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World Cup 2026 - USA/Canada/Mexico

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  • Callumcafc
    Callumcafc Posts: 64,336
    McLaren resigns, not massively surprised, not coming top of that group is a massive failure
    They were so close to winning last night, hitting the woodwork three times but they couldn’t squeeze it in. They say it’s a game of inches and last night proved it.

    Jamaica’s disappointment is Curaçao’s excitement though:


  • Leroy Ambrose
    Leroy Ambrose Posts: 14,494
    edited November 19

    Uzbekistan, Qatar and Panama in pot 3 shows you just how shit the countries in pot 4 are. Expanding to 32 teams is bollocks - and if you think it's ludicrous now, they're expanding to 48 for the next one. I reckon Tooting & Mitcham would be able to get out of a group by 2030
    Its 48-teams for this one...
    Is it? Shit - I should probably pay a bit more attention 🤣
  • aliwibble
    aliwibble Posts: 27,152
    The table with 4 columns of 12 teams each was a bit of a giveaway :)
  • Leroy Ambrose
    Leroy Ambrose Posts: 14,494
    aliwibble said:
    The table with 4 columns of 12 teams each was a bit of a giveaway :)
    Hey, I'm not a mathematician
  • sam3110
    sam3110 Posts: 21,601
    Why does South America get so many spots? It must be a heritage thing because they have less countries competing than CONCACAF, AFC, OFC etc but get way more usually
  • AddicksAddict
    AddicksAddict Posts: 15,952
    Good graphic here - just missing Iraq in the playoff group.



    How long until it’s quicker to have a graphic of all the footballing nations and just cross off the five who aren’t qualifying?
  • AddicksAddict
    AddicksAddict Posts: 15,952
    Curacao become the smallest nation ever to qualify. A population of 156,000.
    They won’t be blue today 
    Just orange, given the number of Dutch players in the team?
  • Callumcafc
    Callumcafc Posts: 64,336
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    Top six missing countries (Italy (12), Denmark (21), Turkey (25), Ukraine (28), Poland (31), Wales (32)) will all compete in the UEFA playoffs.
  • fenaddick
    fenaddick Posts: 13,025
    Jamaica get New Caledonia with the winner playing DR Congo for their play off 
  • Callumcafc
    Callumcafc Posts: 64,336
    They got the first round opponent they wanted but will be tough to beat DR Congo. Jamaica v Nigeria would’ve been a very interesting World Cup playoff.

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  • Callumcafc
    Callumcafc Posts: 64,336
    edited November 20
    Only one team qualifies per path:

    UEFA Path A: (Italy v Northern Ireland) v (Wales v Bosnia) - Wales or Bosnia drawn to host the final

    UEFA Path B: (Ukraine v Sweden) v (Poland v Albania) - Ukraine or Sweden drawn to host the final

    UEFA Path C: (Turkey v Romania) v (Slovakia v Kosovo) - Slovakia or Kosovo drawn to host the final

    UEFA Path D : (Denmark v North Macedonia) v (Czechia v Ireland) - Czechia or Ireland drawn to host the final




    Wales path to WC 2026: Bosnia (H) -> Italy / N.Ireland (H)

    Northern Ireland path to WC 2026: Italy (A) -> Wales / Bosnia (A)

    Ireland path to WC 2026: Czechia (A) -> Denmark / N.Macedonia (H)
  • twiggyaddick
    twiggyaddick Posts: 1,588
    Only one team qualifies per path:

    UEFA Path A: (Italy v Northern Ireland) v (Wales v Bosnia) - Wales or Bosnia will host the final

    UEFA Path B: (Ukraine v Sweden) v (Poland v Albania) - Ukraine or Sweden will host the final

    UEFA Path C: (Turkey v Romania) v (Slovakia v Kosovo) - Slovakia or Kosovo will host the final

    UEFA Path D : (Denmark v North Macedonia) v (Czechia v Ireland) - Czechia or Ireland will host the final
    Tricky for Wales or NI, but the way Italy have been, and are known to choke at this stage, they have a chance, Wales more so.

    Ireland will fancy there chances of getting through as they get the final at home should they get there.
  • ValleyGary
    ValleyGary Posts: 38,190
    I fancy Wales. Either way, them or Italy wont be there which will be funny.
  • JustFloydRoad
    JustFloydRoad Posts: 1,881
    Both draws
    Intercontinental 


    Europe


  • Tough draw for NI/Wales, surely Italy will get it together enough to qualify?

    ROI have a decent shout, though.
  • TelMc32
    TelMc32 Posts: 9,162
    @PragueAddick know anyone in the Czech FA who can get tickets for the Ireland game?  😉
  • killerandflash
    killerandflash Posts: 70,435
    Tough draw for NI/Wales, surely Italy will get it together enough to qualify?

