The Good World Cup Starts Again the Bad During Work Hours

I want to keep an open heed, I really do. Alter is inevitable in life, and it isn't ever bad.

But I'm worried that January x, 2017, will exist seen as the day FIFA ruined the World Loving cup.

On Tuesday, the FIFA Council made it official, unanimously approval an expansion of the men'southward Earth Cup field. Starting in 2026, the field will increase from 32 to 48 teams. There will be 16 groups of three teams, with the top two finishers in each grouping advancing to a 32-team knockout phase.

The number of World Loving cup bids per continent has yet to be finalized, only reports advise it could await similar this:

UEFA	16 (13 currently)
CAF	9 (5)
AFC	8.five (four.5)
CONMEBOL	half dozen (four.5)
CONCACAF	vi.5 (iii.5)
Oceania	1 (0.5)
Host Country	1 or more if co-hosted (i)

What's skillful about the expansion? What's bad? Let's pause information technology down:

The Pros

• If you're the United states of america or United mexican states and purely looking out for your cocky-involvement, an expanded World Cup ways information technology will be well-nigh impossible to miss out on qualifying for the tournament, as Mexico nearly did for 2014 and as the U.S. may be on its manner to doing for 2018 after losing its beginning two games in the CONCACAF Hexagonal.

What'due south more, it volition be easier to advance to the knockout rounds with two teams in every three-team group advancing to the round of 32 (as opposed to two of four teams in each group advancing to a round of 16). And with more emphasis on the results of one game—in a sport where crazy bounces, fluke goals and bad officiating frequently determine games—it could likewise be easier for the U.S. or Mexico to accelerate deeper in the knockout rounds against easier teams than they faced before.

The all-time World Cup format–that FIFA would never consider

• If you're a country that has never made information technology to the World Cup before—and there are enough of nations in this grouping—your chances of qualifying just increased immensely. That is no small matter as the world's game becomes increasingly global. In full general, inclusion is a better thing than exclusion.

• Despite having a bigger tournament, information technology won't take whatsoever more days to consummate. The 48-team World Cup in 2026 volition last 32 days, just equally many as the 32 days it volition take with 32 teams at Russia 2018. The tournament winner will still play seven games, no more is currently the case, so I don't totally understand the European Clubs Association'due south opposition statement saying that the new format will put more wear and tear on players.

But and then in that location's the other category, which is a big ane:

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The Cons

• Iii-team groups are a joke. Why was Euro 2016 so unsatisfying? A big reason was the expanded 24-team field, in which teams that finished third in their four-team groups nonetheless avant-garde to the knockout rounds. Anytime you have more half the teams advancing to the knockout stage creates a problem, with poorly performing teams being rewarded.

Three-squad groups may besides incentivize teams to play for 0-0 ties, and they remove the simultaneous final group games, which may incentivize teams to lay downwards and play for a mutually beneficial result if they happen to be in the concluding group game. FIFA is considering staging penalty shootouts at the end of any tied group games to help alleviate the problem, simply that'southward lame and won't alleviate it entirely.

• Bad games at the Earth Cup volition go more frequent. FIFA'due south own inquiry says the quality of World Loving cup games volition suffer in a 48-team tournament. Look for more blowouts between Germany and, say, Curaçao. Look for more than minor teams to park the bus and hope for a necktie. Expect for more than mutually beneficial snoozers. Some of these games could be vicious. Besides much of a good thing can easily become a bad thing. Again: Look at Euro 2016.

GALLERY: Every World Cup winner

World Cup Winners

1930: Uruguay

The hosts won the kickoff World Cup, beating Argentina 4-ii in the final. Uruguay's victory in the 13-team tournament was the start of a tendency: The host nation has won six of 18 Earth Cups, and even lesser sides that have hosted usually accept exceeded expectations.

1934: Italy

The host nation delivered over again as Italy shell Czechoslovakia 2-1 in the final thank you to an extra-time goal from Angelo Schiavo. The Italians had opened the tournament with a vii-1 rout of the Us earlier beating Spain and Commonwealth of australia en road to the concluding.

