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General FIFA World Cup Discussion

melbcityguy said:
How is everyone finding the world cup qualification now it's expanded?
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The main one I’m not happy with is Europe - should have just done 8 groups with the top 2 of each qualifying directly, and getting rid of the playoffs.

Most of everything else I'm pretty ok with
 
NicCarBel said:
The main one I’m not happy with is Europe - should have just done 8 groups with the top 2 of each qualifying directly, and getting rid of the playoffs.

Most of everything else I'm pretty ok with
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When the Saudis host the World Cup, Oceania will get 2 births at the world cup and Asia will get a extra direct WC place.
 
NoMates said:
When the Saudis host the World Cup, Oceania will get 2 births at the world cup and Asia will get an extra direct WC place.
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That’s not the way I understand it.

Asia will get an extra place at the intercontinental playoffs, and that’s it.

Automatic slots for hosts are now taken from the continents slot allocation (i.e - CONCACAF will normally get 6 automatic slots, with 2026 seeing 3 of them allocated to the hosts).
 
NicCarBel said:
That’s not the way I understand it.

Asia will get an extra place at the intercontinental playoffs, and that’s it.

Automatic slots for hosts are now taken from the continents slot allocation (i.e - CONCACAF will normally get 6 automatic slots, with 2026 seeing 3 of them allocated to the hosts).
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So the format of this is, 6 teams will qualify for the playoffs;
  1. OFC Runner Up (New Caledonia)
  2. CONCACAF 4th place
  3. AFC 9th place
  4. CONMEBOL 6th place
  5. CAF 10th place
  6. Extra slot for the host confederation (in this case, CONCACAF 5th place)
Essentially, the format is the same as the old Club World Cup, although instead of specific continents being given a bye to the final four, the 2x highest ranked nations will be given that position. I did a breakdown of how this would look if Australia were to make this stage, and it's highly possible that we'd be seeded in this. New Caledonia, obviously not.

It will also be held in either USA, Canada or Mexico as a test run (similar to the old Confederations Cup)

As for UEFA - well.. they already have the highest amount of qualifiers (16) - though it seems when they host the World Cup, they will get the extra slot for these playoffs, so will be interesting to see how they restructure their format for this.

Based off current group standings etc around the world, this is where that's at:

OFC - New Caledonia (confirmed)
CAF - Gabon/Mozambique/Namibia/Burkina Faso (3 group games remaining, top 4 runner ups to playoff for playoff spot)
AFC - UAE/Qatar/Iraq/Oman/Saudi Arabia/Indonesia (3 games, then second group stage of 2 games, then a home and away playoff - 2 of these 6 will automatically qualify)
CONMEBOL - Bolivia (5 games remaining)
CONCACAF - Final round competitors yet to be determined. Currently they will be Honduras, Cuba, Costa Rica, Trinidad & Tobago, Curacao, Haiti, Nicaragua, Panama, Guatemala, Jamaica, Suriname, Puerto Rico. These will be split into 3 groups of 4 nations, with the group winners directly qualifying, and the 2 best ranked runners up advancing to the intercontinental playoffs.

For the above, assuming the standings stay the same, and then the highest ranked nations win playoffs/advance in further stages, the make up of the intercontinental playoffs will be:

OFC - New Caledonia
CAF - Burkina Faso
AFC - Saudi Arabia
CONMEBOL - Bolivia
CONCACAF - Honduras
CONCACAF - Haiti

Using current rankings, the bracket would be:

Round 1 (I think this is randomly drawn, but I have just done a 3v6, 4v5 format here)

  • Honduras v New Caledonia
  • Bolivia v Haiti
Round 2 (winners qualify for World Cup)

  • Saudi Arabia v Honduras/New Caledonia
  • Burkina Faso v Bolivia/Haiti
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In the context of your statement re: the Saudi World Cup @NoMates - the playoff structure would be:

  1. OFC Runner Up
  2. CONCACAF 7th place
  3. AFC 8th place
  4. CONMEBOL 6th place
  5. CAF 10th place
  6. Extra slot for the host confederation (in this case, AFC 9th place)
 
NicCarBel said:
So the format of this is, 6 teams will qualify for the playoffs;
  1. OFC Runner Up (New Caledonia)
  2. CONCACAF 4th place
  3. AFC 9th place
  4. CONMEBOL 6th place
  5. CAF 10th place
  6. Extra slot for the host confederation (in this case, CONCACAF 5th place)
Essentially, the format is the same as the old Club World Cup, although instead of specific continents being given a bye to the final four, the 2x highest ranked nations will be given that position. I did a breakdown of how this would look if Australia were to make this stage, and it's highly possible that we'd be seeded in this. New Caledonia, obviously not.

It will also be held in either USA, Canada or Mexico as a test run (similar to the old Confederations Cup)

As for UEFA - well.. they already have the highest amount of qualifiers (16) - though it seems when they host the World Cup, they will get the extra slot for these playoffs, so will be interesting to see how they restructure their format for this.

