2026 World Cup Draw - Friday 5pm (UK time)

Annoys me that they fuck with the format

It was great as it was. 32 teams, top 2 from each group go into last 16, cut and dry, no arsing about with top third places etc.
 
blue_danube said:
Annoys me that they fuck with the format

It was great as it was. 32 teams, top 2 from each group go into last 16, cut and dry, no arsing about with top third places etc.
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More matches = more $’s.
More teams = poorer tournament.

FIFA + UEFA = hell bent on killing the game.
 
I was at it 94. Attended 6 games including final during a road trip from LA to Vegas, San Francisco, down coast to San Diego with a detour into Tijuana. Back up to LA for final. It really was a trip of a lifetime

Currently looking at maybe a trip to Toronto (if Northern Ireland do the unthinkable and qualify). Then a trip to Boston as brother in law already guaranteed 4 tickets for 4 games
 
I can see myself not watching a single minute of this tournament.
It represents everything that is wrong with football, now.
The only way I will get to hear about this is when the first European* tournament visitor is shot dead by a yank.

*obviously, any other non-european national, having their chips cashed in by a trigger happy nutter, will have the incident swept under the carpet.
 
It was a disgraceful event but I'm not surprised.

The award to Trump was an absolute disgrace and the next time we hear of someone saying we shouldn't mix politics and sport should remember this. The speech from the FIFA weasel was diabolical - that was pure politics. If we really need a FIFA world peace award it surely goes to a footballer, it's as simple as that.

The hosting was stunted at awkward. Who outside England knows much about Rio Ferdinand? I guess he was there to give it credibility but it just reminded me of his lengthy ban from football for missing a drugs test. I guess he fitted in then. That said I did him getting rattled when one of the interviewers asked him a stupid question! Generally though, it had the polish and professionalism of a school nativity. Do we really need NFL and NBA ex player doing the draw when you have Roberto Carlos in the crowd?

The draw was a joke - keep it simple. If Brazil, France, England and Spain go into one group them so what? The best team will win it and better luck next time. It's like the CL where the draw is cooked and games are cooked to milk the money and ensure the money teams go through.

Throw in the "jeopardy" of not knowing if you're playing in Toronto or Houston and all the issues with heat and humidity and it's starting to feel even more engineered. The more complicated the draw the more it feels like it's bent I'm afraid.

I'm looking forward to the World Cup but I'm also looking forward to the day of reckoning for the ones at the top who run it.
 
Not sure how it'll work out be feels like there is very little jeopardy in the group stages. Maybe it won't be different from previous world cups but seems clear to me that the team that grows over the tournament and bonds best becomes world champions.
 
From what I saw I liked it.

There was everything there, interviews with people I didn't know, political awards, interviews with people I did know but in another language which made it jolly exciting, cut screens, loud music, Les Ferdinand, who looked a little different, father time eh and then, finally, after what seemed like 8 hours, the draw. I loved the way they separated all the hosts and the top teams. Means all the top four will get in the semis. Think of the amount of cash that will generate. The lovely bald man hosting the event won my heart. What a cheeky chap.

I'll definitely tune in next week for more of the same. Great TV.
 
GoatersLeftShin said:
I'm looking forward to the World Cup but I'm also looking forward to the day of reckoning for the ones at the top who run it.
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You'll have a long wait: nothing's going to change because there's too much money involved. Look how long Sepp Blatter was given free reign to abuse his position, look at the millions he helped himself to whilst simultaneously sticking two fingers up and mouthing the words 'fuck you' to us, the fans of the sport.
 
It's a coup by the Americans isn't it. Instrumental in bringing down blatter, courted infantino, exploiting football for all its worth in this world cup. Peace prize for trump.

We really really need to boot the Americans out of football decision making before they turn it sour. For the first time I can now see a future when the different confederations split from FIFA and their pandering to politics and broadcasters.

I would argue that the Euros would be a bigger draw than a world cup without the European giants.
 
He’stheleftbackremember said:
I used to love the World Cup, I mean really get excited about it. Don’t know if it’s my age or what they’ve done to it but I genuinely couldn’t give a toss about it now.
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Ditto. I won't be watching a minute of it and will actually go out of my way to avoid it and all the annoying hype surrounding it.

It's not like I'm going to miss out on any quality football is it?
 
GoatersLeftShin said:
It was a disgraceful event but I'm not surprised.

The award to Trump was an absolute disgrace and the next time we hear of someone saying we shouldn't mix politics and sport should remember this. The speech from the FIFA weasel was diabolical - that was pure politics. If we really need a FIFA world peace award it surely goes to a footballer, it's as simple as that.

The hosting was stunted at awkward. Who outside England knows much about Rio Ferdinand? I guess he was there to give it credibility but it just reminded me of his lengthy ban from football for missing a drugs test. I guess he fitted in then. That said I did him getting rattled when one of the interviewers asked him a stupid question! Generally though, it had the polish and professionalism of a school nativity. Do we really need NFL and NBA ex player doing the draw when you have Roberto Carlos in the crowd?

The draw was a joke - keep it simple. If Brazil, France, England and Spain go into one group them so what? The best team will win it and better luck next time. It's like the CL where the draw is cooked and games are cooked to milk the money and ensure the money teams go through.

Throw in the "jeopardy" of not knowing if you're playing in Toronto or Houston and all the issues with heat and humidity and it's starting to feel even more engineered. The more complicated the draw the more it feels like it's bent I'm afraid.

I'm looking forward to the World Cup but I'm also looking forward to the day of reckoning for the ones at the top who run it.
Click to expand...
Could'nt agree more.
 
BimboBob said:
From what I saw I liked it.

There was everything there, interviews with people I didn't know, political awards, interviews with people I did know but in another language which made it jolly exciting, cut screens, loud music, Les Ferdinand, who looked a little different, father time eh and then, finally, after what seemed like 8 hours, the draw. I loved the way they separated all the hosts and the top teams. Means all the top four will get in the semis. Think of the amount of cash that will generate. The lovely bald man hosting the event won my heart. What a cheeky chap.

I'll definitely tune in next week for more of the same. Great TV.
Click to expand...

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Just catching up with what happened, Robbie Williams and The Village People were the 'talent'? At the risk of seeming rude it seems a bit low rent, did they spend all the budget on the gong for Trump?
 
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