FIFA World Cup 2022

[Realest]

Well, 2013 Tahiti qualified for the Confed Cup, so nothing is impossible.

For the remaining Matches, I'll cheer for

 

[Looren]

Salomon Islands vs New Zealand 0-5

Therefore will most likely face Costa Rica in the inter-continental play-offs.

From 2026 on will have a safe place in every World Cup

And they deserve it tbh, it's pretty sad that a federation might have 0 teams in WC

That 48 teams World Cup will be much funnier I think

 

[ShoeFlo]

Tomorrow evening the group draw will take place.

The loss to Panama last night is a bit of a downer for Canada because by that Canada misses the Pot 3 and ends up in Pot 4 instead.

Pot 1: (set in Group A)
Pot 2: Uruguay
Pot 3: Senegal
Pot 4: Cameroon ( / / ) ( / / ) ( Costa Rica / )

Mind that there are some restrictions:
- Two countries from the same confederation are not allowed to end up in one group, except from UEFA of course.
- There must be at least one European in each group but not more than two

Since there are only three European teams in the two weaker pots the restrictions will be noticeable, even more so, when you've got a group with two non-European teams from Pot 1 & 2. So I guess there is a certainy probability Serbia or Poland will face the likes of Brazil or Argentina, but if they're lucky they only get Qatar.

Some of my thoughts from a German perspective

a) the toughest possible group
(I fear them more than France, they always make us look like school boys)

Senegal (Would have chosen Serbia but this would be the third European team... so I guess Senegal is the Pot 3 team to fear, they could put on a big fight for the reasons I told you some posts ago)
(outperformed Mexico and the US, 'nough said. However, none of the pot 4 teams should make us too much trouble)

b) the walkover group
(After their matches against European teams in the last couple of years, I would guess they would be an average Nations League C team in European football. Not endangered to get relegated to League D, yet not the major contenders to promote to League B either. We really should beat them despite their home advantage)

(we also have a history of struggles against North African teams, Tunisia however is one of the harmless ones. Morocco would give me more headaches)
Costa Rica (they will beat but this is the maximum they will achieve. Unexperienced team, almost no player is active in Europe. This will break their necks)

c) my favorite group
(playing attractive attacking football, but have a shaky defense line. They are very good, but imo we can handle them. Moreover: they are the only good team of Pot A we did not meet yet in a major tournament since 2010)

(I like the country, I like the football they're playing. Many Japanese players play or have once played in German club football and they're mostly doing well. They've got a great mentality, technical skill set and good pace. Also in this set-up they would face Belgium and I remember Belgium vs Japan was one of the most stunning matches in WC 2018)
(Yep, Canada again. While they're maybe the hardest opponent of Pot 4 I still want them to join our group )

 

[Realest]

Apparently might be disqualified and might get their Spot.
Wont happen of Course.

 

[Looren]

Here we gooo !

Thoughest group :

: In term of players they have the best team clearly, if they upgrade their level they might be unbeatable
: The dark horse of this WC, a very strong team that I really don't want to face

: Impressed me in their qualifications campaign, we'll have a hard time against them

"easiest group" :

: They don't seem to have a very strong team, but I got the feeling they'll be surprising tho
: Didn't impress my that much in their qualification campaign, still a good team

Winner of : Yeah tbh none of them should be able to beat us

Group that I want :

: 'Cause yes I believe they'll get that "precedent winner malediction" and NQ, and I want us to be the team who'll eliminate France !
: So we get revenge of precedent WC where their referees totally robbed us

: So we qualify together (would've chosen Canada but since I already puted the USA and it's impossible for two countries of same federation to qualify, I puted Saudi Arabia)

 

[Zerocalcare]

Iran escluso dal Mondiale? I possibili scenari

È davvero reale l'ipotesi del ripescaggio dell'Italia? La parola dell'esperto Carlo Rombolà

www.google.com

The hypothesis that Italy has been rescued is very remote. The FIFA criteria are fully discretionary (therefore any nation from any federation can be repurchased). Italy is in pole position only because it has a higher coefficient in the ranking (thanks to the victory in Turkey we have gained other points), it is the reigning European champion and it is a national team with an important coat of arms. However, it would be nothing shocking given that Denmark in '92 took the place of disqualified Yugoslavia. If, as in '82 in Spain or as in '92 it happened to Denmark, Italy wins by surprise... the enjoyment would skyrocket! In fact, many know that Italy is bad when it has to play playoffs and group stages but when it gets to head-to-head matches or manages to overcome difficulties, like a phoenix it regenerates itself and manages to make epic feats happen.

