FIFA World Cup 2026 :Canada/Mexico/United States: Discussion Thread

[sana54210]

It is a massive increase, absolutely. That's 50% more teams playing than in Qatar.

I really don't know why there's such a huge increase in the number of teams, the world cup is supposed to be a difficult thing to qualify.

For example, in South America(conmebol) out of 10 teams, there are currently 4 direct slots and the 5th has to play against an Asian team.

In the future there will be 6 direct slots, and the 7th has to play with another team from another federation.

Having up to 70% of the teams qualifying into the world cup is a bit too much in my opinion. Only 3 teams will be out.

What you said is relevant. I don't know if it would be advantageous to have this huge amount of teams in the world cup, the world cup is one of the most important events in the world, and therefore, I believe that for a country to participate, the selection process would be different.

There are only a few games for the selection, and if teams play badly there then they miss it out. I think it would be wiser if we do that in the world cup itself. Have as many teams as possible, have 64 teams if you can, that would be better, this way if a team is losing during the group stages, they would just simply lose and not go further, same as the qualification stage where if they lose, they don't go to world cup.

In this scenario, more teams are going to world cup but losing there, instead of losing before the world cup. Still losing, still not a chance to win it, but at the very least they would be going there and it would mean a lot more money.

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[nullama]

~snip~
There are only a few games for the selection, and if teams play badly there then they miss it out. I think it would be wiser if we do that in the world cup itself. Have as many teams as possible, have 64 teams if you can, that would be better, this way if a team is losing during the group stages, they would just simply lose and not go further, same as the qualification stage where if they lose, they don't go to world cup.

In this scenario, more teams are going to world cup but losing there, instead of losing before the world cup. Still losing, still not a chance to win it, but at the very least they would be going there and it would mean a lot more money.

World cup qualifications are huge and last years. It's part of the whole process preparing for the next world cup.

That's when you actually have the chance to prove how good a team is, because you play against the other team at home and as a visitor. It's a great filter. Usually only the best qualify, it's rare to see a huge surprise because there are so many matches where you have to prove you're good.

At the world cup, there's quite a lot more of luck going on as there are very few matches compared with the qualifiers.

I prefer keeping the world cup with a rigorous qualifier, so that only the best are there. Sure, there might be some luck in there (remember, Saudi Arabia won against the current champion, Argentina), but in general you'll only have great teams there.

If the world cup allows entry to almost all the teams, then the whole thing changes, and it's not really the world cup any more, it's a badly designed qualifying stage in the beginning of it, and the normal qualifying would be a waste of time, since almost all the teams will qualify anyway.

[Hispo]

India and Pakistan should participate in fifa world cup and show the world what they are capable of doing and may be these countries turn out to be really good in football .
This step is extremely important to promote football in these countries and this will be a treat for their fans.

FIFA already lifted their ban towards the Pakistan and gave them a chance to earn their place in the upcoming FIFA World CUP but for the India, unfortunately, their situation hasn't improved as there are still some rumors and some even got a basis that a 3rd party has been continuously watching over the federation and still displaying their influence. Maybe the AIFF should look towards this rumor seriously and solve it if they still want a place in the world cup.

I have gotten the impression that football is not even so popular in India and Pakistan anyways, I am not sure it is the case, though, I have not investigated about it.
I say it, because they seem to be more into cricket and other sports which they inherited from the era of the British colonization.

I have not even heard much about baseball from India, either.  

 

[LUCKMCFLY]

And my personal assumptions is that, US, being the world power probably does not want their territories to be over populated with immigrants, this could be the reason for the so strict requirements and documentation process to enter the country.

Your assumption may not be false but they have to be ready for more people that will troop in into the state in guise of coming to watch the next world cup. USA is a cherish country desirable by many to live in, so they have to expect that to happen. Among the three countries hosting the game, USA is hosting more of the games and that means more immigration of people to USA than Mexico and Canada.

