World Cup 2026

[Sutekh]

It assumes they go with 3 team groups. Aren't they considering a number of options including have a straight knock-out first round, or have they canned that idea already?

Think the plan was top 16 ranked sides go into the group stage directly the remaining 32 play a qualifying game first. Means that some teams will of course be flying to the US for 1 game and then going home.

Won't have a straight knockout round to start with otherwise you'd get teams travelling thousands of miles for one game.

As this thead popped back up - this is the first hit on Google when searching for schedule:

https://www.2026worldcupnorthamerica.co ... ccer-2026/

It suggests, that in the 3 team groups - draws will be impossible in order to try and avoid collusion and that if a game is level after 90 mins it will go straight to penalties.

Not sure if this has actually been confirmed but know it was suggested by Marco Van Basten at one point.

Thus sating the perceived American dislike of games being drawn. Think I espy a slippery slope on the horizon.

[fartdad]

I’m all for bringing back the golden goal for the World Cup. 94 was a blast, tickets were easy but I imagine now it will be next to impossible. Instead of the cotton bowl it will be at att. I’ll never forget my first MLS game and seeing Carlos valdderama in person don’t even like soccer tbh so not fussed but maybe tickets less than $100 for wales/Poland/England I’ll go but I imagine England / USA will be expensive but who knows if India were to qualify and Dallas hosted them the shit would be bumping

If I’m still posting and not flounced due to boredom and any of yall down in the big d we can meat up share stories etc

[Winston Biscuit]

FIFA confirm that CONCACAF will have 6 teams definitely in the 2026WC, with 3 of those being the hosts, and a further 2 spots will be offered via play offs against other regions.

They usually have 4 teams in I believe. The 3 hosts are currently the 3 best teams too so with them out of the way we may well see some smaller nations, even first timers, qualifying

Based on how the nations did in 2022 qualifying it you used the same method we would have seen US, Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, Panama & Jamaica directly in with El Salvador & Honduras in the play offs

[Sutekh]

FIFA confirm that CONCACAF will have 6 teams definitely in the 2026WC, with 3 of those being the hosts, and a further 2 spots will be offered via play offs against other regions.

They usually have 4 teams in I believe. The 3 hosts are currently the 3 best teams too so with them out of the way we may well see some smaller nations, even first timers, qualifying

Based on how the nations did in 2022 qualifying it you used the same method we would have seen US, Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, Panama & Jamaica directly in with El Salvador & Honduras in the play offs

How come Mexico get to host part of a world cup yet again? US too, 30 years after their last one. You’d think Peru/Ecuador/Bolivia or some other combination would get a shout before going back to some of the same old faces.

[Stranded]

FIFA look set to approve the 2026 WC having 12 groups of 4.

Top 2 qualify plus 8 best 3rd place sides.

Will be 104 games played over 39 days.

[Sutekh]

FIFA look set to approve the 2026 WC having 12 groups of 4.

Top 2 qualify plus 8 best 3rd place sides.

Will be 104 games played over 39 days.

Ridiculous. Qualifying is getting a bit like a school sports day where everyone is a winner.

[Franchise FC]

FIFA look set to approve the 2026 WC having 12 groups of 4.

Top 2 qualify plus 8 best 3rd place sides.

Will be 104 games played over 39 days.

Ridiculous. Qualifying is getting a bit like a school sports day where everyone is a winner.

How really bad do you need to be to not qualify ?

[Stranded]

FIFA look set to approve the 2026 WC having 12 groups of 4.

Top 2 qualify plus 8 best 3rd place sides.

Will be 104 games played over 39 days.

Ridiculous. Qualifying is getting a bit like a school sports day where everyone is a winner.

How really bad do you need to be to not qualify ?

Read something the other day and the shift to 48 actually keeps the number of slots to those entering fairly static.

In 1966, 14 qualifying spots for 74 entrants by '78, was still 14 spots but 107 entrants.

So in '82, it went to 24 sides meaning 22 spots for 109 sides to compete for.

By the switch to 32 in '98, 30 spots were now available to 174 entrants.

So in '66 and '82, 1 in 5 entrants qualified, by 98, with 8 more spots it was down to 1 in 6. For last year, 31 spots were available for 206 entrants. The worst ratio in history.

2026 will see 45 spots for a maximum of 208 entrants, which is a little under a 1 in 5 ratio, so whilst more favourable it is more in line with the ratio FIFA have had historically and certainly around the ratio seen when the tournament has previously been expanded.

[Sutekh]

Ridiculous. Qualifying is getting a bit like a school sports day where everyone is a winner.

How really bad do you need to be to not qualify ?

Read something the other day and the shift to 48 actually keeps the number of slots to those entering fairly static.

In 1966, 14 qualifying spots for 74 entrants by '78, was still 14 spots but 107 entrants.