 

[Himan]

Apparently might be disqualified and might get their Spot.
Wont happen of Course.

Wouldn't it be an AFC confederation Country, thus here Australia or UAE?

 

[Zerocalcare]

Wouldn't it be an AFC confederation Country, thus here Australia or UAE?

Net of the playoffs or of the federation where whoever was eliminated was eliminated (it doesn't matter where they arrived), the first criterion is the ranking (the same thing happens in the composition of the groups). Italy is sixth, first among the excluded. In your opinion, with all due respect for the UAE and Australia, would the Qatari government and FIFA prefer them or the freshly European champion and four World Cup holder? The beauty is that it's not unfair either. It happened to Denmark in '92. Do you want to know how I think? For me the hypothesis is remote and almost impossible but if it were to happen all the national teams in the world would tremble. Italy is a national team that, if it manages to overcome the first difficulties (often simple challenges transformed into infernal situations), can rise again and perform impossible feats. It would be nice for FIFA to restore a little justice to the Italian national team. In 2002 we were unjustly eliminated from South Korea and Blatter handed the world cup to Brazil which, after the 1994 World Cup, made us laugh. If Italy did not go to Qatar, I would put my soul in peace and cheer Argentina (after beating it in June at Wembley).

 

[Zerocalcare]

Dall’Iran accuse all’Italia: “Stanno lavorando per eliminarci dai Mondiali e andarci loro”

Dopo le terribili scene vissute a margine del match contro il Libano, la FIFA ha ammonito l'Iran che "non si può tornare indietro" circa l'accesso

www.google.com

Although Iran is to be condemned for the extreme act of discrimination. On the one hand, I agree with the Iranian words, FIFA and Italy are playing on the issue so as to create a Wild Card that takes everyone out of the hindrance. Maybe it's just a conspiracy theory but the lack of Italy and CR7 would be a serious blow to the event in Qatar. I don't know... that in the FIFA playoffs, Italy, Portugal and the government of Qatar had already reached an agreement? Certainly not, it is an imaginative thought but "to think wrong sometimes you guess".

Having said that, the continental champions should be admitted to the world championship by right. I would say this even if it was Germany that was in the same situation as us. Of course, it would annoy me because a strong national team would still be in the running for the final victory but it is also true that it is the right rule. Now in June, a sort of final will be played to crown the best UEFA / COMNEBOL national team (the two best associations in the world), in the same vein as the former Intercontinental Club Cup.

Let's see what happens.

 

[Looren]

I hope that they won't disqualify 'cause I really like their team

 

[ShoeFlo]

Well, I will definitely cross my fingers for

 

[Looren]

Well, I will definitely cross my fingers for

I think it would be very unfair to Asia that would lose 1 team from their confederation, and also we'll get another European team, they're already over-represented

Also, Italy doesn't deserve to do the WC

 

[Zerocalcare]

I think it would be very unfair to Asia that would lose 1 team from their confederation, and also we'll get another European team, they're already over-represented

Also, Italy doesn't deserve to do the WC

Let's look at it from another angle, the other associations are not at all at the level of UEFA. Competing in the European championship is more difficult than playing the world cup which becomes interesting from the quarter-finals onwards. Hence, Europe is much less represented than we think. In your opinion, are the CAF, AFC and CONCACAF qualifying rounds complicated? Perhaps only in the CAF are they a little more complex in the final knockout stage. And in fact... the World Cup was won only by UEFA and COMNEBOL. Beyond these considerations, Italy is continental champion and with the highest ranking of those excluded. If there is to be a repechage it is right to reward the best. According to your reasoning, we should take away the Euro '92 trophy from Denmark because they did not have the right to participate.

 

[Looren]

Let's look at it from another angle, the other associations are not at all at the level of UEFA. Competing in the European championship is more difficult than playing the world cup which becomes interesting from the quarter-finals onwards. Hence, Europe is much less represented than we think. In your opinion, are the CAF, AFC and CONCACAF qualifying rounds complicated? Perhaps only in the CAF are they a little more complex in the final knockout stage. And in fact... the World Cup was won only by UEFA and COMNEBOL. Beyond these considerations, Italy is continental champion and with the highest ranking of those excluded. If there is to be a repechage it is right to reward the best. According to your reasoning, we should take away the Euro '92 trophy from Denmark because they did not have the right to participate.