Based off current group standings etc around the world, this is where that's at:

OFC - New Caledonia (confirmed)
CAF - Gabon/Mozambique/Namibia/Burkina Faso (3 group games remaining, top 4 runner ups to playoff for playoff spot)
AFC - UAE/Qatar/Iraq/Oman/Saudi Arabia/Indonesia (3 games, then second group stage of 2 games, then a home and away playoff - 2 of these 6 will automatically qualify)
CONMEBOL - Bolivia (5 games remaining)
CONCACAF - Final round competitors yet to be determined. Currently they will be Honduras, Cuba, Costa Rica, Trinidad & Tobago, Curacao, Haiti, Nicaragua, Panama, Guatemala, Jamaica, Suriname, Puerto Rico. These will be split into 3 groups of 4 nations, with the group winners directly qualifying, and the 2 best ranked runners up advancing to the intercontinental playoffs.

For the above, assuming the standings stay the same, and then the highest ranked nations win playoffs/advance in further stages, the make up of the intercontinental playoffs will be:

OFC - New Caledonia
CAF - Burkina Faso
AFC - Saudi Arabia
CONMEBOL - Bolivia
CONCACAF - Honduras
CONCACAF - Haiti

Using current rankings, the bracket would be:

Round 1 (I think this is randomly drawn, but I have just done a 3v6, 4v5 format here)

  • Honduras v New Caledonia
  • Bolivia v Haiti
Round 2 (winners qualify for World Cup)

  • Saudi Arabia v Honduras/New Caledonia
  • Burkina Faso v Bolivia/Haiti
---
In the context of your statement re: the Saudi World Cup @NoMates - the playoff structure would be:

  1. OFC Runner Up
  2. CONCACAF 7th place
  3. AFC 8th place
  4. CONMEBOL 6th place
  5. CAF 10th place
  6. Extra slot for the host confederation (in this case, AFC 9th place)
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If Saudi finish 3rd, they go into one a group of 3 which they will probably top. Then they qualify. The runners up from those two groups have a playoff, then the winner goes to the intercontinental playoff. It won’t be Saudi.
 
Kitwally said:
If Saudi finish 3rd, they go into one a group of 3 which they will probably top. Then they qualify. The runners up from those two groups have a playoff, then the winner goes to the intercontinental playoff. It won’t be Saudi.
Click to expand...
Yes, I outlined that I was only looking at rankings as a reference guide.
 
Updated projected intercontinental playoffs (using current standings for placement, and rankings for any further rounds)

OFC - New Caledonia
AFC - Saudi Arabia
CONMEBOL - Venezuela
CAF - Senegal
CONCACAF 1 - Honduras
CONCACAF 2 - Haiti
 
NicCarBel

Post in thread 'OFC 2026 WC Qualifying'

Pasquali said:
Perhaps we get rid of the seperate groups and do it similar to uefa club comps.
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For AFC, what I would have done, looking at the way the 2026 one was set up,

Is have less playoff rounds at the first round, and do 10x groups of 4, instead of the 9 we got.
Then, still have the top 2 advancing to the next stage, and have 4x groups of 5, where the top 2 of each group qualify directly for the World Cup.
The 4x 3rd places can then have a playoff round (whether it's a single robin group stage, or perhaps just a single elimination knockout bracket held over one international window) to...
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How I would have set up each confederations qualifying path for the 48 team FIFA World Cup. These are all assuming that the confederation is not a host of the World Cup.​

AFC
⦁ First Round
⦁ Bottom ranked teams playoff until a total of 40 teams remain​
⦁ Second Round
⦁ 10x Groups of 4, Home and Away round robin, with the top 2 of each group advancing to the Third Round​
⦁ Third Round
⦁ 4x Groups of 5, Home and Away round robin, with the top 2 of each group qualifying for the FIFA World Cup​
⦁ The 4x 3rd placed teams will face a single elimination bracket, held in a single international window, with the seeded team hosting the bracket, with the winner advancing to the Intercontinental Playoffs​

UEFA
⦁ First Round
⦁ 8x groups of 6-7, Home and Away round robin, with the top 2 of each group qualifying for the FIFA World Cup​

CONMEBOL
⦁ First Round
⦁ All 10 nations in a Home and Away round robin, with the top 6 qualifying for the FIFA World Cup​
⦁ 7th place will advance to the Intercontinental Playoffs​

OFC
⦁ First Round
⦁ Bottom ranked teams playoff until a total of 8 teams remain​
⦁ Second Round
⦁ 2x Groups of 4, Home and Away round robin, with the top 2 of each group advancing to the Third Round​
⦁ Third Round
⦁ The winner of each group, will play the runner up of the alternate group, in a Home and Away knockout fixture. The winners will advance to the Fourth Round​
⦁ Fourth Round
⦁ The winners of the 2x Third Round legs will play in a Home and Away knockout fixture. The winners will qualify for the FIFA World Cup​
⦁ The loser of the Fourth Round fixture will advance to the Intercontinental Playoffs.​

CAF
⦁ First Round
⦁ 9x Groups of 6, Home and Away round robin, with the winners of each group qualifying for the FIFA World Cup​
⦁ The four best group runners-up will face a single elimination bracket, held in a single international window, with the seeded team hosting the bracket, with the winner advancing to the Intercontinental Playoffs​

CONCACAF
⦁ First Round
⦁ Bottom ranked teams playoff until a total of 30 teams remain​
⦁ Second Round
⦁ 6x Groups of 5, Home and Away round robin, with the top 2 of each group advancing to the Third Round​
⦁ Third Round
⦁ 6x Groups of 5, Home and Away round robin, with the top 2 of each group qualifying for the FIFA World Cup​
⦁ The 3x 3rd placed teams will playoff in a single round robin group, with the winner advancing to the Intercontinental Playoffs​
 
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