So in '82, it went to 24 sides meaning 22 spots for 109 sides to compete for.

By the switch to 32 in '98, 30 spots were now available to 174 entrants.

So in '66 and '82, 1 in 5 entrants qualified, by 98, with 8 more spots it was down to 1 in 6. For last year, 31 spots were available for 206 entrants. The worst ratio in history.

2026 will see 45 spots for a maximum of 208 entrants, which is a little under a 1 in 5 ratio, so whilst more favourable it is more in line with the ratio FIFA have had historically and certainly around the ratio seen when the tournament has previously been expanded.

Still means that for England qualifying is pretty much just a matter of turning up. If not taking the ridiculous Nations League seriously means getting to introduce qualifying games worth watching, then I’m all for it.

[Stranded]

How really bad do you need to be to not qualify ?

Read something the other day and the shift to 48 actually keeps the number of slots to those entering fairly static.

In 1966, 14 qualifying spots for 74 entrants by '78, was still 14 spots but 107 entrants.

So in '82, it went to 24 sides meaning 22 spots for 109 sides to compete for.

By the switch to 32 in '98, 30 spots were now available to 174 entrants.

So in '66 and '82, 1 in 5 entrants qualified, by 98, with 8 more spots it was down to 1 in 6. For last year, 31 spots were available for 206 entrants. The worst ratio in history.

2026 will see 45 spots for a maximum of 208 entrants, which is a little under a 1 in 5 ratio, so whilst more favourable it is more in line with the ratio FIFA have had historically and certainly around the ratio seen when the tournament has previously been expanded.

Still means that for England qualifying is pretty much just a matter of turning up. If not taking the ridiculous Nations League seriously means getting to introduce qualifying games worth watching, then I’m all for it.

Possibly but there will be less room for error - UEFA are shifting to a 12 group model to fill the 16 slots available. 12 group winners will qualify automatically - 12 runners up will compete in a knock-out tournament for the other 4.

You would expect the top European nations to qualify but as qualifying will only be groups of 4, only 1 slip up could see you drop into a knock-out tournament and as we saw with Italy being knocked out at home by North Macedonia, anything can happen in a knock out format.

For example, England could draw Sweden, Romania and Leichtenstein - say England were to draw both games with Sweden and those 2 win their 4 combined fixtures over the other 2, then qualification could come down to how many they both manage to stick past Leichtenstein.

[Hendo]

Apparently this is the official logo for the World Cup in 2026.



There have been some terrible logos for major sporting events in the last decade or so, but this tops the lot, it is fucking dreadful.

[Sutekh]

Wow, that is bad, which young son/daughter of which organiser came up with that?

Just reminds me of when this was revealed.

[Hendo]

You'd literally have to spend 2 minutes on photoshop to come up with that.

I don't mind the Reading one, think it was of it's time, represented the colours of the kits at the time as well. If it was released now - sure.

[NathStPaul]

I know we are some way off but I predict it will be the all time worst ever World Cup.

[Hendo]

I know we are some way off but I predict it will be the all time worst ever World Cup.

A lot of people said that about Qatar and it was probably one of the best.

Think this one will be pretty decent, tbh.

[NathStPaul]

I know we are some way off but I predict it will be the all time worst ever World Cup.

A lot of people said that about Qatar and it was probably one of the best.

Think this one will be pretty decent, tbh.

Aren't we having something stupid like 28 groups of three teams? Or was that scrapped?

I am happy about the fact we will have some late night games. I remember USA 94 quite well, those 11pm games were awesome.

[Hendo]

I know we are some way off but I predict it will be the all time worst ever World Cup.

A lot of people said that about Qatar and it was probably one of the best.

Think this one will be pretty decent, tbh.

Aren't we having something stupid like 28 groups of three teams? Or was that scrapped?

I am happy about the fact we will have some late night games. I remember USA 94 quite well, those 11pm games were awesome.

Nah, that was scrapped, still not as good as usual, but at least it isn't as stupid as originally proposed.

For the first time the FIFA World Cup will include 48 teams, an expansion by 16 compared with the previous seven tournaments. The teams will be split in 12 groups of 4 teams, with the top two of each group and the eight best third-placed teams progressing to a new round of 32

[Silver Fox]

Can't quite fathom why, 3 years in advance, there's anything that would make people have any opinion either way on the quality of the tournament, although agreed the logo is a bit odd

[NathStPaul]

Can't quite fathom why, 3 years in advance, there's anything that would make people have any opinion either way on the quality of the tournament, although agreed the logo is a bit odd

It was purely down to the fact I thought they were keeping that new 3 teams in a group format. They apparently aren't so I will go back to having no opinions about the 2026 World Cup.

[Sutekh]

At least reducing all the meaningfulness of qualifiers still further won't make much difference to the elite nations.