I recently saw an announcement that an important figure in the country said that he was going to impose that anyone who enters the USA illegally will be punished by taking him out of the country and beating him for 5 years,

Well, this is more of a threat than a law ??, and to be sincere, it does not look serious to me, this to me looks like one of those threat we normally receive from our parents when we  were kids, when they tell us not to do this, else we will be flogged, and out of curiosity or stubbornness, we will still end up doing that thing, and without receiving the said punishment at the end of the day.

What am I saying, a threat as thing does not seem strong enough to deter strong headed people from trying to enter USA through illegal means, even with this in place, I tell you, many will still go ahead and try to enter USA illegally just to watch the world cup when denied visa.

Well, there's nothing out of ordinary about that because that's just how the USA impose some threats because I don't think that there's some words in that phrase that needed some emphasis to help the people understand. It's just like a friendly reminder from their behalf but believe me, they will literally do that when an alien forces their way inside the country. But the thing is we won't know because surely, they won't be doing that publicly.

Well, due to the problems of some countries, we have seen that many people have entered the USA irregularly, because the things of some third world countries have forced them to do so, however in a world cup things are at a different price, they You know very well that most of the fans are from South America, and the number of visas for some countries is impressive, and these policies cannot and should not be applied, as I said before, a temporary visa should be made to be assigned to many fans, or at least those who are going to attend the games, this is so that something can be achieved in favor of the sport and that the show is maintained, this obviously applies to the countries of South America, 'because Europeans and North Americans can enter and leave any country whenever they want.

[Sithara007]

I have gotten the impression that football is not even so popular in India and Pakistan anyways, I am not sure it is the case, though, I have not investigated about it.
I say it, because they seem to be more into cricket and other sports which they inherited from the era of the British colonization.

I have not even heard much about baseball from India, either.  

I don't know much about Pakistan, but I can explain the situation in India as I am residing in that country. Cricket is obviously the most popular sport, by a large distance. But now the urban population is getting more cosmopolitan, and they are turning to other sports as well. Football, along with sports such as tennis, badminton, basketball and hockey are gaining in popularity. But in rural regions, cricket reigns supreme. And there are specific regions in India where football is more popular than cricket. Examples are Bengal, Northern Kerala, Goa and Northeast India.

[slapper]

~snip~
There are only a few games for the selection, and if teams play badly there then they miss it out. I think it would be wiser if we do that in the world cup itself. Have as many teams as possible, have 64 teams if you can, that would be better, this way if a team is losing during the group stages, they would just simply lose and not go further, same as the qualification stage where if they lose, they don't go to world cup.

In this scenario, more teams are going to world cup but losing there, instead of losing before the world cup. Still losing, still not a chance to win it, but at the very least they would be going there and it would mean a lot more money.

World cup qualifications are huge and last years. It's part of the whole process preparing for the next world cup.

That's when you actually have the chance to prove how good a team is, because you play against the other team at home and as a visitor. It's a great filter. Usually only the best qualify, it's rare to see a huge surprise because there are so many matches where you have to prove you're good.

At the world cup, there's quite a lot more of luck going on as there are very few matches compared with the qualifiers.

I prefer keeping the world cup with a rigorous qualifier, so that only the best are there. Sure, there might be some luck in there (remember, Saudi Arabia won against the current champion, Argentina), but in general you'll only have great teams there.

If the world cup allows entry to almost all the teams, then the whole thing changes, and it's not really the world cup any more, it's a badly designed qualifying stage in the beginning of it, and the normal qualifying would be a waste of time, since almost all the teams will qualify anyway.

It is true that the Globe Cup Qualifying competitions act as a tough filter, allowing only the very best teams from across the world to participate in the tournament itself. To secure a position in the World Cup, teams must compete in qualifying tournaments against others in their area. Teams may try out their ideas and acquire vital experience in the Qualifiers by competing against a variety of opponents. In the end, this makes for a more entertaining and competitive World Cup.

However, underdogs and surprises are always a possibility in both the World Cup qualifiers and the tournament itself. It is possible for teams to wow the globe with their skills and abilities throughout the qualifying rounds and the World Cup itself. Teams may increase their national profile and fan base by competing in the World Cup and its qualifying tournament. Emerging nations may make a name for themselves on the world stage and serve as an example for the next generation of players by doing well in the Qualifiers and at the World Cup.