Lol, HP's pro Italian posts, you didn't change

Italy wasn't even capable of beating North Macedonia to qualify for WC, so no they're not the best

And Asia already has very few places in WC so eliminating another team of theirs for a European team who has already too much participants is totally UNFAIR

They just want to exclude Iran so they get their little miserable Italy in World Cup, this shit is getting totally stupid

 

[Zerocalcare]

Lol, HP's pro Italian posts, you didn't change

Italy wasn't even capable of beating North Macedonia to qualify for WC, so no they're not the best

And Asia already has very few places in WC so eliminating another team of theirs for a European team who has already too much participants is totally UNFAIR

They just want to exclude Iran so they get their little miserable Italy in World Cup, this shit is getting totally stupid

Who is HP? A computer? Don't know what you're talking about.

I expressed my words politely and quoted you kindly. Why are you angry?

This may seem unfair to you but in the end it is not. And then, even if it were unfair, the world is like that. It is always the strongest who dictates the rules. We Italians are sixth in the ranking, European champions and multiple world champions. Are you sure we're so miserable?

However, the hypothesis of Italy at the Qatar World Cup is remote. Do not be frightened.

 

[ShoeFlo]

I think it would be very unfair to Asia that would lose 1 team from their confederation, and also we'll get another European team, they're already over-represented

Also, Italy doesn't deserve to do the WC

Don't worry, I get this, even though I don't consider Europe over-represented at all. The worst European teams are mostly still better than some of the Asian, Central American or somtimes even African representatives. Since World Cup 2010 there were 7 teams that went out of the group stage with 0 points - none of them was European.

Fair enough, when it comes to Italy I am biased because I am partly Italian. Furthermore, I want the best national teams with the highest quality to play in the tournament to see a lot of great matches. Let alone the fact that Italy is the four-time world champion with big history.
In general, I like the Asian football and I also find the Iran national team interesting. If they got disqualified (which will not happen anyway) I would sorry for them. I would also feel sorry for the fans. On the other hand, I would feel some sort of satisfaction regarding a specific part of the Iran society because it's digusting how the women are still treated there in public life. Seriously, Middle ages are long gone.

Edit: I come in peace. Don't wanna get involved in quarrels

 

[Looren]

Don't worry, I get this, even though I don't consider Europe over-represented at all. The worst European teams are mostly still better than some of the Asian, Central American or somtimes even African representatives. Since World Cup 2010 there were 7 teams that went out of the group stage with 0 points - none of them was European.

Fair enough, when it comes to Italy I am biased because I am partly Italian. Furthermore, I want the best national teams with the highest quality to play in the tournament to see a lot of great matches. Let alone the fact that Italy is the four-time world champion with big history.
In general, I like the Asian football and I also find the Iran national team interesting. If they got disqualified (which will not happen anyway) I would sorry for them. I would also feel sorry for the fans. On the other hand, I would feel some sort of satisfaction regarding a specific part of the Iran society because it's digusting how the women are still treated there in public life. Seriously, Middle ages are long gone.

Edit: I come in peace. Don't wanna get involved in quarrels

I can agree with your point, but I think that it's pretty unfair for example that the confederation with the most teams has only 5 places for WC while Europe has 13, we saw in the CAN (except the first games 'cause of weather) that African teams really have a high level

I also agree that the treatment of women is disgusting there, but if they disqualify Iran I really think they should let either or go to World Cup, otherwise it would be unfair for the AFC

 

[Ana Raquel]

On the other hand, I would feel some sort of satisfaction regarding a specific part of the Iran society because it's digusting how the women are still treated there in public life.

If we go down this route, there would be no country left to compete lol and it's not like Italy is a pure angel when it comes to human rights either

Pandemic raised risk of violence for women migrants in Italy

UNICEF has released a report shedding light on the negative impacts of the pandemic on migrant women in Italy. It said discrimination already linked to gender and migration, combined with the challenges imposed by COVID-19, had increased the likelihood that migrant women in Italy will suffer...

www.infomigrants.net

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-60492918.amp

Also, the cup brings visibility which brings investments which brings improvements, and let's be honest, Italy's soccer team(s) will get enough investments whether they go to the cup or not - I'm not sure we can say the same about Iran's or any other Asian country's. I side with Looren here - it would be absolutely unfair to AFC (and even worse considering the cup is being hosted in Asia)

 

[Realest]

again...

 

[esc87fan]

Hey Looren, hi Group F mate!