Closer to a quarter actually, less than a third. So FIFA can raise Brazil and Argentina, perhaps Uruguay or even Colombia or USA. 9/20 World Cup wins, a league that's financially about on a par with Portugal, 3 more which are more in line with Scotland, and a premium Copa Libertadores competition that is worth less than the Europa League. On the flip side, UEFA can raise England, Spain, Germany, Italy, France. 11 world cup winners, 25/40 final appearances, jurisdiction over the by far the richest leagues in the world, a globally sold multi billion pound UEFA champions league, and the 2nd tier Europa League which is worth as much as the Copa Libertadores, CAF champions league and the Asian Champions league all put together. I'd guess, without looking, the European Championships earn more than the Gold Cup, the Copa America, the AFC Asian Cup and the African Nations cup all put together. It's pretty clear who has the weight behind them. And the success, not that that counts for anything.
The coldest I've ever been at a sporting event, was watching Hull fc v Wakefield during a 'summer' rugby season. I wouldn't mind so much if FIFA held their hands up and said it was all a bit of a shambles and we'll do everything we can to make it work. Instead they're just saying it's not our problem, deal with it yourselves. Might just add, that the talk is the African cup of nations will have to move from January to June. Guinea are hosting and by all accounts that's during their rainy season, with high levels of humidity. Slightly ironic given the reasons for the rescheduling.
It really is a farce, if when they bid they had said it was to be held in November/December they wouldn't have won the bid. Twas not a level playing field.
There have been 20 world cups. 7 have been won by Brazil and Argentina. Maths not a strongpoint of yours?
I like football in winter. cold, dark evenings under floodlights are the best environment to watch the game. we can't have summer football. it would clash with traditional summer sports like rugby league. we can't go pandering to cissy players and even more cissy watchers (won't call them supporters).
It would be nice for the fans but what about the player? I was watching the dvd of the play off final at the weekend andit was 30 degrees on the pitch. Running around for 90 mins in that heat will change the game to a much slower game. Also even if ok for England, how are Spain, Italy, etc going to cope with summer games?
There have been 20, but you are right, I forgot Argentina have won it twice I thought they'd only won once. I actually flicked through the previous finals to see all the finalists and somehow missed the fact that Argentina won it twice as well Still, it's irrelevant, as my point is UEFA makes all the money. UEFA and Europe earns more at both club and international level than the rest of the world combined. If UEFA threatened to leave and had the backing of the nations it represents, they would be the ones with the strong hand of cards.
UEFA might make all the money but the most financially successful,World Cup was in the USA. I would be happy to see UEFA break away just to see an end to seeing policy dictated by corrupt, pipsqueak countries under the influence of pipsqueak, corrupt people like Jack Warner. (Though our FA didn't cover itself in glory with its dealings with him during our World Cup bids).
It's not the countries that don't want to go - it's the clubs of the players taking part and the leagues.
Agreed, it's criminal that these piss pot nations individually have as much influence in football as the big heavyweights that make the game what it is. It's an atrocity that these piss pot nations club together (or get bought together) to make themselves the overpowering authority of a game they have next to **** all to do with. Bigger nations with a bigger standing in the game should have more voting power than the likes of Guinea or some piss pot Carribean Island. I also think that votes should be made from a consensus of each associations members, rather than the opinion of one man at the head.
I don't understand the big fuss, everyone is so stuck up about how great the Premier League is that they won't consider having a break from it for a month, it's only gonna happen ****ing once and it's for the World Cup for god sake.
I think it's a great idea, I think from now on all World Cup's should be held in unpopulated deserts, or maybe for balance the next one should be held in the Antarctic in the middle of winter?
The difference is all the big teams dont already go and play in the Antarctic every year to try and drum up further global fanbase....
I think it's great to see it being held in other countries, but it should be well thought out; they could play it in Summer if they make all the Stadiums Wembely-esque and have air conditioning. They've got years to sort it, some A/C and climate control would help massively. The countries that are used to the heat, such as those from Africa and Qatar itself, can play in the less fancy stadiums. I agree with BCC, it's a World Cup and as such the tournament should be hosted all over the world to countries that can prove they have the facilities to host such an event. There are so many countries that could support it but have been overlooked in the past; Austrailia, China and Canada to name but three. The new rule is that a of 2026, the bidding process will mean that a country can only bid if their continent has not hosted one of the previous two Cups, which means that the 2026 Cup will be in Africa, North America, South America or Oceania (Wouldn't mind a World Cup being held in Tahiti, I'd probably be more inclined to go there than Russia). Or Antarctica, if their FA ever pull their finger out.
Do you not sort of contradict yourself a little. Do you not watch any league matches/champs league matches on TV? If you do say goodbye to that during the christmas and now you will get dragged out into the cold streets for Christmas shopping every weekend every 3 years out of 4. Then come summer you'll have to sit in and watch all these matches rather than doing whatever you could be doing in the summer.... It's a stupid idea and only reason FIFA are going ahead with it is because FIFA is corrupt and took a load of bribes. So now you are going to have the majority of FAs and UEFA competitions rearranging their schedules that affects 3 whole seasons of playing for one tournament. What next, we have more Winter World Cup tournaments or do we go back to Summer tournaments? Could you imagine how **** the winter tournaments would be if it was hosted in UK/Russia where its cold and raining all the time so then we have to go and rearrange all our leagues again.
I didnt know this and it's exactly what I meant in my earlier post. if it's the case then well done FIFA.