[slackovic]

It is true that the Globe Cup Qualifying competitions act as a tough filter, allowing only the very best teams from across the world to participate in the tournament itself. To secure a position in the World Cup, teams must compete in qualifying tournaments against others in their area. Teams may try out their ideas and acquire vital experience in the Qualifiers by competing against a variety of opponents. In the end, this makes for a more entertaining and competitive World Cup.

However, underdogs and surprises are always a possibility in both the World Cup qualifiers and the tournament itself. It is possible for teams to wow the globe with their skills and abilities throughout the qualifying rounds and the World Cup itself. Teams may increase their national profile and fan base by competing in the World Cup and its qualifying tournament. Emerging nations may make a name for themselves on the world stage and serve as an example for the next generation of players by doing well in the Qualifiers and at the World Cup.

I would say that surprises are even more possible in the main tournament than in the qualifications. It's because in the main tournament there are fewer games to be played and one bad game for a favored team can result in them getting kicked out. We have seen how Germany didn't even make it pass the group phase in last year's World Cup.

[Sithara007]

I would say that surprises are even more possible in the main tournament than in the qualifications. It's because in the main tournament there are fewer games to be played and one bad game for a favored team can result in them getting kicked out. We have seen how Germany didn't even make it pass the group phase in last year's World Cup.

I have mentioned this quite a few times. FIFA has decided to keep the same format (4-team groups) that we had in Qatar 2022. So there is nothing to worry about top teams going out just because of one bad match. Each team will get 3 matches each in the group stage. But then, if they perform like Germany (losing to Japan and finishing at the 3rd place), then no one would be able to help. It should not be much difficult to get to the round of 32. But the expansion has now resulted in more number of knockout matches. In Qatar 2022, it was round of 16, followed by PQF, QF, SF and final. But this time, the winners need to play a total of 6 knockout matches and win all of them.

BTW, the AFC qualifiers will start by the end of this year. A total of 22 countries will take part in Phase 1 (FIFA rank 146 to 207), while 25 countries will directly progress to Round 2.

[slackovic]

I have mentioned this quite a few times. FIFA has decided to keep the same format (4-team groups) that we had in Qatar 2022. So there is nothing to worry about top teams going out just because of one bad match. Each team will get 3 matches each in the group stage. But then, if they perform like Germany (losing to Japan and finishing at the 3rd place), then no one would be able to help. It should not be much difficult to get to the round of 32. But the expansion has now resulted in more number of knockout matches. In Qatar 2022, it was round of 16, followed by PQF, QF, SF and final. But this time, the winners need to play a total of 6 knockout matches and win all of them.

BTW, the AFC qualifiers will start by the end of this year. A total of 22 countries will take part in Phase 1 (FIFA rank 146 to 207), while 25 countries will directly progress to Round 2.

I think that 4-team groups is the best format. I remember reading about 3-team groups where two teams would advance to the next stage. It's good that FIFA didn't decide to use that format.

Of course that no format can help certain team to advance if they don't play good football. Germany played bad and they were kicked out from the World Cup last year and that's OK. I have nothing against "weaker" team advancing to the next stage if they win against stronger team.

[samcoin]

I have mentioned this quite a few times. FIFA has decided to keep the same format (4-team groups) that we had in Qatar 2022. So there is nothing to worry about top teams going out just because of one bad match. Each team will get 3 matches each in the group stage. But then, if they perform like Germany (losing to Japan and finishing at the 3rd place), then no one would be able to help. It should not be much difficult to get to the round of 32. But the expansion has now resulted in more number of knockout matches. In Qatar 2022, it was round of 16, followed by PQF, QF, SF and final. But this time, the winners need to play a total of 6 knockout matches and win all of them.

BTW, the AFC qualifiers will start by the end of this year. A total of 22 countries will take part in Phase 1 (FIFA rank 146 to 207), while 25 countries will directly progress to Round 2.

