World Cup expansion approved...

Didn't the Auto Windscreen Shield use to start with groups of three teams in the mid 90s (did I make up us, York and Scunny being drawn together one year)? Am sure FIFA will look to that as a model to follow given the global success of that competition at the time.

 

The minnows are the ones that receive the bungs.

 

Don't think even that will get scotland into the wc

 

Yes that's how Blatter held onto power for so long.

Making sure the smaller countries received millions in funding (of which some would have ended up in the pockets of corrupt officials) in exchange for a vote for him when seeking re-election.

Blatter got his share by paying himself (and Volcker) huge bonuses from the WC marketing rights.

edit: today's announcement will have been after months of negotiating with the smaller national FA's
in exchange for the same support for Infantino

 

And you don't think a percentage of FIFA funding to these countries goes back to them in bungs?

 

Got my tickets for Group Z opening pool match: Western Samoa vs Leichtenstien... Row Z.. Zzzzzzzz

 

It makes the already-pointless-and-a-waste-of-time qualifiers across the two years before it even more pointless and more of a waste of time.

 

Each group game should start with a pen shoot out...If the game is then a draw, the nation who won the pen shootout get two points for a win, losing side one.

 

Maybe the sweaty socks might qualify.



Only kidding

 

I'd rather they didn't have finals or qualifiers... every single country should go into a draw and keep playing knock out games until there are two left for the final, similar to the FA cup in a way. Would take place over a full year. You could still have finals, ie the last 16 or 32 or whatever to take place over a month in the summer.

England could draw Luxembourg in round 1, or Togo, or Germany, or Peru etc.

I think would be a 'true' world cup that way.