The breakdown of the zones from where the countries qualified for this seasonâs World Cup is as follows, along with their success rates at progressing from their respective groups. [table="width: 300"] [tr] [td] Zone [/td] [td] Qualified [/td] [td] Progressed [/td] [td] Percentage [/td] [/tr] [tr] [td] South America [/td] [td] 6 [/td] [td] 5 [/td] [td] 83 [/td] [/tr] [tr] [td] North and Central America [/td] [td] 4 [/td] [td] 3 [/td] [td] 75 [/td] [/tr] [tr] [td] Europe [/td] [td] 13 [/td] [td] 6 [/td] [td] 46 [/td] [/tr] [tr] [td] Asia [/td] [td] 4 [/td] [td] 0 [/td] [td] 0 [/td] [/tr] [tr] [td] Africa [/td] [td] 5 [/td] [td] 2 [/td] [td] 40 [/td] [/tr] [/table] Looking at the fantastically impressive success rate of both the South American and the North and Central American zones, is it time that FIFA looked at the number of European counties that currently qualify for the tournament with a view to reducing it in favour of the Americas, or was this just a one off due to the conditions in Brazil?
I believe they are reducing the European qualifiers from 2018, part of Blatter's re-election strategy...
As well as USA and Mexico often do, I don't think either has made it beyond a quarter-final ever and up until this time they were miles ahead of any other nation in their zone. For me Europe should have 12 of the 31 places minimum- Africa is still not up to much although Algeria have been a breath of fresh air and very different to the stereotype African teams. I'd sooner take a place off Asia or Africa than Europe.
This is just an artifact In Russia the roles will be reversed And Qatar, it will be survival of the fitest and we will win because we had Bear Grylls training the team
Easy way out of this, and one which FIFA would love and are probably planning - make it a 64 team tournament. Could try intercontinental qualifying groups though. Of course the big European clubs would oppose. Group X England Zambia Belize Chinese Taipei Brazil
I think the American nations have an advantage this tournament because it is in their continent, their support can get there in their own continent, and they have huge enthusiasm. Plus the players are perhaps more at home. Countries with not so many players playing in the the European leagues also have an advantage in that their players can give an extra 10% maybe, because they are so much fresher. Also the WC is the top top top tournament for them and gives them a much greater enthusiasm boost, than for the top Euro players for whom it is but one of many major competitions. Don't see any big need to change, next tournament in Russia will be much harder for the Americans, and I doubt they will do so well.
Like Beth, I expect to see European countries doing far better in four years time. Mainly at the expense of South America. What was unexpected a decade ago was that North/Central America would catch up with Africa & at the moment have surpassed them. The North African countries are also now stronger than the likes of Cameroon, Ivory Coast etc. This is hard to explain when you look at the ability of players as individuals, but at present we are in a position where the sum of the parts is superior. It seems a long time ago now that we thrilled to the dancing Roger Milla! That should have helped our nation but we were found wanting in that aspect!
So home continent countries are doing better? There's a shock. How about some stats for the last 5 world cups and then we might have some proper info. Still, more euro sides progressed than any other so they should get even more, right? Fifa want to reduce euro sides as their fas won't be bribed, they want more African teams just so they will vote exactly as blatter tells them to.
A big No to your question. It changes each tournament how each zone does based on where it's held. Here's a few stats on previous world cups :- 1930 Venue Sth America....winner Uruguay.....Semis had 2 Sth Am, 1 euro, 1 concacaf. 1934 Venue Europe...........winner Italy..........semis had 4 european. 1938 Venue Europe...........winner Italy..........semis had 3 Euro, I Sth Am. 1950 Venue Sth America....winner Uruguay......Semis had 2 Sth Am, 2 euro. 1954 Venue Europe...........winner W Germany..Semi's 3 Euro, 1 Sth Am. 1958 Venue Europe...........Winner Brazil.........Semis 3 euro, 1 Sth Am. 1962 Venue Sth America....winner Brazil.........Semis 2 Sth Am, 2 euro. 1966 Venue Europe...........winner England......Semi's 4 euro. 1970 Venue Concacaf........winner Brazil.........semis 2 Sth Am, 2 euro. 1974 Venue Europe...........winner W Germany Semis 3 euro, 1 sth am. 1978 Venue Sth America....Winner Argentina.. semis 2 Sth Am, 2 euro. 1982 Venue Europe...........Winner Italy.........semis 4 euro. 1986 Venue Concacaf.......Winner Argentina...semis 3 euro, 1 Sth Am. 1990 Venue Europe..........Winner W Germany semis 3 euro, 1 Sth Am. 1994 Venue Concacaf.......Winner Brazil.........Semis 3 euro, 1 Sth Am. 1998 Venue Europe..........Winner France........semis 3 euro, 1 Sth Am. 2002 Venue Asia..............Winner Brazil.........semis 2 euro, 1 Sth Am, 1 Asia. 2006 Venue Europe..........Winner Italy..........Semis 4 euro. 2010 Venue Africa...........Winner Spain.........Semis 3 euro, 1 Sth Am. So no European team has won in Sth America (or in CONCACAF area..which is more or less the same type of conditions). Only Brazil on one occasion has won in Europe. Semi finals in Europe have had a total of 34 European teams and 6 Sth American/CON teams. Semis in Sth America/CONCACAF/Asia have had 17 European and 15 Sth Am/CON/Asia teams. I know the early tournaments are not really worth including due to how many participated and travelled but I like to be thorough. So basically even now with all the modern equipment to aid players in settling into a tournament, home advantage (zone) still seems to play the biggest part. That was basically a long winded answer that others have done in a couple of sentences...but it's saturday at 2pm, it's raining and there's no Footy on TV.
Thanks GR, the bigger sample size backed up what I was thinking. I would suspect the 2nd round qual shows a similar story as well.
I actually started that before you asked for it. Spooky. Although I have some free time it would take too long to go much further back (2nd rounds and Q/Fs) but I agree that European teams should have if anything more and not less spaces in the finals. Africa have only provided 3 teams that have reached the quarter finals and Oceania just 1 team to reach 2nd round. Africa instead of getting closer are still naive and unable to put in any challenge at all...and personally I think they should lose a space.
African teams always threaten to go on strike at every WC, they're so corrupt that they won't pay the players, that's why there was the Ghanaian punch up and £3m in cash had to be bought to them in a ten car convoy, Nigeria have threaten not to play too. Its pub team stuff? And Blatter wants to give them more power and places, of course the side effect will be him getting re elected but I'm sure that's purely coincidental.
