2026 World Cup to have 48 teams, 3 16 team groups?

Discussion in 'Soccer Board' started by Poe Dameron, Dec 25, 2016.

  1. IAHusk

    IAHusk E Pluribus Anus
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    Fire up the money machines.

     
  2. enjj

    enjj Well-Known Member
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    Anyone attempting to go? Being told first game in Toronto could be about $1000.
     
  3. The Banks

    The Banks TMB's Alaskan
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    Shitty Saudi keeper upset that Belgium plans to play the best GK? I don’t see the issue.
     
  4. zeberdee

    zeberdee wheel snipe celly boys
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    the Belgian players all just hate each other.
     
  5. hood b. goode

    hood b. goode shytposter
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    Seems a bit dismissive innit

    I like ben white but id understand if he wasnt recalled to England after making himself unavailable

    Also cortouis is a prick
     
  6. DirtBall

    DirtBall Space Zaddy
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  7. steamengine

    steamengine What decision? You got into Duke.
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    I’m on a call with the human rights and sustainability leadership for 2026. This is going to be a total mess.
     
  8. hood b. goode

    hood b. goode shytposter
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    What do you do?
     
  9. steamengine

    steamengine What decision? You got into Duke.
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    Consulting
     
  10. Pasta88

    Pasta88 Canes, Bruins, Raps, Jays and Sunderland.
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    It’s Moldova but Norway’s looking amazing. They need to finally qualify for something again and if it happens, they’ll be a tournament dark horse imo.
     
  11. Pasta88

    Pasta88 Canes, Bruins, Raps, Jays and Sunderland.
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    :windsy:
    Ødegaard cooking tonight.
     
  12. Pasta88

    Pasta88 Canes, Bruins, Raps, Jays and Sunderland.
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    It’s also a bit unfair to the teams playing Nations League this window, who will have to play catch-up in their qualifying groups.
     
  13. El_Pato

    El_Pato Nunca Caminaras Solo
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  14. DirtBall

    DirtBall Space Zaddy
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    They also said they might do it in NYC/DC because Infantino wants Trump to do the draw and security would be easier in those 2 than Vegas.
     
  15. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton Old Enough to not know whats Chappell Roan
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    :blech:

    that would be the only way to make it more unwatchable than the copa america draw
     
  16. Det. Frank Bullitt

    Det. Frank Bullitt God Bless Texas
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    Crazy stuff FIFA is circulating

    $62 billion in global GDP. Let that sink in.


    The reports, produced in collaboration with OpenEconomics and the WTO, estimate the combined GDP impact of the two tournaments (CWC + WC) at $62 billion. That’s $40.9B from the World Cup and $21.1B from the Club World Cup. The US alone could see $26.8B in GDP growth across the two.

    Jobs. A lot of them.

    Across both tournaments, the US (hosting the majority of games) is projected to create around 290,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. Globally, the 2026 World Cup alone could support over 824,000 roles. These aren’t all short-term contracts or low-wage roles either, many span technical services, logistics, security, and hospitality.

    For the Club World Cup, the largest job growth in the US is expected in accommodation and food services (nearly 20,000 FTE jobs), and air transport (over 12,000). Globally, wholesale and retail sectors see the biggest uplift, particularly outside the US. The World Cup numbers are even larger—sectors like technical activities, administrative assistance, and health & social work all benefit.

    It’s a jobs story that spreads across borders and industries.

    Tourism is the fuel.

    The 2026 World Cup is expected to bring in 6.5 million attendees, while the 2025 Club World Cup forecasts 3.7 million. Combined, those visitors will spend close to $12 billion, $7.5B for the World Cup, $4B for the Club World Cup.

    Hotels are preparing for full capacity. Cities are marketing themselves as football capitals. This kind of attention drives what economists call “legacy tourism”, where people return to destinations they discovered during major events. FIFA estimates a 65% retention rate across five years, meaning cities stand to benefit long after the final whistle.

    Even outside of the US, the ripple effects hit hard. In the Club World Cup report, GDP gains are estimated at $2.1B in China, $900M in Japan, and $700M in the UK, showing how global the economic spread really is.

    There’s also the social impact.

    This isn’t just about money. FIFA’s analysis goes deeper, applying a framework called Social Return on Investment (SROI). For every $1 invested:

    • The Club World Cup returns $4.34 in social value.

    • The World Cup delivers $3.64 globally—and $4.03 in the US.
    What does that actually mean? It includes:

    • Improved public health through increased physical activity.

    • Savings on healthcare costs.

    • Lower crime rates from community engagement in sport.

    • Entertainment value from stadium attendance and digital engagement.
    For example, the World Cup’s $8.28B in social benefits breaks down to $5.16B from tourism, $2.6B from sport and health-related effects, and $520M from entertainment metrics like social media engagement.

    The Club World Cup? $3.36B in social value, with tourism again leading the way, followed by sport and entertainment benefits.
     
  17. elfrid

    elfrid he thinks the carpet pissers did this?
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    think i like the houston and seattle ones the best imo

     
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  18. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton Old Enough to not know whats Chappell Roan
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    starting to get closer

     
  19. The Banks

    The Banks TMB's Alaskan
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    Gonna be a disaster!
     
  20. Spontaneous Cumbustion

    Spontaneous Cumbustion Well-Known Member
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    People said the same thing about the last WC in Qatar. And the one before it in Russia. And the one before it in Brazil. And the one before it in South Africa.
     
  21. The Banks

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    Qatar wasn’t a disaster wrt human rights abuse?
     
  22. Spontaneous Cumbustion

    Spontaneous Cumbustion Well-Known Member
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    That didn't have anything to do with the actual tournament of soccer games. The human rights abuse is awful but it's sadly the norm in that part of the world and will surely be a topic again when KSA starts building their stadiums for 2034.

    But people acted like the Qatar wc was going to be a disaster logistically and it went completely fine. People also had doubts about Russia, Brazil, and SA but they all went fine. I'm sure the current idiots in charge will cause foreign fans to have to jump through more hoops then necessary, but the tournament will go off with little to no issues just like the previous wc's.
     
  23. The Banks

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    The tweet I was responding to wasn’t about logistics, it was about human rights abuse issues, hence them joking about foreigners having to deal with Kristi Noem, who has committed dozens of human rights abuses on her short watch as the Secretary of Homeland Security.
     
  24. El_Pato

    El_Pato Nunca Caminaras Solo
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    Great winner from Australia over Japan in the 89th minute, in qualifying
     
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