World Cups - Every 2 years or 4 years?

[PSGman#19]

It's too much soccer to fit into 3 years. It will never work.

In my proposal, nation league is crossed off, several copa America or africacup between 2 world cup are reduced to only one edition between 2 world cup.
Euro, africacup qualification is merged with wcq. Also I propose preliminary round for weaker teams to reduced the number of teams playing the wcq main round

[KC McElroy]

Youth and women world cup are nowhere as important as the WC, and could be independent.

The main problem is the Olympics, meaning some years we could have the wc in June/July and the Olympics in August. But that's already the case with Euro and could be the same with wc every 2 years.
Football in Olympics is a joke these days. So either remove football from Olympics or send young teams there

It's too much soccer to fit into 3 years. It will never work.

[PSGman#19]

As far as the timetable that would work but with all of the competitions that we currently have 3 years isn't enough time. You also have to consider the youth World cups, the Women's World Cup, the indoor World Cup, the Olympics etc.

Youth and women world cup are nowhere as important as the WC, and could be independent.

The main problem is the Olympics, meaning some years we could have the wc in June/July and the Olympics in August. But that's already the case with Euro and could be the same with wc every 2 years.
Football in Olympics is a joke these days. So either remove football from Olympics or send young teams there

[KC McElroy]

Exactly, euro, asian cup etc.. Will be every 3 years too

As far as the timetable that would work but with all of the competitions that we currently have 3 years isn't enough time. You also have to consider the youth World cups, the Women's World Cup, the indoor World Cup, the Olympics etc.

[PSGman#19]

If you make it a 3 year cycle then you have to make all competitions a 3 year cycle otherwise they will overlap in some years.

Exactly, euro, asian cup etc.. Will be every 3 years too

[KC McElroy]

I even forgot that the world cup group will only be 2 games!

Best solution imo :
- wc every 3 years. 32 teams like the current format
- euro, asian cup etc.. : the year before world cup (I would like to cancel them and replace them by a world league)
- the year before euro, asian cup etc.. : each zone will play the wcq qualifiers (that would also be euro, asian cup etc.. Qualifiers). For qualifiers, weakers teams play preliminary round or play off, to reduce the number of qualifiers games.
- cancel nation league and replace it by friendlies. In order the world to progress and as Euro teams get the most wc qualified teams, why not force the best euro teams (based on ranking and world cup results) to play at least X teams from asia/oceania, X teams from africa, X teams from central America from their total number of fifa date available for friendlies during 2 WC. In order to avoid having everybody to play japan/sk, quota could be put in place. Also outside quotas, avoir the same team to play the same friendlies too often (france Germany happens every 6 months at a time)

If you make it a 3 year cycle then you have to make all competitions a 3 year cycle otherwise they will overlap in some years.

[KC McElroy]

I've researched about this few years ago! The competition is significantly higher than 40-50 years ago! Specially in african and asian countries.

It is not.

[PSGman#19]

Don’t forget starting 2026 World Cup is groups of 3, so for example if Iran finishes last in group play they only play 2 games total. 3-4 years of qualification effort just to see 2 measly games is not worth it. I hope for World Cup every 3 years and
Asian cup every 2. Shorten the needlessly lengthy qualification round

I even forgot that the world cup group will only be 2 games!

Best solution imo :
- wc every 3 years. 32 teams like the current format
- euro, asian cup etc.. : the year before world cup (I would like to cancel them and replace them by a world league)
- the year before euro, asian cup etc.. : each zone will play the wcq qualifiers (that would also be euro, asian cup etc.. Qualifiers). For qualifiers, weakers teams play preliminary round or play off, to reduce the number of qualifiers games.
- cancel nation league and replace it by friendlies. In order the world to progress and as Euro teams get the most wc qualified teams, why not force the best euro teams (based on ranking and world cup results) to play at least X teams from asia/oceania, X teams from africa, X teams from central America from their total number of fifa date available for friendlies during 2 WC. In order to avoid having everybody to play japan/sk, quota could be put in place. Also outside quotas, avoir the same team to play the same friendlies too often (france Germany happens every 6 months at a time)

[milad_b]

You are mistaken.

I've researched about this few years ago! The competition is significantly higher than 40-50 years ago! Specially in african and asian countries.

[KC McElroy]

but in 1978 the competition was low ! even 16 teams was too much for that time!

You are mistaken.

[milad_b]

The 1978 World Cup had 16 teams and we were in it. We played the reigning South American champion and the former and soon to be repeat World Cup runner-up.

but in 1978 the competition was low ! even 16 teams was too much for that time! Right now even the smallest country on the planet is investing on their national football team! not really comparable but yea i get your point.

[Ostad_Goosfand]

Don’t forget starting 2026 World Cup is groups of 3, so for example if Iran finishes last in group play they only play 2 games total. 3-4 years of qualification effort just to see 2 measly games is not worth it. I hope for World Cup every 3 years and
Asian cup every 2. Shorten the needlessly lengthy qualification round

[oracle]

every 3 years
change ac to every 3 years too
1 year for wc qualification
asian cup
wc
run it back

[KC McElroy]

The 1978 World Cup had 16 teams and we were in it. We played the reigning South American champion and the former and soon to be repeat World Cup runner-up.

[Nokhodi]

this is interesting.
the tier system provides incentive for teams to advance to the upper levels.

but it defeats your original demaand of teams like Iran meeting top class teams.
we'll be at best meeting the likes of Uruguay, mexico, poland, ireland, Belgium, Colombia, .... and most probably get relegated to the lower tier as we'd most probably lose to all of these and such teams!!!!

coz lets not fool ourselves. on paper, we might be at 20-24 rank. But if we meet any of the teams in this section, we'd lose.
our ranking is based on meeting crap like bahrai, iraq, ghater, uzbeks, ...


and I seriously doubt we'd ever meet the likes of germany, netherlands, spain, portugal, argentina, ... (the teams we have met at the WC )

You’re spot on, but isn’t that the whole point? We’d play better teams and improve. Even if we were playing 2nd and 3rd tier European nations or South American nations it would be better than playing the football destroying teams of Asia.