    ROI have a decent shout, though.
    Denmark looked decent against Scotland though. With 11 men they would surely have won, or least got the draw they needed. 21 in the world in the FIFA rankings. 
  • HastingsRed
    HastingsRed Posts: 1,667
    Ukraine could be at home to Poland....guess that will be played on neutral ground. Did Ukraine play there home games in Poland?
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    Top six missing countries (Italy (12), Denmark (21), Turkey (25), Ukraine (28), Poland (31), Wales (32)) will all compete in the UEFA playoffs.
    Not meant as being disrespectful to the others but Italy only in the playoffs and possibly going to miss out again on the finals is pretty damning of whatever is going on in that country. They’ve basically become the England football team of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s.
  • Leroy Ambrose
    Leroy Ambrose Posts: 14,494
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    Top six missing countries (Italy (12), Denmark (21), Turkey (25), Ukraine (28), Poland (31), Wales (32)) will all compete in the UEFA playoffs.
    Not meant as being disrespectful to the others but Italy only in the playoffs and possibly going to miss out again on the finals is pretty damning of whatever is going on in that country. They’ve basically become the England football team of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s.
    Not sure I remember the England team winning the Euros then? 

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  • iaitch
    iaitch Posts: 10,333
    Ukraine could be at home to Poland....guess that will be played on neutral ground. Did Ukraine play there home games in Poland?
    Knowing FIFA they will instruct it be played in Moscow.
  • PragueAddick
    PragueAddick Posts: 22,271
    TelMc32 said:
    @PragueAddick know anyone in the Czech FA who can get tickets for the Ireland game?  😉
    Sorry mate, no connections at all, mind you the Czech team are in disarray and in a verbal war with the fans. The home areas might not sell out (although it's not a big stadium). If I hear anything I'll let you know. 

    If you make it over and need any general help beforehand, let me know. I'll be happy to take you for a few propper beers, i.e. not in the Irish pubs :)
  • TelMc32
    TelMc32 Posts: 9,162
    TelMc32 said:
    @PragueAddick know anyone in the Czech FA who can get tickets for the Ireland game?  😉
    Sorry mate, no connections at all, mind you the Czech team are in disarray and in a verbal war with the fans. The home areas might not sell out (although it's not a big stadium). If I hear anything I'll let you know. 

    If you make it over and need any general help beforehand, let me know. I'll be happy to take you for a few propper beers, i.e. not in the Irish pubs :)
    Good to hear on the “disarray”. I saw that the main stadium, Slavia Prague, was only a 19,370 capacity. Sounds like Ireland will get less than 1,000, but you may get 25x that many “popping over to enjoy the atmosphere.” 😉
  • sam3110 said:
    Why does South America get so many spots? It must be a heritage thing because they have less countries competing than CONCACAF, AFC, OFC etc but get way more usually
    Because a large proportion of the South American countries are pretty good. Only South America and Europe have all their qualifiers for the initial 42 places going to countries ranked in the FIFA top 42. It's Asia and North America that have been over-represented.
  • stackitsteve
    stackitsteve Posts: 12,131
    Crazy to think Italy could fail to qualify for the 3rd World Cup in a row.
  • A fun extra detail for those who enjoy laughing at the other home nations (which seems to be quite a large proportion) - if a country is drawn at home in the second round (so Wales or Ireland but not Northern Ireland) but loses in the first round, they have to host the losers of the other first round game in their pool in a friendly. I imagine the atmosphere at those games will be absolutely great.
  • Well given that draw none of NI, Ireland or Wales are going to make it
  • Charlton and on
    Charlton and on Posts: 1,008
    edited November 21
    Ireland's pot looks quite open to me. Expect the Danes to win it but they just lost to a team that gets battered everywhere they go so who knows.

    Ultimately all these sides are in the playoffs because they're not very good.
  • jimmymelrose
    jimmymelrose Posts: 9,870
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    Top six missing countries (Italy (12), Denmark (21), Turkey (25), Ukraine (28), Poland (31), Wales (32)) will all compete in the UEFA playoffs.

    What a coincidence: the top six are all European.

    Five out of the 8 previous World Cup winners are European. Five of the last World Cup’s quarter finalists were European 

    Europe is seriously underrepresented in a 48 team World Cup with only 16 teams, a third of the places. I think Gattuso was right to speak out about this. It may sound like sour grapes but he’s essentially correct.




  • IdleHans
    IdleHans Posts: 11,102
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    Top six missing countries (Italy (12), Denmark (21), Turkey (25), Ukraine (28), Poland (31), Wales (32)) will all compete in the UEFA playoffs.

    What a coincidence: the top six are all European.

    Five out of the 8 previous World Cup winners are European. Five of the last World Cup’s quarter finalists were European 

    Europe is seriously underrepresented in a 48 team World Cup with only 16 teams, a third of the places. I think Gattuso was right to speak out about this. It may sound like sour grapes but he’s essentially correct.




    The top six apart from Argentina and Brazil, you mean?