USA, Mexico and Canada

[life on mars]

QATAR??

You just plucked that name out of the air guitar ?

[J R Hartley]

Yeah it is, the stadiums are in place, it's one of a handful of countries most associated with the sport thanks to the PL so the profile is there, it's hard to understand why they've only had it once - hate to say it.

Blatter had a thing about going to new places and forging a legacy. Now he's gone they'll probably have a great shout at 2030 (assuming Europe can bid).

Forging a legacy

[darran1927]

Won't Trump's wall be built by then

[NYCBlue]

Fixed it for you

Had to google that. Never heard of it.

[City123]

The US/Mexico/Canada bid beat Morrocco convincingly in every area, should be a great World Cup

[goats]

Be a great World Cup if you can get to it

That’s what I think. They would give it to Morocco after Qatar just had it down the rd

[Mr Soul '68]

Appalling decision. ridiculous.
Morocco would have been a superb location.
Hope the whole thing goes tits up now.

Morocco is a very, e dodgy and dangerous country, if you have ever spent time away from the well protected tourist traps, and gone off the beaten track there

[goats]

Morocco is a very, e dodgy and dangerous country, if you have ever spent time away from the well protected tourist traps, and gone off the beaten track there

With borders to Algeria then Libya its never going to happen

[surge]

It's going to be an expensive trip (massively, massively expensive for fans who want to do more than one game) but enlarging the tournament means fewer countries can host as individuals and more group efforts will be made. Do three teams now qualify as hosts? That seems wrong.

[Pearcey3]

Didnt they step in as late hosts in the 86 world cup?

Yep. Was it due to be held in Columbia? Not sure but the host nation had to pull out.

[tdob (in Toronto)]

It's going to be an expensive trip (massively, massively expensive for fans who want to do more than one game) but enlarging the tournament means fewer countries can host as individuals and more group efforts will be made. Do three teams now qualify as hosts? That seems wrong.

For CONCACAF, they just get less qualifying spots (so it doesn't impact any of the other federations). There are so many spots now I don't think it's a huge deal.

The qualifying spots are said to look like:
AFC (Asia) – eight places (up from 4.5)
Caf (Africa) – nine places (up from 5)
Concacaf (North and Central America) – six places, of which three go to hosts (up from 3.5)
Conmebol (South America) – six places (up from 4.5)
OFC (Oceania) – one place (up from 0.5)
Uefa (Europe) – 16 places (up from 13)

In addition there will be two final spots available from a new World Cup play-off mini-tournament.

https://www.theguardian.com/football...ll-work-united

Whats crazy is that with 48 teams we are looking at groups of 3 teams, with the top 2 advancing to the knockout stages. As the article states, that could lead to all kinds of scenarios as the schedule won't be balanced in the group (one team would be coming off playing a match playing a team that hasn't played yet). I do think more of a knockout stage is a good thing though.

[Badly Ironed Shirt]

This could well be the last ever tournament with a single host.

QATAR??

Oh yeah.... the BBC made the same mistake a while back, but plenty argued they were right and I was wrong.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43919120

[bobh]

I am serious.
Morroco have bid many times.
They are a wonderful people and the world cup scattered acroos thos e three countries is ludicrous.
Can you see South American countries sharing it?

It was never going to be Morroco just 4 years after Qatar.

[Harry Monk]

It was never going to be Morroco just 4 years after Qatar.

They're in different continents and about 7,000 miles apart. I'm sure if it had have gone to Morocco we wouldn't be saying Spain couldn't have it next.

[theclaw]

Does all three automatic qualify,if so let’s get in with England when they next apply.

[City123]

Someone sorted the groups based on current rankings, we'd have Canada & Burkina Faso!

[Rjk]

Concacaf 6 places?!
Aren't there only about 7 teams

[Croesy Blue]

Oh yeah.... the BBC made the same mistake a while back, but plenty argued they were right and I was wrong.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43919120

It literally says this in that link

Meanwhile, there are signs that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar may have to be widened to include other Middle Eastern nations after world governing body Fifa said it could expand that tournament from 32 to 48 teams.

[mazadona10]

Concacaf 6 places?!
Aren't there only about 7 teams

35 but only 7 in top 100
If anything it's Europe who should have a few more rather than Asia and concacaf.

[Michael Morris]

There's bound to be a couple of games at Metlife Stadium. Going to really try to get tickets for something.

The final is there. Just go to that one

[light up the darkness]

Does that mean each of the 3 countries qualify automatically as hosts

[Duggie]

Does that mean each of the 3 countries qualify automatically as hosts

Apparently they do, but there will be fewer teams qualifying from CONCACAF to account for it.

[light up the darkness]

Apparently they do, but there will be fewer teams qualifying from CONCACAF to account for it.

Thanks

Therein lies a solution to qualification for some other country groupings

Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines for example