FIFA Locks CONCACAF at 3.5 Spots

[powerof11]

Max Bell discusses FIFA's decision to maintain the status quo for its 2014 World Cup continental allotments.

http://www.rednationonline.ca/FIFA_locks_CONCACAF_at_3_5_spots_june_27_10_article.shtml

[beachesl]

if there is one thing that we have learned about FIFA, it is that there is no such thing as "locked in". They shift with the wind.

[Havoc88]

Have to agree it is pretty ridiculous that NZ will likely always be the two-legged playoff away from the World Cup. Combine them with Asia and we get another spot for CONCACAF

[gator]

Good article Max! I was really hoping CONCACAF would get another half spot but as Max points out our 3rd place qualifyer hasn't really done well! Let's just hope we don't get a "Group of Death" draw next time and we can scrape into one of the top 3 spots!

[Jeremy]

Have to agree it is pretty ridiculous that NZ will likely always be the two-legged playoff away from the World Cup. Combine them with Asia and we get another spot for CONCACAF

I might be mistaken but my idea of WCQ is that everyone can enter the World Cup. If you retire the 0,5 spot to Oceania, the remaining countries won't even have a chance of making it.

[CanadianSoccerFan]

I might be mistaken but my idea of WCQ is that everyone can enter the World Cup. If you retire the 0,5 spot to Oceania, the remaining countries won't even have a chance of making it.

I'm pretty sure he meant combining all of Oceania into Asia.

I'd just be happy if CONCACAF's 4th team was able to play Asia's 5th like it was for 2006. We can win that one every time.

[Havoc88]

^

sorry for not being clear, that's exactly what I meant.

I think US and Mexico did really well reppresenting the region, playing exciting football and bringing out heaps of supporters. Hopefully Canada steps up into the third spot soon as they can certainly play with both of those teams on their best day we just gotta make it the rule instead of exception.

[Fort York Redcoat1555362293]

^^Yes please! Let the fourth spot compete! We can do it!

NZ supporters did a great job this tourney, though. Respect.

[Footscray]

I think there should be a last chance tournament after qualifying for at least 3 or 4 spots where the best losers from each confed come together for a two week tourney rather than home and aways between Bahrain and New Zealand which are a JOKE. Would be exciting, like a mini world cup and everyone could feel like teams actually earned their way there instead of the usual favorable draws and charity spots.

Strip a spot from AFC/OFC, CAF, half spot from us and CONMEBOL and one from UEFA.

[Blue and White Army]

My understanding is that Football New Zealand have applied to FIFA to have Oceania's 0.5 spot added to Asia's current 4.5 spots, and for the winner(s) of Oceania to join the latter stages of Asian qualifying. FNZ have said that this would make it more difficult for them to qualify for future World Cups, but it would mean more competitive matches against high-calibre opponents (as well as some big games in NZ to help attract more Kiwis to football).

I'm not sure if New Zealand have actually run this by the Oceania Football Confederation, as I assume that it should be the OFC applying to FIFA to do this... but I suppose if New Zealand threatened to leave the OFC, then the OFC would have no decent footballing countries left, so perhaps FNZ now have the OFC in their pocket!

Supposedly this topic will be up for discussion in December at FIFA's AGM (if FIFA haven't already nixed it), so if any changes are to be made, we would hear something shortly before the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts are announced.

[Toronto Ruffrider]

^That would make sense. Even if Australia was still in Oceania, I would be in favour of some sort of combined AFC/OFC allotment for World Cup spots. The current WCQ format in Oceania is a joke.

By the way, I know that Africa's World Cup allotment was increased to 6 spots for this tourney, what with South Africa being the host. Will Africa remain at 6 spots or drop back to 5? In my opinion, Africa shouldn't even have 5 spots. I know there are a lot of talented players from that continent, but as long as almost every team from that region gets knocked out in the group stage, Africa is over-represented.

[SCF08]

Africa will have their normal 5 spots in 2014. They just got 6 becuase SA were the host. I completely disagree with you that they are over represented.

http://www.cansoc.org/showthread.php?40156-FIFA-to-keep-continental-breakdown-for-future-World-Cups/page3

[Rivaldo]

My understanding is that Football New Zealand have applied to FIFA to have Oceania's 0.5 spot added to Asia's current 4.5 spots, and for the winner(s) of Oceania to join the latter stages of Asian qualifying.

I'd heard NZ were considering joining Asia, but haven't heard of this proposal.

I doubt FIFA will allow this. Either they're in Asia or they're not. If NZ were to leave Oceania, I expect FIFA would cut Oceania back to 0.25 spots.

