World Cup 2018

[Korattt]

Just wished all the worlds best teams where there and not geographically.

I still cannot comprehend the fact that the like of Saudi Arabia usually make it to a World Cup. Why can’t it just be the 32 of the best teams.

And again why do nations that can’t produce a football team host a World Cup?

I’m all for opportunity. Anyway Qatar team will be unhiliated possibly 15-0 in every game in 4 years time.

That’s all I have to say on world cups.

OK, I know it wasn’t the World Cup that was won BUT I give you Greece & Denmark winning the Euros back in ‘04 & ‘92 respectively, it’s not always the “best” teams that win, take the FA Cup for example, Wimbledon, Southampton, Coventry, Wigan, underdogs DO win from time to time,

Take the 2002 World Cup for example, South Korea & Turkey both made it to the semis, both with a bit of luck could’ve been in the final.

jeez - SH, your post comes over as a white supremisist dogma. the world should be always looking to the underdog and should always be opening doors, rather than buliding bridges (unless of course those bridges connect meanifully). sorry, but that's how this reads...

i leave you with a martin luther king quote:

"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."

it won’t be long Jim before either an Asian or African country wins the World Cup, & for me it will be a beautiful, beautiful moment.

[jimibt]

Just wished all the worlds best teams where there and not geographically.

I still cannot comprehend the fact that the like of Saudi Arabia usually make it to a World Cup. Why can’t it just be the 32 of the best teams.

And again why do nations that can’t produce a football team host a World Cup?

I’m all for opportunity. Anyway Qatar team will be unhiliated possibly 15-0 in every game in 4 years time.

That’s all I have to say on world cups.

OK, I know it wasn’t the World Cup that was won BUT I give you Greece & Denmark winning the Euros back in ‘04 & ‘92 respectively, it’s not always the “best” teams that win, take the FA Cup for example, Wimbledon, Southampton, Coventry, Wigan, underdogs DO win from time to time,

Take the 2002 World Cup for example, South Korea & Turkey both made it to the semis, both with a bit of luck could’ve been in the final.

jeez - SH, your post comes over as a white supremisist dogma. the world should be always looking to the underdog and should always be opening doors, rather than buliding bridges (unless of course those bridges connect meanifully). sorry, but that's how this reads...

i leave you with a martin luther king quote:

"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."

it won’t be long Jim before either an Asian or African country wins the World Cup, & for me it will be a beautiful, beautiful moment.

you and i both...

[Derek27]

.. and the reason for England & Belgium playing in both 2nd strips is?

Section 24 of FIFA rule book... I think !!

First strips were still in the wash!

[Kafkaesque]

Just wished all the worlds best teams where there and not geographically.

I still cannot comprehend the fact that the like of Saudi Arabia usually make it to a World Cup. Why can’t it just be the 32 of the best teams.

And again why do nations that can’t produce a football team host a World Cup?

I’m all for opportunity. Anyway Qatar team will be unhiliated possibly 15-0 in every game in 4 years time.

That’s all I have to say on world cups.

Whether the geographic distribution is completely fair will always be a topic for debate, and will clearly never be completely fair. With Europe having about 2.5 - 3 times the number of teams of other continents, despite that not being based in population, or competing nations numbers, claiming geography over level of the teams is a hard sell for me. It's a combination, and should be imo. If geography was the priority, Oceania would have a spot.

If a team is unable to get among the best 13 teams in Europe or the best 5 in South America, then there's imho very little legitimacy of being at a finals to find the WORLD's best team, instead of the 4th best from Asia, in this case Saudi Arabia, a nation which incidently qualified ahead of Australia who were a - slight - positive surprise.

[ShaunWhite]

Just wished all the worlds best teams where there and not geographically. Why can’t it just be the 32 of the best teams.

If a team is unable to get among the best 13 teams in Europe or the best 5 in South America, then there's imho very little legitimacy of being at a finals to find the WORLD's best team.

+1
You know what 6 or 8 are going to win anyway but you'd still exclude the involvement of entire continents and their people just so the 15th best from Europe could turn up and be knocked out? Yawn. Thank goodness you're not responsible for global development.

[ruthlessimon]

the world should be always looking to the underdog

I don't even think a 48 team WC is gonna be big enough for Scotland to qualify - maybe 100 teams?

https://youtu.be/j-fcMS5x3Mw?t=28s

[jimibt]

the world should be always looking to the underdog

I don't even think a 48 team WC is gonna be big enough for Scotland to qualify - maybe 100 teams?

https://youtu.be/j-fcMS5x3Mw?t=28s

i didn't (sadly) even consider scotalnd in that coffee coloured mx -lol

even my memory or intellect is not that far reaching - dbl lol.

