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

[Power Man]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/dec/03/world-cup-expand-40-teams-fifa-reform

Fifa will continue to consider the expansion of the World Cup to 40 teams from 2026 – but a final decision has been deferred following Thursday’s executive committee meeting.

The committee discussed the dramatic expansion at a meeting on Thursday about a wider reform package – just hours after two more senior members were arrested in the lobby of the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich.

Fifa executives from Asia and Africa were understood to be strongly in favour of the idea. It also has the support of the Uefa general secretary Gianni Infantino and some of the other Fifa presidential candidates. But the plan has been sent back to the Fifa administration for further research because it has commercial ramifications as well as statutory ones.

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[HajdukSplit]

If confirmed this is how it will stand

UEFA: 14
CAF: 7
AFC: 6
CONCACAF: 5
CONMEBOL: 5
OFC: 1
Hosts: 1
**40th team will be "wild card"**

Africa, as expected, are the big winners gaining 2 full spots with OFC a winner getting a full spot. AFC, CONCACAF each get an extra spot. CONMEBOL largely remains the same, only their 5th place team won't have to compete in a playoff. UEFA actually gain a spot despite talks of reducing them.

The last spot is up for grabs, according to FIFA language its "based on sporting merits using a method yet to be defined"...aka wild card Basically if a big name doesn't make it I assume they will get a 'second chance'. If all the big names make it, I guess who bribes the most

 

[Plato]

Really dislike this just as I disliked the expansion of the Euro field.

 

[Luigi Habs]

International competitions are turning into a joke. 40 teams is too much. 32 teams is already too much.

But hey, more teams, more money.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

32 is a good size, the amount of member nations exploded and the amount of spots had to grow along with it.

40 is pushing it...but I fully expect it to get to 64 at some point in my life because money.

 

[varsaku]

Hopefully this makes things easier for Canada to make it

 

[Moncherry]

The last thing the World Cup needs is more Asian teams. And sorry to sound like a Eurosnob but UEFA only getting one of the additional spots is pathetic.

 

[HajdukSplit]

So using 2014 as a guideline the following teams would have qualified

AFC: Jordan
CAF: Two of Ethiopia, Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia, Burkina Faso...using most points: Egypt & Tunisia
CONCACAF: Panama
CONMEBOL: Venezuela
OFC: New Zealand
UEFA: One of Sweden, Ukraine, Iceland, Romania...using most points: Ukraine

Plus one "wild card", knowing FIFA probably somebody like China for marketing reasons

 

[Chimaera]

I'm not completely against it. There are 30-35ish teams that can make a legitimate claim to being there.

I do think there will be some laughable results in the first rounds, but that depends.

 

[bluesfan94]

I'm interested to see how the rest of the playoff works out.

 

[Savi]

I do think there will be some laughable results in the first rounds, but that depends.

Or in the semi finals

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

32 is enough..

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Can someone explain why Africa deserves more spots than South America, let alone North America?

 

[mmk786]

Can someone explain why Africa deserves more spots than South America, let alone North America?

Because it has more countries....

 

[Jeffrey]

Can someone explain why Africa deserves more spots than South America, let alone North America?

Because Africa has more countries and the competition is better...

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Because Africa has more countries and the competition is better...

People need to stop confusing "better competition" with mediocre equality. Some EPL fans are notorious with this.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Can someone explain why Africa deserves more spots than South America, let alone North America?

Problem with South America its only 10 teams, so you can't dilute the qualifying too much however I believe they have more than enough talent to field 6 competitive teams at a World Cup. In the last 3 World Cups, 13 of 15 South American teams have gone to the knockout stage, including the likes of Ecuador and Paraguay who are less fancied teams

I'm not sure what to think of CONCACAF; Mexico and USA have performed well results wise at recent World Cups and Costa Rica's run at 2014 deserves massive respect. But the teams beyond those three are usually awful like Honduras or Trinidad in 2006 who's best hope usually is to scrap out a 0:0 draw. 3.5 seems totally fair for CONCACAF

You also have to remember this is all political, Africa usually votes in a block and it has the most votes in the FIFA process, basically if you can win Africa you will win the FIFA election so their confederation is the one you have to please. Although, African sides have mostly underwhelmed

 

[MJG]

I won't mind this if it remains 8 groups, with 5 teams instead of 4. Top 2 advancing still.

 

[DyerMaker66*]

International competitions are turning into a joke. 40 teams is too much. 32 teams is already too much.

But hey, more teams, more money.

I don't know how adding more teams makes it a joke. If it were possible I'd want every country in the tournament. I't called the World Cup for a reason.

 

[xavi4life]

FIFA needs to be disbanded. Start over. **** this in every way.

 

[xavi4life]

I don't know how adding more teams makes it a joke. If it were possible I'd want every country in the tournament. I't called the World Cup for a reason.

Yeah, watching ****** football helps how?

 

[IU Hawks fan]

I don't know how adding more teams makes it a joke. If it were possible I'd want every country in the tournament. I't called the World Cup for a reason.

And college basketball has a national playoff, doesn't mean every team in the nation should make it

 

[BigMac1212]

When is enough enough? FIFA, just know when is when.

 

[TRG]

32 is fine.

 

[Chimaera]

Can someone explain why Africa deserves more spots than South America, let alone North America?

I would also say it's a place the game can grow.

But it has to do with the number of voters there if we are being honest.