1938: Italy

Italy won its second consecutive World Cup backside striker Silvo Piola, who scored twice and set up another goal in a 4-2 victory over Hungary in the final. The tournament included Brazil'south ballsy six-5 win over Poland in the start round in which Ernest Wilimowski scored 4 goals in a losing try and Leonidas countered with a chapeau pull a fast one on.

1950: Uruguay

While the U.s. pulled off the shocker of the competition past beating England, Uruguay joined Italia as two-time World Cup winners. Alcides Ghiggia scored in every game for Uruguay, including the game-winner in the concluding confronting host Brazil.

1954: West Federal republic of germany

Due west Frg lost 8-3 to Hungary in the second game of the tournament, but exacted revenge in the final when it overcame an early two-goal arrears to win 3-2. This was the highest-scoring Earth Cup in history (5.38 goals-per-game average), with Hungary accounting for 26 in v games.

1958: Brazil

The first internationally televised Globe Cup gave the states Brazil's Samba soccer and 17-year-old sensation Pele, who scored six goals in the tournament. It also provided the first winner outside its dwelling continent, Brazil, which defeated host Sweden v-2 in the terminal.

1962: Brazil

Despite the loss of Pele to injury, the Brazilians looked as dazzling equally ever, overwhelming Republic of chile four-2 in the semifinal. The Czechs put upwardly more of a fight in the concluding, but were overcome by two second-half goals as the Brazilians repeated as champions.

1966: England

England triumphed on home soil under Alf Ramsey, who'd revolutionized the national team. The iv-2 win over West Germany after extra fourth dimension in the final remains the defining moment in English soccer, though the containment of Portugal a game earlier was as decisive.

1970: Brazil

Brazil'southward free-scoring run through the rounds, a scintillating semifinal between Italia and Deutschland and Gordon Banks' "save of the century" against Pele in Brazil'due south classic group victory over England helped make this what is widely viewed equally the best World Cup ever. Brazil downed Italy 4-1 in the final.

1974: West Germany

Led by Sepp Maier, Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller, W Germany overcame a classy Dutch side in the final to win the title on home soil.

1978: Argentine republic

The commencement Globe Cup in Argentina ended with a fifth title for a host nation. Mario Kempes won the Golden Boot with six goals, including two (to become with ane assistance) in Argentina's iii-ane victory over the Netherlands in the final. This was Kingdom of the netherlands's second consecutive loss in a World Cup final.

1982: Italy

In the first 24-team finals (eight more than in '78), Italy unexpectedly matched Brazil with its third title. West Germany and Brazil were the favorites and both won every game in qualifying, but Italy, led past Paolo Rossi, who had recently returned from a lucifer-fixing suspension, knocked off both en route to victory.

1986: Argentina

Maradona endemic the 1986 finals in Mexico, playing with fearlessness and guile–and a piddling luck, too, as his Hand of God goal helped Argentina slip past England in the quarterfinals. His performance confronting Belgium in the semis (two 2d-one-half goals) was incredible, and though the Germans kept him tranquillity for most of the concluding, it was his cross that prepare Jorge Barruchaga for the winner.

1990: Westward Federal republic of germany

In a rematch of the '86 final, Westward Germany got the best of Argentina ane-0 in a concrete match (an advisable finish to a rough-and-tumble tournament short on goals) in Italian republic.

1994: Brazil

Brazil and Italia played a mediocre final in the first tournament hosted by the United States, with the Brazilians winning in a penalization shootout afterwards a 0-0 finish following extra time. Brazil became the World Cup's first four-time winner.

1998: France

France came back from a goal down confronting Croatia in the semifinal to set up its start last appearance, against Brazil. Rumors abounded that Ronaldo suffered a fit immediately before the lucifer, merely host France deserved its win after completely dominating the match thanks to 2 commencement-half headers from Zinedine Zidane.