[SeaHorseRacing]

Your taking it the wrong way guys.

I just want to see all the best teams in the World Cup.
We can’t argue that Scotland and Wales are better teams than Panama and Saudi Arabia. The only reason they don’t get their is because certain amount of teams from each continent.

I watch the World Cup for football reasons not on building bridges.

I just don’t see the point in the likes of Qatar hosting football.

Not any white supremacy reason. My fav team at the World Cup was Senegal. I thought they were good. It had nothing to do with geographical thinking.

If the best teams qualified only than than other nations would have to raise there game. It’s just likely that 80% of the teams would probably be European.

[SeaHorseRacing]

I just think that maybe they should start taking the top 15 teams on rankings and than continue as they are for the rest. Something like that.

For me it’s just a shame that each tournament a lot of decent teams don’t get their.

No offence meant but I’m pretty sure that Either Scotland, Wales, ROI, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Ivory Coast would have probably been in the Last 16 or even quarters this year.

I’m an England fan but I think it’s fair to say nearly every team on that side of the draw probably shouldn’t have been their in the knockout.

I want to see the best teams win. That doesn’t mean a team like Panama couldn’t win, they just have to be good.

[BetScalper]

The world cup groups should be split by region.

- Europe
- Asia
- South America
- North America
- Africa
- Etc Etc

Then the top 3 from each region go to the next round etc and so on until you end up with 2 in the final.

Obviously, that would mean the WC lasting at least 2 months with 2 or 3 games per day.

But it would give everyone a chance without easier draws and be a much truer representation of the best countries in the world and ultimately the greatest team in the world.

Each country would be allowed a squad of 30 players and 5 substitutes allowed. Obviously only 11 players on the pitch from any one team at a time.

The prize would be the World Cup and £1000 Million to the winning team. FIFA can easily afford it.

The winning region would host the next one.

[SeaHorseRacing]

I Would recommend. Cutting qualifying groups right down.

What’s the point in Malta playing England for a WC qualifier?

Man U don’t play Winchester FC first game in FA Cup. The World Cup and football is to PC.

Than with less teams in GF maybe they could allow theses other teams from different continents to meet.

I’d have no problem In England playing Peru, Costa Rica, Japan and Italy in a WC qualifying group if the intentions was to get the best teams there.

[Kafkaesque]

Your taking it the wrong way guys.

I just want to see all the best teams in the World Cup.
We can’t argue that Scotland and Wales are better teams than Panama and Saudi Arabia. The only reason they don’t get their is because certain amount of teams from each continent.

I watch the World Cup for football reasons not on building bridges.

I just don’t see the point in the likes of Qatar hosting football.

Not any white supremacy reason. My fav team at the World Cup was Senegal. I thought they were good. It had nothing to do with geographical thinking.

If the best teams qualified only than than other nations would have to raise there game. It’s just likely that 80% of the teams would probably be European.

Let's get the Qatar issue out of the way first. I don't think, you'll get any takers arguing against you there The insanity of holding it there is beyond belief. With you 100% on that one!

As for getting the best teams in, I get where you're coming from. I just happen to think, it's a narrow concept of what football is.
Now, I might be a naive c*** in some people's eyes But I'm not naive enough to think football (alone) can build bridges, but bringing together FOOTBALL cultures is still a huge part of the WC for me. People follow football and support their teams in such varied fashion. I've been privileged enough to travel a ton, and through this to watch football live on all six continents, in many countries everywhere except Oceania, plus a few World Cups. I love coming the England to watch football more than anywhere else, but the passion inmany other places, especially Central and South America, is just plain crazy. Are Italy a better team than Peru? Most likely, but I'd still take the mix of fan cultures, created by a fair number from each continent. Same goes for Wales/Scotland vs. Panama/Saudi.

On the field, nearly the same goes. I don't primarily want to watch good football. I want interesting football. And that is also created by different football cultures, both tactically and in approach to fair play, clashing. Italy vs Spain is just bland, par for course, and the same football we can watch most midweeks for all four years in between WC's.

Oh, and I want Hugo Sanchez' flip, dancing Colombians, Roger Milla seducing the corner flag, Jung Hwan skating, as well as Shearer more, well, Northern European celebration

[Dallas]

France on a bit of a drift

[SeaHorseRacing]

Amazing to see this topic has made 100 pages of quality chat throughout!

Well done BA forum and contributors. Thoroughly enjoyed it. If England won it maybe 200 who knows.

[Euler]

France on a bit of a drift

Quite a sharp drift, given there is no news I'm tempted in around 2.20