To my knowledge, this format is under discussion. I haven't found any source or a piece of news that confirms it.
However, this is my opinion: I see it a better format, because the worries involved in the groups that include only 3 teams aren't limited to a team being kicked out just because of one bad match. It also means that manipulations could happen if two teams won their first match and ensured their qualification, while in this format (4 teams in each group) there will be a chance even for the third ranked team to qualify, so that means more competitiveness and excitement.

[nullama]

~snip~
I think that 4-team groups is the best format. I remember reading about 3-team groups where two teams would advance to the next stage. It's good that FIFA didn't decide to use that format.

Of course that no format can help certain team to advance if they don't play good football. Germany played bad and they were kicked out from the World Cup last year and that's OK. I have nothing against "weaker" team advancing to the next stage if they win against stronger team.

Yeah, I think the current way of doing the World Cup is quite entertaining.

The group stage of Qatar was so good, and the next phase was also great.

I do like the 4 teams per group, and 2 of them going to the next round. I think it's been like that for ages. Can't remember a different way.

Hopefully they don't change it for the next world cup.

[rahmad2nd]

It is true that the Globe Cup Qualifying competitions act as a tough filter, allowing only the very best teams from across the world to participate in the tournament itself. To secure a position in the World Cup, teams must compete in qualifying tournaments against others in their area. Teams may try out their ideas and acquire vital experience in the Qualifiers by competing against a variety of opponents. In the end, this makes for a more entertaining and competitive World Cup.

And only participants who are subscriptions to the world cup will qualify for the next phase. To be honest, I can't expect Asian teams to be able to compete at the world level. it is not the time for Asian countries, especially ASEAN, to compete in the world cup championship. the exception is Japan and South Korea. it seems, this is too imposing only for the benefit of FIFA alone. even the 2026 world cup championship, will not be more competitive than last year's world cup and i am sure of that. the reason is, in terms of quality, ASEAN players have a gap that is compared to other country contestants. besides that, there will be many uninteresting matches from the 48 participants who will appear in the championship later.

However, underdogs and surprises are always a possibility in both the World Cup qualifiers and the tournament itself. It is possible for teams to wow the globe with their skills and abilities throughout the qualifying rounds and the World Cup itself. Teams may increase their national profile and fan base by competing in the World Cup and its qualifying tournament. Emerging nations may make a name for themselves on the world stage and serve as an example for the next generation of players by doing well in the Qualifiers and at the World Cup.

Speaking of underdog teams, there will always be surprises in each of these tournaments. but you and I are well aware, that the Underdog team is none other than that team anymore. and not the squad that just made its debut in the world cup later. nevertheless, I hope that what I think is wrong.

[rdluffy]

I think that 4-team groups is the best format. I remember reading about 3-team groups where two teams would advance to the next stage. It's good that FIFA didn't decide to use that format.

Of course that no format can help certain team to advance if they don't play good football. Germany played bad and they were kicked out from the World Cup last year and that's OK. I have nothing against "weaker" team advancing to the next stage if they win against stronger team.

I think the best format to do the next world cup is 12 groups of 4. I think I already said that and FIFA is probably considering this format too, not others, because this is almost the same format as today, just with 1 more round (the round of 32).
Curiosity: If Germany finishes 3rd in the next World Cup, with the format described above, it will still be possible to qualify, because the 8 best 3rd place teams will have to qualify. (Besides the 24 teams that will qualify in 1st and 2nd of each group).
It will be easier to qualify to round of 32.

To my knowledge, this format is under discussion. I haven't found any source or a piece of news that confirms it.
However, this is my opinion: I see it a better format, because the worries involved in the groups that include only 3 teams aren't limited to a team being kicked out just because of one bad match. It also means that manipulations could happen if two teams won their first match and ensured their qualification, while in this format (4 teams in each group) there will be a chance even for the third ranked team to qualify, so that means more competitiveness and excitement.

Yes it's under discussion, and I think they will decide this year, but I remember to read about the format we are discussing probably being the best one for FIFA.
I bet on this format, other ones seems bad to me, groups of 3 or groups of 12 is weird, just look at the another cups like Champions League, Libertadores and Euro...all with 4 teams in each group.

