So reading in Private Eye it sems that Saudi are the only bidders and will be given the tournament. FIFA made sure everything was above board on the bid by commissioning an independent human rights report by some solicitors who only spoke to the Saudi government and were told they had a limited number of pages so there was no room to actually look into how many slaves will die building the ridiculous Neom stadium.
Presumably the "never again" Winter tournament will happen again too
Money talks though I guess and FIFA have shown over time that they're not really bothered about anything else, although at least it might be a boost to grassroots football in the state and their professional league might start getting attendances to rival the likes of Maidenhead.
World Cup 2034
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Silver Fox
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Sutekh
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Silver Fox So reading in Private Eye it sems that Saudi are the only bidders and will be given the tournament. FIFA made sure everything was above board on the bid by commissioning an independent human rights report by some solicitors who only spoke to the Saudi government and were told they had a limited number of pages so there was no room to actually look into how many slaves will die building the ridiculous Neom stadium.
Presumably the "never again" Winter tournament will happen again too
Money talks though I guess and FIFA have shown over time that they're not really bothered about anything else, although at least it might be a boost to grassroots football in the state and their professional league might start getting attendances to rival the likes of Maidenhead.
Qatar happened despite all the same issues. Saudis will get whatever they want as they have loads of £ and FIFA want loads of £. Welcome to the corrupt world where everything that those that have enough money want to happen, happens.
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Sutekh
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The football world’s best kept secret has been confimred 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... j0p3x0klzo
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... j0p3x0klzo
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SouthDownsRoyal
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What a surprise
Another winter WC, another WC decided by the money.
I’m about as numb to it as I am with Reading’s ‘take over’
Another winter WC, another WC decided by the money.
I’m about as numb to it as I am with Reading’s ‘take over’
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Sutekh
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The draw for the qualifying groups for this retarded mess will be drawn in Zurich at 11am this morning, live on the BBC Sport website and on the iPlayer.
There will be 12 World Cup qualifying groups. Six will have four teams and six will have five teams.
The top team from each group qualifies automatically with the runners-up going into the play-offs with four Nations League teams.
Four of the 16 play-off teams will qualify for the tournament.
All of the groups will contain one team each from seeding pots one to four. Six of the groups will also have a team from pot five. There are some restrictions on which teams can be drawn in which groups, and who they can face
The teams will be drawn in order of pots - so pot one teams first, then pot two and so on.
Pot 1: Spain, Germany, Portugal, France, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Croatia, ENGLAND, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria
Pot 2: Ukraine, Sweden, Turkey, WALES, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Norway
Pot 3: SCOTLAND, Slovenia, IRELAND, Albania, North Macedonia, Georgia, Finland, Iceland, NORTHERN IRELAND, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Israel
Pot 4: Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Kosovo, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Latvia, Lithuania
Pot 5: Moldova, Malta, Andorra, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, San Marino
The four teams who win the Nations League quarter-finals in March must each go into one of the four-team World Cup qualifying groups (Groups A-F).
That is because the Nations League finals are played in June, leaving less room in the calendar for World Cup qualifiers.
Because the draw takes place before those games, the quarter-finalists will be drawn as placeholders. For example, the winner of France v Croatia will go in one group, with the loser going in another.
A maximum of one losing Nations League quarter-finalist or one Nations League promotion-relegation play-off team can go in one group.
Scotland and the Republic of Ireland are among the 16 teams in those play-offs - so are more than likely to end in a four-team group.
England are likely to be in a five-team group.
The bottom six seeded teams will automatically go into Groups G-L.
Other restrictions
Ukraine and Belarus cannot be in the same group, and neither can Gibraltar and Spain. Kosovo must be kept apart from Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
In addition because you get cold weather in places, a maximum of two of Estonia, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway can be drawn together. Iceland and the Faroes cannot be drawn together as they are considered the two countries most at risk of weather disruptions.
There are also geographical limits on who Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Iceland can face to avoid too many trips to the opposite side of Europe.
Also, funny there's no Russia yet Israel are allowed to play, but then we know rules don't get applied equally in the political arena.
There will be 12 World Cup qualifying groups. Six will have four teams and six will have five teams.
The top team from each group qualifies automatically with the runners-up going into the play-offs with four Nations League teams.
Four of the 16 play-off teams will qualify for the tournament.
All of the groups will contain one team each from seeding pots one to four. Six of the groups will also have a team from pot five. There are some restrictions on which teams can be drawn in which groups, and who they can face
The teams will be drawn in order of pots - so pot one teams first, then pot two and so on.
Pot 1: Spain, Germany, Portugal, France, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Croatia, ENGLAND, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria
Pot 2: Ukraine, Sweden, Turkey, WALES, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Norway
Pot 3: SCOTLAND, Slovenia, IRELAND, Albania, North Macedonia, Georgia, Finland, Iceland, NORTHERN IRELAND, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Israel
Pot 4: Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Kosovo, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Latvia, Lithuania
Pot 5: Moldova, Malta, Andorra, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, San Marino
The four teams who win the Nations League quarter-finals in March must each go into one of the four-team World Cup qualifying groups (Groups A-F).
