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VinceA

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Socceroos to play Mexico in September as part of 2026 World Cup preparations (theroar.com.au)

 

Quote: "The Socceroos will look to gain an early insight into their 2026 World Cup campaign when they head to the United States to face Mexico.
Graham Arnold’s men will face world No.14 Mexico for the first time in 22 years when they meet at Dallas’ 80,000-seater AT&T Stadium in a September 9 friendly.
The venue is set to be one of the host stadiums for the 2026 World Cup which will be an expanded 48-team tournament and is co-hosted with Canada and Mexico.
"

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7 minutes ago, TOcanadafan said:

Even with the increased number of places, it still looks challenging to qualify out of Africa.

They have always had the most un fair qualifying process of all Regions.   Its always been a bunch groups and multiple phases of very few teams advancing.  Therefore,  you could be a good team that has bad one day with injuries,  a bad refs, or a bad draw ...etc... and that could get you eliminated from the WC.  

Edited by Free kick
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47 minutes ago, TOcanadafan said:

Even with the increased number of places, it still looks challenging to qualify out of Africa.

Although the 9 seeded teams have all qualified for the WC before.  I don't think all of them will directly qualify, just that it's possible.  It will be interesting to see if we get a new team going and/or which team advances to the intercontinental playoff.  I don't think I'd want to face that team.

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On 7/18/2023 at 10:45 PM, Watchmen said:

Although the 9 seeded teams have all qualified for the WC before.  I don't think all of them will directly qualify, just that it's possible.  It will be interesting to see if we get a new team going and/or which team advances to the intercontinental playoff.  I don't think I'd want to face that team.

Yeah because even if you finish 2nd in the group in Africa, you go into a playoff round well the 4 best 2nd placed teams do anyway and you play tournament style to determine the 10th possible team as that team goes to the Inter Confederation playoff

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13 hours ago, Free kick said:

US cities are making their pitches to host the 2026 final.   New York/New Jersey,  LA,  Dallas and Miami seem to be in the running.  We also also heard that Mexico city has made a pitch, but that was a long time ago.

 

World Cup final should be played on biggest stage, say New York and New Jersey | Reuters

The final being in the US doesn't bother me, but Canada should have pushed hard to host the opening game. Only one of the 3 countries that hasn't hosted before, so would have been a big moment on the world stage. Wonder if the rumours of the draw being in Vancouver will pan out.

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29 minutes ago, Watchmen said:

The final being in the US doesn't bother me, but Canada should have pushed hard to host the opening game. Only one of the 3 countries that hasn't hosted before, so would have been a big moment on the world stage. Wonder if the rumours of the draw being in Vancouver will pan out.

If it does, I hope all the stars come out for that

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  • 3 weeks later...

The stadiums aren't up to snuff,  yes.  But where they play the opening game(s)  should have nothing to do with the stadium or stadium sizes/capacity.  By the way,  the issue with BMO for example is really just its size/seating capacity.  Which is the most important factor that FIFA looks at.

None the less , It was promised in the bid book that the opening game(s) would be played simultaneously in one city in each of the three countries.   So, I would say that this bit of news (if true) is a bit of a snub.

 

PS.: I believe that we have no chance in hell of getting Draw.  IMHO, that's going to go to Nashville as consolation prize from being dropped as a host at the last minute

PS.:  Here is another report claiming the same: Another ESPN report has come out claiming AT&T Stadium is the favorite to secure 2026 World Cup Final (msn.com)

Edited by Free kick
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16 hours ago, narduch said:

 

 

How reliable is that account name or source?  I would think that a credible source for this kind of info would have a much greater following.   Anyways,  from the bid book that was presented way back 4-6 years ago,  it was indicated that opening game would be played simultaneously in each of the three countries.

BID BOOK page 166:

image.png.9b39521e10a5a769ef9b820cca6595c1.png

BID BOOK page 199:   (NOTE:  this doc was presented before the actual stadium inspections &evaluations)

image.thumb.png.9b8567e18e18615657efae1811043c62.png

image.png.800cbb17af42c0502a7c6bbe1da5a41e.png

Edited by Free kick
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5 hours ago, Free kick said:

How reliable is that account name or source?  I would think that a credible source for this kind of info would have a much greater following.   Anyways,  from the bid book that was presented way back 4-6 years ago,  it was indicated that opening game would be played simultaneously in each of the three countries.

BID BOOK page 166:

image.png.9b39521e10a5a769ef9b820cca6595c1.png

BID BOOK page 199:   (NOTE:  this doc was presented before the actual stadium inspections &evaluations)

image.thumb.png.9b8567e18e18615657efae1811043c62.png

image.png.800cbb17af42c0502a7c6bbe1da5a41e.png

WST's source is ESPN Deportes Jorge Ramos. First match is in Mexico City.

 

Edited by red card
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My Spanish is not ideal but is he confirming this as fact from his sources?  Or is this speculation or prediction?  Because,  Dan Hunt, who chairs the Dallas bid committee and owns FC Dallas, said that  FIFA is expected to announce the site of the final in the fourth quarter of 2023.   So why would they have already decided now?    Also,  what he is saying (in regards to the opening match) can also be interpreted as being consistent with what we have known all along.  Namely,  that Azteca will get one of the opening matches and that DFW or LA or NYC will get another one.  And that a third one will be in Canada.   Of course, they may change that and go with just one but what would be the benefit or the rationale for the change?.

The key thing is who gets the final?   That's the big prize because it has massive economic fall out and benefits.  Why would they decide now ( and not announce it) when they planned to do it later in the year.   
 

Edited by Free kick
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27 minutes ago, mrstepp817 said:

I'll be very surprised if the final isn't in Dallas 

Maybe I'm missing something but why would it not be in LA or New York? The Dallas Cowboys likely mean diddlysquat to most soccer people around the world so Dallas is just some random American city where JFK got assassinated and JR and Sue Ellen were from rather than somewhere you would want to wind up being the focal point of your tournament in global sports media terms.

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1 hour ago, CCrTFC said:

Central location within the continent and a better time zone than LA for those watching in Europe? Maybe it skews a bit south but it's more illustrious than KC. 

In 1986 the Can-Fra WC game was played on the weekend but in order to watch Canada play the USSR and Hungary, you had to take time off from school or work or take a holiday or sick day because it was played in the early afternoon.   Despite the hot day time Mexico climates FIFA still opted to play games in the afternoon.   

That's the power that the Western European audience and market size has and it can sway the location and time zone where the final will be played.   That's why I believe that it will be played in NYC/NJ.  That way it can be viewed in prime time by the large western European audiences (as well and Africa and middle east) that the sponsors want to target.    Note that when the WC was played in this hemisphere (i.e.; Mex 86, USA 94 and Brazil 2014)  the games had the same start time on our TV' guides (in Canada) as when the WC was played in Fra, Ger, & ITA.

  

Edited by Free kick
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