2002: Brazil

Japan and Republic of korea became the Globe Loving cup's get-go co-hosts, and the first in Asia, and they produced a tournament total of surprises, if not amazing soccer from the usual suspects. The unexpected success of newcomer Senegal, every bit well every bit Turkey, the United States and Republic of korea, added to the novelty of the outcome. In the terminate, though, the final was contested between old faces Brazil and Germany, despite the relative weakness of their lineups. Ronaldo scored both goals in Brazil's ii-0 victory.

2006: Italy

Italy went unbeaten in the grouping stages and was then inconsistent through the knockouts, but equitably took an extra-time victory over host Germany in the semis before beating France on penalties in the last. The French had started to boss into extra time, but Zinedane Zidane's headbutt on Marco Materazzi left it a man downwardly, and David Trezeguet'due south missed punishment handed Italy a fourth Earth Cup.

2010: Spain

Kingdom of spain capped its gilt era with a World Cup triumph, following its Euro 2008 title with another on the grand stage. Andres Iniesta's goal in extra time of a concrete final led Spain over holland and allowed La Furia Roja to lift the trophy.

2014: Federal republic of germany

Federal republic of germany'due south run concluded with an actress-time triumph over Lionel Messi'southward Argentine republic, with Mario Gotze supplying a sensational winner to crown the Germans once more.

• World Cup qualifying becomes a joke. Let's say eight CONCACAF teams terminate up qualifying for Earth Cup 2026, with the U.S., the current favorite, every bit the host. The top viii CONCACAF teams in the current FIFA rankings are Costa rica, Mexico, the U.Due south., Panama, Haiti, Honduras, Curaçao and Jamaica. With CONCACAF promising more qualifying games to tiny isle nations, look for Globe Cup qualifying to become a watered-down mess of easy games with next to nothing at stake for a team like the U.S. or Mexico. 1 of the U.S.'s biggest electric current bug is it doesn't play plenty games that matter confronting tough opponents. This system makes that problem even worse.

The lodge game is already being played at a much higher level than the international game. An expanded Globe Loving cup makes that worse, both during the long time flow between World Cups and at the 48-team Globe Cup itself.

• If you're FIFA, which has money concerns in the wake of the U.S.-investigated FIFA scandal, you'll brand more coin off TV rights (more games!) and sponsorships. And if you're Gianni Infantino, the recently elected FIFA president, yous'll increase your chances of being reelected, since then many more countries will have an opportunity to reach the World Cup. Each of those countries has a vote in the FIFA election. This is patronage politics straight out of the Sepp Blatter handbook, and information technology goes along with the massive increase in almanac coin grants that Infantino promised and got passed for each FIFA nation.

Growth and making coin aren't necessarily bad things, but the biggest problem that Infantino needs to fix is FIFA and confederation corruption—think, in that location was a giant FIFA scandal!—and not the size of the World Loving cup, where 32 teams was just about perfect. Merely following the Blatter patronage pattern and raising payouts only increases suspicions that the same shady folks at the terminate of those handouts (and most of them are the aforementioned people that in that location were in that location during the FIFA scandal) will continue with business as usual.

Roundtable: What's the all-time format for an expanded World Loving cup?

My promise is that Infantino will use the political support he gains from pushing expansion to address the biggest issues facing FIFA, which include becoming a cleaner organization and building women's soccer and the role of women in soccer globally. My fright is that he will think his work was done in those areas with the passage of last year's FIFA reform package, which should exist just a start.

How would I take changed the men's Globe Cup? Instead of expanding it to 48 teams, I would have kept it at 32 and instituted more intercontinental playoffs to give more than teams outside of Europe and South America a chance to brand the 32-team field. And if the 32-team field absolutely had to be expanded, I would have gone ahead and increased it to 64, which at least is a number that makes for a competitively smart tournament. We're probably headed for 64 eventually, anyway.

But here we are. A 48-squad Earth Cup is now official, and I worry they have ruined the showpiece issue of the world's greatest sport.

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Source: https://www.si.com/soccer/2017/01/10/fifa-world-cup-expansion-48-teams-2026-gianni-infantino

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