[nullama]

I think that 4-team groups is the best format. I remember reading about 3-team groups where two teams would advance to the next stage. It's good that FIFA didn't decide to use that format.

Of course that no format can help certain team to advance if they don't play good football. Germany played bad and they were kicked out from the World Cup last year and that's OK. I have nothing against "weaker" team advancing to the next stage if they win against stronger team.

I think the best format to do the next world cup is 12 groups of 4. I think I already said that and FIFA is probably considering this format too, not others, because this is almost the same format as today, just with 1 more round (the round of 32).
Curiosity: If Germany finishes 3rd in the next World Cup, with the format described above, it will still be possible to qualify, because the 8 best 3rd place teams will have to qualify. (Besides the 24 teams that will qualify in 1st and 2nd of each group).
It will be easier to qualify to round of 32.
~snip~

I have a vague memory that at some earlier world cup some of the best 3rd places also went to the next round.

Maybe I'm imagining this, but I think that was the official way at some point.

I'm not sure which one would be better, Qatar one was really entertaining, and it was almost impossible to have a secure spot early on. That was fun.

[Sithara007]

I have a vague memory that at some earlier world cup some of the best 3rd places also went to the next round.

Maybe I'm imagining this, but I think that was the official way at some point.

I'm not sure which one would be better, Qatar one was really entertaining, and it was almost impossible to have a secure spot early on. That was fun.

LOL.. your memory is vague because it happened long time ago. Until 1994, only 24 countries were allowed to participate in the FIFA world cup. In the group phase, there were 6 groups of 4 teams each. For the Round of 16, top 2 teams from each group will qualify, in addition to the 4 of the best 3rd placed teams. And back in 1994, it was Argentina, Belgium, United States and Italy who qualified despite getting relegated to 3rd place in their respective groups. All these teams lost crucial matches and were on the verge of getting kicked out. Belgium lost to Saudi Arabia, Italy lost to Ireland, and Argentina went down against Bulgaria (famous match in which Hristo Stoichkov and Nasko Sirakov scored).

From 1998 onwards, the number of participants was increased to 32, and from 2026 we will be having 48 teams participating in the world cup. I believe that it is a step in the right direction. There are a few people who complain about the duration of the tournament, but IMO the merits overshadow any potential demerits.

[gagux123]

There are only a few games for the selection, and if teams play badly there then they miss it out. I think it would be wiser if we do that in the world cup itself. Have as many teams as possible, have 64 teams if you can, that would be better, this way if a team is losing during the group stages, they would just simply lose and not go further, same as the qualification stage where if they lose, they don't go to world cup.

In this scenario, more teams are going to world cup but losing there, instead of losing before the world cup. Still losing, still not a chance to win it, but at the very least they would be going there and it would mean a lot more money.

Looking at your perspective, it is even interesting to change the number of participating teams, we will have countries that have never been to the world cup, this will help with visibility and consequently we will have more games, therefore we would have an improvement of the economy in the country

But on the other hand, if there is a greater insertion of teams, I believe that this will reduce the quality of the world cup, I am not discrediting the teams, but I do not know, this could reduce the level and quality of the world cup.

The world cup only happens every 4 years, and I have no doubt, this is one of the most anticipated events for many people.

[BobK71]

But on the other hand, if there is a greater insertion of teams, I believe that this will reduce the quality of the world cup, I am not discrediting the teams, but I do not know, this could reduce the level and quality of the world cup.

The world cup only happens every 4 years, and I have no doubt, this is one of the most anticipated events for many people.

When more teams are added to the World Cup, the quality of the World Cup may be affected. Football's biggest event, held every four years, has different views from around the world. Therefore, FIFA will not take any decision that brings FIFA into disrepute. They have already decided to include 48 countries from next season. I think it's a good decision because a lot of teams, especially multiple champions ‍some times can't play there, so it's definitely a good decision. But more than 48 will do more harm than good.

[Sithara007]

When more teams are added to the World Cup, the quality of the World Cup may be affected. Football's biggest event, held every four years, has different views from around the world. Therefore, FIFA will not take any decision that brings FIFA into disrepute. They have already decided to include 48 countries from next season. I think it's a good decision because a lot of teams, especially multiple champions ‍some times can't play there, so it's definitely a good decision. But more than 48 will do more harm than good.

