see 8 groups of 6 teams, with only the top team going through to a quarter final stage. The group stage would have serious meaning and there would be more than a single crucial game in the group stages.

[daib0]

Yep ...


Sky Sports News HQ ‏@SkySportsNewsHQ
BREAKING: FIFA council unanimously vote to expand World Cup to 48 teams from 2026. 48 teams to be divided into 16 groups of three.
Looking forward to Kazakhstan v Luxembourg …

[theadore]

Obvious nonsense.

60% of the teams from South America will qualify... what is the point of a qualifying tournament. Might as well just have everyone there... call it the FA cup and be done with it.

[Joe]

More teams and more football is good.

The format they're suggesting is mental.