World Cup 2026

[Winston Biscuit]

3 months until qualifying starts in South America, 4 months until it starts in Asia and 5 months until it starts in Africa

I see OFC (Oceana) gets 1 directly in and 1 play off route. New Zealand coasted to a 5-0 win over the Solomon Islands in the final of the 2022 qualifyers so I am going to be lazy and assume that this means NZ are IN! for 2026

will be interesting to see the regions 2nd best team (Solomon Islands, Tahiti or Papua New Guinea) in the play off against the 7th best team in South America

[Stranded]

3 months until qualifying starts in South America, 4 months until it starts in Asia and 5 months until it starts in Africa

I see OFC (Oceana) gets 1 directly in and 1 play off route. New Zealand coasted to a 5-0 win over the Solomon Islands in the final of the 2022 qualifyers so I am going to be lazy and assume that this means NZ are IN! for 2026

will be interesting to see the regions 2nd best team (Solomon Islands, Tahiti or Papua New Guinea) in the play off against the 7th best team in South America

Quite mad to think that, in all likelihood, 70% of South American nations entering the qualification tournament will make the World Cup.

Looking at the last set of qualifiers, that would mean Chile would make the play-off tournament. Their qualifying record saw them win just 5 of 18 games, losing 9.

Inter-continental play-off will be a bit different this time round - 6 teams will make the play-off 2 from CONCACAF and 1 from every other federation except UEFA. Highest ranked nations get a bye to the final round. Other 4 play-off to join them . 2 winner qualify. Games will be held in one or more of the host nations.

[Winston Biscuit]

by halfway through qualifying Argentina & Brazil can take their foot off the gas and coast to the end using their reserve XI

[Sutekh]

3 months until qualifying starts in South America, 4 months until it starts in Asia and 5 months until it starts in Africa

I see OFC (Oceana) gets 1 directly in and 1 play off route. New Zealand coasted to a 5-0 win over the Solomon Islands in the final of the 2022 qualifyers so I am going to be lazy and assume that this means NZ are IN! for 2026

will be interesting to see the regions 2nd best team (Solomon Islands, Tahiti or Papua New Guinea) in the play off against the 7th best team in South America

Quite mad to think that, in all likelihood, 70% of South American nations entering the qualification tournament will make the World Cup.

Looking at the last set of qualifiers, that would mean Chile would make the play-off tournament. Their qualifying record saw them win just 5 of 18 games, losing 9.

Inter-continental play-off will be a bit different this time round - 6 teams will make the play-off 2 from CONCACAF and 1 from every other federation except UEFA. Highest ranked nations get a bye to the final round. Other 4 play-off to join them . 2 winner qualify. Games will be held in one or more of the host nations.

Is there, though, likely to be any team able to beat whichever South American side has cocked up their qualification group? Seems a bit "ist" to not allow UEFA a final back up spot to all their failsafes to ensure any one any note qualifies, least that way said South American team might have a challenge and fans might have a game or two worth watching.

[Winston Biscuit]

European sides don't often travel to South America to play. would be nice to see it happen

England away in the crazy altitude of La Paz

[Brogue]

[Winston Biscuit]

Courtesy of Dale Johnson at ESPN:

UEFA has set the recommended qualifying format for the 2026 World Cup.

12 groups
12 group winners qualify for the World Cup
12 runners-up go into the playoffs

The 4 best UEFA Nations League group *winners* not to be 1st or 2nd in qualifying join the playoff paths.

That means there will be a total of 16 teams in the 2026 UEFA World Cup playoffs.

4 paths of 4 nations will be created. Each of the 4 paths will have one-legged semifinals and final. The winners of each path qualify for the World Cup

It means it's going to be of great importance for nations in UEFA Nations Leagues B and C to take the competition seriously in 2024.

For the 2022 World Cup, two nations earned playoffs from the UNL.

That was Austria and Czech Republic, from League B.

This is good news for Wales, Austria and Czech Republic, relegated to League B in the latest edition.

They know that if they win their UNL group in 2024, they will be effectively guaranteed a playoff route for the World Cup. And they can't be in the same UNL group as England.

It's not so good news for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, Scotland and Serbia.

Those 4 nations were promoted to UNL League A for 2024.

So they will have to finish in the top 2 of their World Cup group (or win the UNL League A group).

With England in UNL League B for 2024, and the probability they win their group, at least one League C team is likely to be in the World Cup playoffs.

Armenia, Romania and Sweden will be among the strongest nations in UNL League C, with a great chance of a World Cup playoff.