We have gone through this argument quite a few times now. There is a reason why FIFA went with a 48-team event for 2026. Their assessment shows that the gap between stronger teams (i.e those from CONMEBOL and UEFA confederations) and the so called weaker teams (especially those from CAF, AFC and OFC) have narrowed down over the years. And during Qatar 2022, we had a large number of upsets, where teams like Cameroon, Morocco, Japan and South Korea were able to defeat well established teams. 48 looks like the optimal number for now. No one is demanding any further expansion, at least for the next 20 years.

[W Jr.]

This is the role of media in destroying a country's image just because of any incident that happened in that particular country. Same thing happens with Pakistan all the time , bad media coverage and wrong reporting unfact exaggeration makes any country an insecure country to live in .
All countries have their good and bad points and I am sure mexico is not just about drug cartels or criminals there will be  uch more than that and for fifa fans there will be much more to explore and experience.

I am from Pakistan and we have been through this situation where we were denied hosting any international cricket match for 10 years because there was a terrorist attack on the Srilanka team in our country.
That is now history but the rival countries always hesitate to visit our country and give excuses of that event. This is not right as the security situation is improved over time.
I hope Mexico does not face the same unjustice situation which we have been facing for the last many years.

This same thing happens in India also that made FIFA to ban India n football federation from participating in football and other similar sports because of what had ensue many years ago. I don't blame anyone for this but this most time could be as a result of insecurity that lead to the rampage causing a serious scene that had lead to sanctions.

Oh, I did not know that Fifa Ban Indian football too. They also banned our country, not for security reasons but because they believe that our offices were controlled by third-party. Later on in 2022, this ban was lifted and we had a sign of relief.
More details:- FIFA lifts suspension of Pakistan Football Federation

By the way, when we see the progress of our neighboring countries like Saudia Arab, Qatar, Japan, Korea, Iran, etc, we see that both Pakistan and India are left behind in this race of become a strong football nation.

It is more than a decade that India has not been participating in football  , I'm just noticing that Pakistan have not been participating too . This ban will do them no good at all, it will take them a long time to get used to football because for sometime they have not been competing with other teams.

India and Pakistan should participate in fifa world cup and show the world what they are capable of doing and may be these countries turn out to be really good in football .
This step is extremely important to promote football in these countries and this will be a treat for their fans.

I don't remember India and Pakistan having much success in football. I am also surprised to see that countries such as China and India are not able to produce very successful athletes in football and some other sports, despite their high population. These are probably the best examples that show that sports progress not only with talent but also with education. I think the leaders of India and China should especially encourage young people for sports. Returning to our topic, India and Pakistan will add color to the tournament, but to be realistic, it is very difficult for them to participate if they are not the host country.

[LUCKMCFLY]

~snip~
I didn't know that and doesn't feel fair at all because the ones who will print with that event will be USA while the 3 of them have to spend a lot of money for the event. I think the matches should be split into the same amount of games for each country because doesn't worth making the infrastructure and the conditions in a country only for 10 games. I feel like Mexico and Canada will lose a lot of money with this.

I'm pretty sure it will all be done in a proportional way, that means that the US will probably get the most out of it, and also will have the largest expenses.

Mexico has already hosted the world cup two times (70, 86), so I'm surprised they only got to share this one.

Canada on the other hand has never hosted it, so it will probably get a lot of attention from this one.

Let's remember that the US has already hosted the world cup in 94 and it was quite alright.

Well, with respect to the expenses that may be incurred in the countries, I don't know, in the case of Qatar they did not mind spending a large number of millions, because they wanted to show the majesty of their country and obviously the technology, culture and that It is a country that is far from everything they talk about, that is something that I think has to do with it, now it is in the government of each country for that moment how they will handle things, I don't know, I think that the countries that have or are More of South American origin will have many problems to enter these countries, at least for Venezuela they ask them to have a Visa to enter Mexico, and not to mention the USA and Canada, which are quite demanding countries.