[Toronto Ruffrider]

Africa will have their normal 5 spots in 2014. They just got 6 becuase SA were the host. I completely disagree with you that they are over represented.

http://www.cansoc.org/showthread.php?40156-FIFA-to-keep-continental-breakdown-for-future-World-Cups/page3

Based on what? In my opinion, success at the World Cup should determine the number of spots that are alotted to each continent. In each World Cup, the same story plays out: almost all African teams fail to get out of the group stage. Only Ghana made it out of the group stage four years ago, and once again only Ghana made it to the knockout stage, even though African countries have home continent advantage!

Yes, there are talented players in Africa, and yes, there is more depth in CAF than in CONCACAF. However, I never once argued that CONCACAF should get an extra half spot in my post above. If we're awarding World Cup spots based on merit, than CAF should be docked a spot at the expense of either CONMEBOL, UEFA or even AFC. With Europe or South America, there are always at least of non-qualifiers that could compete at the World Cup.

There is a lot of raw talent among African footballing nations, but that talent clearly isn't focussed. Until African teams stop underachieving at the highest level, I don't see how anyone can argue that CAF deserves more qualifying spots than any other continental zone outside of UEFA.

[rick10]

south america is doing really well this world cup

all 5 teams made it past the first round , 4 of them leading their groups

4 of them made it to the quarter finals and chile was out because they faced brazil who is also in the conmebol....

[SCF08]

Yes, there are talented players in Africa, and yes, there is more depth in CAF than in CONCACAF. However, I never once argued that CONCACAF should get an extra half spot in my post above. .

I know...There was someone in that topic who did....hence this reaction.

I just replied there and 5 mins later came across this topic....

[rmacvicar]

south america is doing really well this world cup

all 5 teams made it past the first round , 4 of them leading their groups

4 of them made it to the quarter finals and chile was out because they faced brazil who is also in the conmebol....

Exactly, between CONCACAF and CONMEBOL there are 8 spots available.... 7 teams made the knockout stage. If spots are assigned based on performance there is no way africa deserves 5 spots. South American teams have won 9 of the 18 World Cups, I just don't understand why they only have 4.5 spots and have to playoff against concacaf for the extra spot. I can see why they would want to give more spots to africa and asia to grow the game, but at the same time I would argue for any change that would increase Canada's chances of qualifying

[Keano]

In the realm of fantasy, imagine if "The Americas" qualified together, with let's say 10 spots? We'd play a lot of great opponents over the years and even stand a possibility of edging out an Ecuador, Honduras or Colombia for that 10th spot.

EDIT: No, you CAN'T have any of what I'm smoking.

[oreo]

I think the Americas should have the only Intercontinental playoff for 2014 era , Oceania should be annex to the final round of Asia .

[Blue and White Army]

I doubt FIFA will allow this. Either they're in Asia or they're not.

That's a bit simplistic. How would Oceania's finalist(s) going into the final round of Asian qualifying be radically different than the current system of inter-continental playoffs, where a country from Oceania already plays a country from Asia in order to qualify?

If NZ were to leave Oceania, I expect FIFA would cut Oceania back to 0.25 spots.

How would a 0.25 spot work, logistically speaking? Probably rather similar to Oceania's winner joining the final round of Asian qualifying... which is what NZ is proposing.

[Macksam]

Africa should be reduced to 4.5, and we should get their .5 to make it four for us.

[Blue and White Army]

Europe has 13 spots. That could come down by one or two.

[Blue and White Army]

I'd heard NZ were considering joining Asia, but haven't heard of this proposal.

Here it is: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/fifa-world-cup/all-whites/3858771/All-Whites-keen-to-mix-it-with-Asias-best

Oh, and my mistake... the OFC support the proposed change and have suggested it to FIFA. I'm pretty confident this will happen.

[dbailey62]

if there is one thing that we have learned about FIFA, it is that there is no such thing as "locked in". They shift with the wind.

Yes, it's the passing of the FIFA wind.

[nfitz]

Europe has 13 spots. That could come down by one or two.

Europe currently has 11 of the 16 top-ranked teams in the world. And 18 of the 32 top-ranked teams.

Surely they are under-represented now, and by reducing the number of spots, this would only get worse.

Africa on the other hand has 6 of the 32 top-ranked teams, and is also under-represented.

South America has 5 of the 32 top-ranked teams.

The real issues are Asia which has only one (Australia) of the 32 top-ranked teams (the next being Japan way down at spot number 45!) and North America which has only 2 (though Honduras are at 38 ... though I doubt that will last.

3.5 spots for CONCACAF seems a bit generous. However, the 4.5 spots for Asia (AFC) is obscene. If Asia get's 4.5 spots, then one can argue that Africa should get 11, CONCACAF 4.5, South America 10, and Europe 35 spots!