USA/Canada/Mexico 2026
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 Direwolf  Lincoln 14 Jun 18 4.41pm |
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How will the Mexicans get across the border?
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| Stuk Top half 14 Jun 18 5.37pm |
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Originally posted by twist
They had said it would be 16 groups of 3 teams = 48 games. I would not like that as it would lessen the intensity of the group stage. I would prefer 12 groups of 4, top 2 from each plus 8 best 3rd's but thats way more than 80 games so not happening. That'll end up with the potential of the last 2 teams playing in the group agreeing to play for a draw, a la Austria and Germany in 1982. Can't happen.
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| Stuk Top half 14 Jun 18 5.40pm |
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Originally posted by Direwolf
How will the Mexicans get across the border? Well you'd assume that it won't matter for any game except possibly the final, which the USA will no doubt demand is in America, as they'll play at home.
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kenbarr  Jackson Heights, Queens, New York ... 14 Jun 18 5.43pm |
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Originally posted by Stuk
Well you'd assume that it won't matter for any game except possibly the final, which the USA will no doubt demand is in America, as they'll play at home. You have a lot more faith in our men's team than we do!
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| Stuk Top half 14 Jun 18 6.10pm |
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Originally posted by kenbarr
You have a lot more faith in our men's team than we do! You misunderstood. I meant they'll demand the venue for the final will be in the USA, not that they will make it to it. i.e. Mexico would only have to cross the border if they got to the final.
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| kenbarr Jackson Heights, Queens, New York ... 14 Jun 18 6.17pm |
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Originally posted by Stuk
You misunderstood. I meant they'll demand the venue for the final will be in the USA, not that they will make it to it. i.e. Mexico would only have to cross the border if they got to the final. It is totally under FIFA's control. It makes much more sense to play the final at the Azteca as it has much more football history and it is a much larger ground than MetLife Stadium, which is proposed in the bid book. Given that at least ten and as many as twelve of the final 16 venues will be in the USA, the Azteca is by far the better choice for the championship match.
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| YT Oxford 14 Jun 18 6.26pm |
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Originally posted by Stuk
That'll end up with the potential of the last 2 teams playing in the group agreeing to play for a draw, a la Austria and Germany in 1982. Can't happen. Stuk, I agree that the teams playing the final game in a group of 3 can engineer the result, but only if 2 teams go through to the next round, of course. Where only 1 team goes through - as was the case in the 2nd round of 1982 - there will be no engineering of the final game, unless (say) team A wants team B to qualify. I think you mentioned Austria v Germany purely as an example of an engineered game, so I'm not - repeat NOT - saying you are wrong, however for the record (for the purists out there) that game was an engineered 1-0 victory for West Germany in a 4 team 1st round group, which ensured that West Germany won the group and Austria came second, both on goal difference at the expense of Algeria. Algeria therefore were eliminated after winning 2 of their 3 group games, including beating West Germany! If I recall correctly, Rachid Harkouk was in their team.
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| Stuk Top half 14 Jun 18 6.33pm |
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Originally posted by kenbarr
It is totally under FIFA's control. It makes much more sense to play the final at the Azteca as it has much more football history and it is a much larger ground than MetLife Stadium, which is proposed in the bid book. Given that at least ten and as many as twelve of the final 16 venues will be in the USA, the Azteca is by far the better choice for the championship match. When have FIFA ever shown sense? And they couldn't care less about history. I reckon Mexico and Canada will have their own groups and all other games they could be in, up to and including the semis, plus a smattering of others to make up the 20 games played outside the USA. I'll be very surprised if the final isn't in the USA.
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| Stuk Top half 14 Jun 18 6.38pm |
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Originally posted by YT
Stuk, I agree that the teams playing the final game in a group of 3 can engineer the result, but only if 2 teams go through to the next round, of course. Where only 1 team goes through - as was the case in the 2nd round of 1982 - there will be no engineering of the final game, unless (say) team A wants team B to qualify. I think you mentioned Austria v Germany purely as an example of an engineered game, so I'm not - repeat NOT - saying you are wrong, however for the record (for the purists out there) that game was an engineered 1-0 victory for West Germany in a 4 team 1st round group, which ensured that West Germany won the group and Austria came second, both on goal difference at the expense of Algeria. Algeria therefore were eliminated after winning 2 of their 3 group games, including beating West Germany! If I recall correctly, Rachid Harkouk was in their team. But 2 teams will be going through from each group if that is the format, to leave 32 teams for the first knockout game.
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| YT Oxford 14 Jun 18 7.57pm |
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Originally posted by Stuk
But 2 teams will be going through from each group if that is the format, to leave 32 teams for the first knockout game. Yes that seems to be what’s been said ergo I agree with you that it would be madness.
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| Badger11 Beckenham 14 Jun 18 8.19pm |
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I am not keen on the 48 team format because FIFA are watering down the competition. Most of the extra places will go to weaker footballing nations. UEFA is by far the strongest region and currently fill 20 of the top 32 teams according to FIFA rankings. I appreciate that FIFA are trying to grow the game but it will mean that better European teams will sit at home whilst lesser teams are at the tournament. I also think there will be too many games up to 4 per day so they will not get the attention from the neutrals that they deserve. Allowing more teams in doesn't mean that they will get better. I would rather FIFA focus on developing coaching programs and the professional game in these countries so they have a proper structure to build on. FIFA could also strengthen these teams by relaxing player qualification rules which Qatar and some other countries are already manipulating to their benefit. I would recognise that a Luxembourg or San Marino is never going to get better because of their population size so would allow them more flexibility than say England. Grow the game through structural changes rather than make it easier to qualify.
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| kenbarr Jackson Heights, Queens, New York ... 14 Jun 18 9.35pm |
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Originally posted by Badger11
I am not keen on the 48 team format because FIFA are watering down the competition. Most of the extra places will go to weaker footballing nations. UEFA is by far the strongest region and currently fill 20 of the top 32 teams according to FIFA rankings. I appreciate that FIFA are trying to grow the game but it will mean that better European teams will sit at home whilst lesser teams are at the tournament. I also think there will be too many games up to 4 per day so they will not get the attention from the neutrals that they deserve. Allowing more teams in doesn't mean that they will get better. I would rather FIFA focus on developing coaching programs and the professional game in these countries so they have a proper structure to build on. FIFA could also strengthen these teams by relaxing player qualification rules which Qatar and some other countries are already manipulating to their benefit. I would recognise that a Luxembourg or San Marino is never going to get better because of their population size so would allow them more flexibility than say England. Grow the game through structural changes rather than make it easier to qualify. I feel Europe is over-represented right now. Thirteen plus the host country is three too many. This is the World Cup, not the European Invitational. Oceania is not represented at all and deserves one place. Africa and Asia deserve better representation as well. CONMEBOL could get another place as long as they take the three Guyanese (Guyana, Surinam and whatever they call the French one) into their confederation. Ten out of 32 qualifiers is plenty for Europe.
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