64 teams at the 2030 World Cup

strangely though it'll probably be more straightforward, 16 groups with top two going through, none of the 3rd best.

They do need to seriously elbow the head to head and get back to goal difference, too many examples of meaningless games, you can have, at the moment, a team finishing bottom with a better goal difference than a team that qualifies.

FIFA 'exploring the idea'

that's code for 'putting a feeler out there, and if there's no  backlash which they're wont be, they'll be 64 teams at the next World Cup'.

Gianni Infantino doesn't give a f**k what anyone thinks.

It's code for it's happening.

Almost guaranteed to be 64 teams , and they need to get rid of the play offs in qualification . teams having to wait until march to play those games .
in South America nearly every team will qualify if they increase their share .

If it means even more games somehow or UEFA feel like they're nations are not getting a fair share of the qualifying spots in comparison to other qualifying regions, then they have the power, they can refuse to go, and then there is no World Cup, because a World Cup without European teams in meaningless in terms of value.

Domestic clubs will soon be added to the mix.

Europe needs a good few more spots. In 1990 we had 12 places between 32 countries, then the continent fractured (USSR and Yugo breakups) and now we have 54 countries competing for only 16 places.

Should kick out the Asian teams like Israel, Kaz, Armenia, Georgia and Azerb. None of these countries are in europe. The South Americans should get no more spots. 70% of them can already get in, while less than 30% of countries in europe do.

It is a joke having 6 hosts in 3 different continents , again no consideration for any fans .

Of course Europe will get extra places. More European countries = more TV money.

I quite like the spread of games to celebrate 100 years.

Pity they couldn't have had all previous winners starting out with
a home game.

This world Cup seems to have worked well despite rip off pricing, so
good luck to 2030.

But as it stands i think it it only 1 game , imagine an england fan , 1st game in argentina , 2nd game in spain , no doubt they will make the 3rd game in morocco to complete the hat trick , they have only done it so they get a big fat envelope from saudi arabia as they get the 2034 world cup uncontested .

why stop at 64, have 128 and no need for qualifiers ?

256 might get Gibraltar in too.

I don't think that 48 adds very much and I am sick of the commentators telling us that a team has reached the knockout stage for the first time "in their history". Of course they will when that means one of 32 not one of 16 as in the past.

There was no knockout stage in 1950,and various other formats have been usedit woul

It might be more meaningful if they said stuff like first time in last 16/ 32

not forgetting Jupiter venus and narnia

Eventually they will turn it into a Champions League style World Cup with the Swiss format, probably meaning up to 15 games over a 2 month period, one game every 4 days, there's too much money in it for them now. The soul of football has long since been sold and it's held in the hands of that Bald leech Infantino, I used to think he was an extension of Blatter, but Blatter really was just a simple man who enjoyed a little bit of the limelight and power, Infantino is more cold and calculated, an intellect who has a Main Character syndrome, he's Blatter on steroids. Kind Regards.

What about leap years ?

I believe the next qualifiers in Europe are going to be similar to the current champions league format.

Knowing my luck the 2 Irish teams will fail again.

Yes uefa qualifying for 2030 is crazy , so overly complicated .

To think the Irish are only not here because of that dross the Czech Republic who were easily one of the worst teams at the tournament

too many poor or dull European teams as it is  . I think we have the right balance now and like the 3rd place system ...do agree it should be goal average though .

is goal average different to goal difference, or does it average itself out ?

Goal average used to be used before goal difference in England , dont think it could work with 3 matches as teams that dont concede or score wont have an average .

Coach not sure if was you, but years ago I vaguely remember a poster on a thread thread called something like 'am i racist', who said they had a dog called Blackie, and as you opened the front door he ran out whilst you called his name, just as a black man was walking past

Good job he wasn't a Biggles fan!

you have a good memory

it was you then

yes    she was a black labrador i should add ...and this bloke just walked past as i  called out

Blackie was not an uncommon cat or dog name in the 80's...

I'm guessing less so now..

also had a black labrador as a child..
obviously named 'said' word....
ye aint gonna call it 'whitiey' r
ye ffs

spose nowadays
she be called
'kenzie' or some
shieite like that...
and those fooking leads
that go about 200m....
bring back the chocker chain

and dogs understand french
spanish or wotever same as
anglaise

indeed Brentford , i guess at some point the name became  less popular