That is because the Nations League finals are played in June, leaving less room in the calendar for World Cup qualifiers.
Because the draw takes place before those games, the quarter-finalists will be drawn as placeholders. For example, the winner of France v Croatia will go in one group, with the loser going in another.
A maximum of one losing Nations League quarter-finalist or one Nations League promotion-relegation play-off team can go in one group.
Scotland and the Republic of Ireland are among the 16 teams in those play-offs - so are more than likely to end in a four-team group.
England are likely to be in a five-team group.
The bottom six seeded teams will automatically go into Groups G-L.
Other restrictions
Ukraine and Belarus cannot be in the same group, and neither can Gibraltar and Spain. Kosovo must be kept apart from Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
In addition because you get cold weather in places, a maximum of two of Estonia, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway can be drawn together. Iceland and the Faroes cannot be drawn together as they are considered the two countries most at risk of weather disruptions.
There are also geographical limits on who Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Iceland can face to avoid too many trips to the opposite side of Europe.
Also, funny there's no Russia yet Israel are allowed to play, but then we know rules don't get applied equally in the political arena.
The draw in full from https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... kxvew7xyzo
Some of the groups will not be finalised until after the Nations League quarter-finals in March
Group A: Germany/Italy (winner), Slovakia, NORTHERN IRELAND, Luxembourg.
Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo.
Group C: Portugal/Denmark (loser), Greece, SCOTLAND, Belarus.
Group D: France/Croatia (winner), Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan.
Group E: Spain/Netherlands (winner), Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria.
Group F: Portugal/Denmark (winner), Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Armenia.
Group G: Spain/Netherlands (loser), Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta.
Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino.
Group I: Germany/Italy (loser), Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova.
Group J: Belgium, WALES, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein.
Group K: ENGLAND, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra.
Group L: France/Croatia (loser), Czech Republic, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar.
Some of the groups will not be finalised until after the Nations League quarter-finals in March
Group A: Germany/Italy (winner), Slovakia, NORTHERN IRELAND, Luxembourg.
Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo.
Group C: Portugal/Denmark (loser), Greece, SCOTLAND, Belarus.
Group D: France/Croatia (winner), Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan.
Group E: Spain/Netherlands (winner), Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria.
Group F: Portugal/Denmark (winner), Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Armenia.
Group G: Spain/Netherlands (loser), Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta.
Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino.
Group I: Germany/Italy (loser), Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova.
Group J: Belgium, WALES, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein.
Group K: ENGLAND, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra.
Group L: France/Croatia (loser), Czech Republic, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar.
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Sutekh
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morganb The draw in full from https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... kxvew7xyzo
Some of the groups will not be finalised until after the Nations League quarter-finals in March
Group A: Germany/Italy (winner), Slovakia, NORTHERN IRELAND, Luxembourg.
Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo.
Group C: Portugal/Denmark (loser), Greece, SCOTLAND, Belarus.
Group D: France/Croatia (winner), Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan.
Group E: Spain/Netherlands (winner), Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria.
Group F: Portugal/Denmark (winner), Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Armenia.
Group G: Spain/Netherlands (loser), Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta.
Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino.
Group I: Germany/Italy (loser), Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova.
Group J: Belgium, WALES, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein.
Group K: ENGLAND, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra.
Group L: France/Croatia (loser), Czech Republic, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar.
Chance for Wales and Scotland to win a group there and Northern Ireland might get themselves a runners up spot if they get on their game, Ireland though will have work to do. England get the usual selection of loads of eastern europeans plus, this time, the Andorran dead duck. So another 8 "meaningless" qualifiers for fans to ignore (unless Tuchel manages to somehow **** them up).
morganb Group K: ENGLAND, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra.
Serbia v Albania.
Hendomorganb Group K: ENGLAND, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra.
Serbia v Albania.
No chance of an abandonment there
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Silver Fox
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All of this was of course the draw for 2026 qualifying, not 2034
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Winston Biscuit
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SouthDownsRoyal What a surprise
Another winter WC
Winst Predicts - WC 2034 will actually be WC 2035 as it will be held in the January/February time (Ramadan is in late 2034)
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Sutekh
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Just
It’s like Blatter never left, really wish the governing organisation had some morals rather than just chasing ££££, one hope that Saudi will have lost interest by 2030.
It’s like Blatter never left, really wish the governing organisation had some morals rather than just chasing ££££, one hope that Saudi will have lost interest by 2030.
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Winston Biscuit
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Well worth listening to todays Football Weekly podcast. Its a special where they talk about this awarding of the world cup and they have Lina Al-Hathloul on it who is a Saudi journalist and human rights activist. Its not only talking about the world cup but Saudi in general and how life has changed for people there under the rule of MBS
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