discussion FIFA WC 2026

[Stingray33]

Ok , i know some people dont like football but i was going to talk about money. It all over the media about prices but the transport cost yesterday to get from New York city to the stadium was shocking , i know a Scot who said he was going , and had estiimated approx £15,000 for there three group games.
I stopped buying football merchandise a few yrs back and i went to only 1 live league game last year

 

[Bugatti Fan]

The sport (if you can call it that these days) is over run with money grabbing people all around it.
Premium sporting events being grabbed up by pay channels to watch (not only football I might add).
Well overpriced football merchandise costing very little to have made like shirts and kit that seems to change almost every year being sold as 'must haves' for fans to be made to feel out dated if they don't buy the latest.
Prima donna footballers getting paid wages in line with their inflated egos and using agents to negotiate for them and taking a hefty percentage.
I mean, rolling up with holdall bags costing thousands as an image portrayal. (Good luck to the bag makers for taking full advantage.)
The on field play acting when a player gets a slight knock and rolling over as if pole axed. Guy Ritchie could make a fantastic movie about the antics on and off the field.
Commentators using the expression about a player 'winning a foul' instead of the opposing team being awarded a foul against them.
VAR. Slowing the flow of a game down constantly to double check infringements because there is so much money at stake depending on the outcome of the game. How soon will it be before games get refereed by an AI controlled Terminator like humanoid robot constantly linked to a series of VAR cameras that will make decisions in milliseconds ?

This current World Cup. Why, oh why does the competition need to be in stadiums hundreds and thousands of miles apart in three countries ? The nations taking part can afford to ship teams on masse around three countries but the logistics costs to normal supporters is horrendous, and that is on top of expensive ticket prices ! The UK has not had the tournament since 1966 and we appear to keep losing out on bringing the World Cup competition here again.
We have some fabulous stadiums in the UK that have been built since 1966.
Wembley rebuilt. The Millenium Stadium in Cardiff, West Ham's ex Olympic Stadium from 2012, The Etihad that was originally built for the Commonwealth Games, Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, Spurs new stadium to name but a few. There are a number of other slightly smaller newish club stadiums stadiums, so the UK could host the World Cup quite easily.
As for convincing FIFA? Another hurdle to surmount when one considers who seems to get awarded ! Who would have thought that Quatar would have been chosen instead of an established footballing nation when it was. Good job the World Cup was not taking place over there right now under present circumstances.

 

[LeytonO]

I don't think any football fan thinks the London Olympic stadium could be described as fabulous.
Presumably some of the recent choices have been to encourage the growth of football in the host countries.
Financial inducements may have played their part too if the rumours are to be believed.

 

[Neil]

Well, even if they did England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales together (which would open a whole can of worms about a British side) would never get it awarded with Blatter in charge. Infantino is the same - hates the Brits, will never award it here. That said, it would cost a bloody fortune, and we're broken enough.

 

[Bugatti Fan]

Disagree Neil. It wouldn't cost a fortune on real terms. We already have numerous good stadiums to stage the World Cup thanks to investment both at national level (Wembley, Murrayfield and Millenium), legacy stadiums like the Etihad and Olympic that were repurposed after the Commonwalth and Olympic Games plus all the other newish stadiums built for different clubs all over the UK.
Added to which the enormous influx of money that the competition would bring into the UK, especially for the hospitality and tourism industries. It must not be forgotten that outside the competition the UK has so much to offer overseas visitors who I am certain would take the opportunity to extend their visit to take on many of the interesting and really historical places to visit. That is where the UK and other European countries have a great advantage over places like the USA being a relatively young country, and newly built middle eastern states.

 

[minitnkr]

.....please don't get me started on money sports. $600US for a regular season seat to see a Bills game with out of sight concession prices. Look up Banana Ball, $60 a seat for a whole afternoon of family entertainment w/all-U-can eat concessions at reasonable prices. His business plan includes "nobody wants to leave before the end of play".