It's also bad news for the 4 teams promoted from League C in this cycle: George, Greece, Kazakhstan, Turkey.

Being promoted in the 2022 cycle effectively means they miss out on the chance of that back-door World Cup playoff.

Georgia were topped ranked in the 2022 cycle.

[Franchise FC]

That is brilliant

How do I get it into conversation with people who don’t like sport ?

[Sanguine]

by halfway through qualifying Argentina & Brazil can take their foot off the gas and coast to the end using their reserve XI

And maybe more of the teams. Thanks to the expanded competition, six of CONMEBOL's ten countries will qualify automatically, with the team in seventh entering the play-offs.

Ecuador's enormous punishment for falsifying the birth documents of Bryan Castillo is to be docked three points for this campaign, so they start on -3.

[Sutekh]

by halfway through qualifying Argentina & Brazil can take their foot off the gas and coast to the end using their reserve XI

And maybe more of the teams. Thanks to the expanded competition, six of CONMEBOL's ten countries will qualify automatically, with the team in seventh entering the play-offs.

Ecuador's enormous punishment for falsifying the birth documents of Bryan Castillo is to be docked three points for this campaign, so they start on -3.

That'll teach 'em!

[Winston Biscuit]

Asian qualifiers for WC 2026 start today

1st leg of knockout games tonight:

Myanmar Vs Macau
Maldives vs Bangladesh
Nepal Vs Laos
Hong Kong Vs Bhutan
Afghanistan Vs Mongolia
Chinese Taipei Vs Timor-Leste
Singapore Vs Guam
Indonesia Vs Brunei
Cambodia Vs Pakistan
Yemen Vs Sri Lanka

[Winston Biscuit]

Myanmar 5-1 Macau
Maldives 1-1 Bangladesh
Nepal 1-1 Laos
Hong Kong 4-0 Bhutan
Afghanistan 1-0 Mongolia (latest score)
Chinese Taipei 4-0 Timor-Leste
Singapore 2-1 Guam
Indonesia 6-0 Brunei
Cambodia 0-0 Pakistan

[Winston Biscuit]

Guam are the first team to be eliminated from WC2026 qualifying

[Sanguine]

Guam are the first team to be eliminated from WC2026 qualifying

Timor-Leste on the up. They lost 12-2 to Malaysia on aggregate at this stage in 2022. Only a 7-0 aggregate defeat to Chinese Taipei this time around.

In the second round, the Asian nation of Australia has quite the group. As well as Bangladesh, they will face both Palestine and Lebanon, which separately I imagine will be a rather tasty 'derby'.

[Sanguine]

Little stat nugget. No England player has yet played at four World Cups. Charlton, Gerrard and Ferdinand have made four squads, but none of them played in the first tournament for which they were selected (Gerrard missed out to injury).

In 2026, the only player who can beat this record and play in a fourth World Cup is Raheem Sterling, by which time he will still only be 31.

[Winston Biscuit]

on a loosely related theme, I was surprised when I first learned that Ronaldo was at world cup 94 as a 16 year old. He had already played for Brazil and went as a squad player but never made it on the pitch. feels like 2 generations/era's crossing over

[Sanguine]

AFC Round 2 kicks off today, as well as CAF Round 1, and CONMEBOL.

Could be some big scores in AFC - Japan's first group game is against 158th-ranked Myanmar. Australia are about to kick off, hosting Bangladesh, who qualified by squeezing past Maldives. Saudi Arabia play Pakistan, ranked 193, who edged out Cambodia 1-0 over two legs.

[Orion1871]

Messi involved in a scuffle during Argentina vs Uruguay. No red card despite him allegedly grabbing the throat of a Uruguayan player.

https://www.joe.co.uk/sport/football/fans-call-lionel-messi-the-most-protected-player-ever-after-he-gets-away-with-elbow-and-throat-grab-413030

[Sutekh]

Iran 2-1 New Caledonia
England 1-2 Brazil

England win the group by dint of the size of their win over Caledonia. Brazil finish as runners up and Iran 3rd, all 3 have 6 points. Iran should therefore qualify also as one of the best 3rd places.

England now face one of the best 3rd places on Wednesday (22 Nov). Think that will work out to be one of either Mexico or Uzbekistan.

[Stranded]

Brazil lose a World Cup qualifier at home for the first time ever. Argentina winning 1-0 overnight.

Brazil have now lost 3 of 6 qualifiers and languish in 6th. Absolutely no danger of them failing to qualify though as 6 sides now qualify from the 10 South American sides with a 7th going into a play-off.