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The Socceroos' job of qualifying for future World Cups may have got slightly easier, while New Zealand could soon become a near-permanent fixture in FIFA's showpiece finals.
Proposed qualifier format:
- Europe: 16 teams (up from 13)
- Asia: Eight (up from four and a play-off spot)
- Oceania: one (up from a play-off spot)
- Africa: Nine (up from five)
- South America: six (up from four and a play-off spot)
- CONCACAF: six (up from three and a play-off spot)
FIFA has announced a proposed slot allocation for an expanded 48-team World Cup, including an automatic place for Oceania (New Zealand's federation), 16 places for Europe — up from 13 — and a six-team inter-zonal playoff tournament for two more spots.
Football's global governing body says the proposals will be submitted to the FIFA Council at its next full meeting in Bahrain in May for a final decision.
Under the proposal made by the FIFA Bureau for the enlarged tournament beginning in 2026, Europe would get 16 places, Africa nine, Asia eight, South America six, CONCACAF six and Oceania one, totalling 46 teams.
In Asia's current format, the top two teams from Group A and B of the third round of qualifying progress, while the two third-placed teams in each group face off in a two-legged decider, before playing in an inter-confederation play-off.
The new format will see the current four teams (plus a possible play-off winner) expanded to eight, meaning Australia's hopes of featuring in future World Cups just got a whole lot rosier.
The increased likelihood of seeing Australia and New Zealand in those World Cups also boosts the chances of a possible trans-Tasman match-up in the World Cup group stages, though that would always be at the mercy of the World Cup draw itself.
But the complexities of the new qualification format don't stop there. Firstly, the host nation would qualify automatically and its slot would be taken from the allocation of its confederation.
For example, if England (in the UEFA federation) hosted the 2026 tournament, it would mean one less UEFA contestant could qualify.
So the federations add up to 46 places. Who gets the other two?
For fans of mini international tournaments, you could be in for a treat with a new six-team play-off tournament set to decide the two remaining spots for qualification.
The tournament would take place in the World Cup host nation, possibly in the November before the finals.
The tournament would include one team from each confederation — except UEFA — and an extra one from the continent of the host country.
FIFA decided in January to increase the tournament from 32 teams to 48.
ABC/Reuters
Topics: soccer-world-cup, soccer, sport, switzerland