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FIFA World Cup


Noodles

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Guest firetotheworks

There desperately needs to be a legitimate alternative to FIFA, heavily funded by those looking to breakaway to an alternative organisation that makes money without it being saturated with corruption, slavery, and ridiculous changes to the game.

 

I can't see it happening, but I can't see any other way. No one's going to protest or riot over it, unfortunately.

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Expansion of the World Cup was always likely and probably necessary. The game is growing and I don't really think there will be a significant drop in the quality of the sides. There seems to be a good amount of competition in each federation and decent sides that will not qualify for 2018. Considering this with the money to be made from more matches and it makes too much sense to ignore.

 

The format, however, is complete rubbish. It is possible to expand without bastardising the whole process. Why not have a 40 team tournament with 8 groups of 5 (two advancing from each group)? This only adds one match and creates and interesting dynamic with the group permutations. If we must have 48 teams, why not 12 groups of 4 (two advancing), with either the sides with the 8 best group records being rewarded with a "bye" (to the knockout round of 16) or the 8 best third placed teams qualifying for a round of 32, like in the Euro? All of these formats only add one match, while maintaining the symmetry of a tournament. FIFA hve somehow managed to select the single worst format available to them. :lol:

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Guest firetotheworks

The game is growing.

 

Is it really still growing? I know China are getting in on the act and so on, but it's seemed to me that in football's bedrock of Europe its popularity is finally waning in terms of attendances and TV viewing figures. I've got the impression that the bubble bursting is getting nearer and nearer.

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The game is growing.

 

Is it really still growing? I know China are getting in on the act and so on, but it's seemed to me that in football's bedrock of Europe its popularity is finally waning in terms of attendances and TV viewing figures. I've got the impression that the bubble bursting is getting nearer and nearer.

My statement about growth was primarily focused on Asia. The largest population center in the world, with five of the thirteen leaders in nominal GDP (economy size) only having four guaranteed places currently. Europe, Africa, and South America have already reached saturation point, football cannot "grow" anymore in these places. It is already king with no viable challenger. However TV markets can grow, and you will see this throughout Africa, North America, Asia, developing parts of Europe, etc.

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Expansion of the World Cup was always likely and probably necessary. The game is growing and I don't really think there will be a significant drop in the quality of the sides. There seems to be a good amount of competition in each federation and decent sides that will not qualify for 2018. Considering this with the money to be made from more matches and it makes too much sense to ignore.

 

The format, however, is complete rubbish. It is possible to expand without bastardising the whole process. Why not have a 40 team tournament with 8 groups of 5 (two advancing from each group)? This only adds one match and creates and interesting dynamic with the group permutations. If we must have 48 teams, why not 12 groups of 4 (two advancing), with either the sides with the 8 best group records being rewarded with a "bye" (to the knockout round of 16) or the 8 best third placed teams qualifying for a round of 32, like in the Euro? All of these formats only add one match, while maintaining the symmetry of a tournament. FIFA hve somehow managed to select the single worst format available to them. :lol:

 

I agree with your comments regarding the format and there being obvious better alternatives, but why is the World Cup expansion 'necessary'?

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My big worry is that it now pushes the prospect of Canada getting the World Cup further away. Canada only have 3 stadiums that are suitable for a World Cup, well 4. Some of these are going to need renovating and extensions as well. I guess other countries will have a similar problem, but instead of having to gain half a dozen stadium they now probably need to add another 2-3 stadiums to that list. I think a Canada bid will now have to include baseball and CFL stadiums.

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My big worry is that it now pushes the prospect of Canada getting the World Cup further away. Canada only have 3 stadiums that are suitable for a World Cup, well 4. Some of these are going to need renovating and extensions as well. I guess other countries will have a similar problem, but instead of having to gain half a dozen stadium they now probably need to add another 2-3 stadiums to that list. I think a Canada bid will now have to include baseball and CFL stadiums.

 

Or they'll just have to build new ones like most countries bidding for the World Cup outside Europe do.

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Expansion of the World Cup was always likely and probably necessary. The game is growing and I don't really think there will be a significant drop in the quality of the sides. There seems to be a good amount of competition in each federation and decent sides that will not qualify for 2018. Considering this with the money to be made from more matches and it makes too much sense to ignore.

 

The format, however, is complete rubbish. It is possible to expand without bastardising the whole process. Why not have a 40 team tournament with 8 groups of 5 (two advancing from each group)? This only adds one match and creates and interesting dynamic with the group permutations. If we must have 48 teams, why not 12 groups of 4 (two advancing), with either the sides with the 8 best group records being rewarded with a "bye" (to the knockout round of 16) or the 8 best third placed teams qualifying for a round of 32, like in the Euro? All of these formats only add one match, while maintaining the symmetry of a tournament. FIFA hve somehow managed to select the single worst format available to them. :lol:

 

I agree with your comments regarding the format and there being obvious better alternatives, but why is the World Cup expansion 'necessary'?

That may be a strong word to use, the World Cup can obviously continue in the same format with no problem. With the incentives on the table, the move toward expansion was always "inevitable", maybe this is a superior word. Right now, we have competitive qualifiers, but this benefits no one. No one is making money from African giants clashing early in winner take all groups, teams struggling through the grind of South America, European powers being relegated to attempts to qualify via playoff, or a difficult North American hex. If there is more money to be made by FIFA and networks showing these matches, while maintaining competitive balance, that will always be the option taken.

 

 

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Would've been so much better if they just had that knockout thingy that was being discussed for the WC. Basically 24 teams make the World Cup and 16 teams have a sort of knockout to make the groupstages with 8 winners going to a group they've been drawn into. Would increase it to 8 more games and wouldn't mess with the perfect 8 groups of 4 teams.

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