World Cup 2026...........'draw'....

I thought we had decided not to enter the Eurovision!?!?!

Not the worst draw, not the best, compared to some you'd take it. Heath being taken in to consideration unlike 94. England for a change have a bit of a stinker. There'll be a good few suprises this WC, Germany could be vulnerable more than normal. Not unexpected but there will be some poor group games. Lopes will be liking that draw getting to play Spain, just keep fit for the summer lad. It does feel a bit off talking about groups we havent confirmed but as long as no Irish person has toouched the trophy i'll set the superstition aside.

How did we ever manage to get someone worse than Blatter leading FIFA, peace prizes and YMCA, dandcing Don, it was like a blooper reel from Police Academy.

When you see those groups, you realize the amount of dross that will be there. No doubt it will throw up a few surprises and some classic games (like Qatar WC did) but it is hard to pick a true group of death out of that one.

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Originally Posted by SkStu

When you see those groups, you realize the amount of dross that will be there. No doubt it will throw up a few surprises and some classic games (like Qatar WC did) but it is hard to pick a true group of death out of that one.

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Biggest shock of all, not even Scotland could find a way not to get out of their group!

Groups I and L probably the most interesting ones in terms of big hitters. There are a good few groups that would be equally mediocre so will be interesting in a different way.

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Originally Posted by SkStu

When you see those groups, you realize the amount of dross that will be there. No doubt it will throw up a few surprises and some classic games (like Qatar WC did) but it is hard to pick a true group of death out of that one.

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True, the two groups below are probably the highest in quality. Norway are flying it at the minute so it’ll be interesting to see if they can get 2nd place ahead of Senegal.

Group I
France
Senegal
Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname
Norway

Group L
England
Croatia
Ghana
Panama

Even group L is a bit of a stretch to be honest, Ghana aren’t half the side they once were.

Would be a fun group if we qualified, would be good to not play any other European teams for a change. Tough draw for Scotland, but maybe having Haiti in there might save them, they could have gotten Italy as the Pot 4 team, which would have been a proper group of death. Knowing them they'll still find a way to get knocked out early.

France/Norway/Senegal/Bolivia probably the closest to a group of death.

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Dear lord that was a slow death

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The RTÉ coverage was due to finish at 6:50 (I think BBC was the same) but it went on until 7:20. That's amateur hour stuff.

Controversial opinion here, but seeing the draw, I'm looking forward to the 48-team competition (sorry Stu!). Scotland v Haiti, Curacao v Germany, Spain v Cabo Verde (Pico Lopes will be delighted I'm sure), Argentina v Jordan, Portugal v Uzbekistan (that's a banana skin if Ronaldo is still playing) - it looks fascinating.

France will have nightmares about Senegal, and Norway in the group too. Poor Scotland get their 1998 group again, though with Haiti instead of Norway.

Can't see any of the big teams going out in the groups, but there's interesting games in there all the same. Just hope we're in there too.

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Originally Posted by 2 Year Contract

True, the two groups below are probably the highest in quality. Norway are flying it at the minute so it’ll be interesting to see if they can get 2nd place ahead of Senegal.

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They could challenge France for first I think. They're a serious team at the moment; they should be looking at the quarters at least. Senegal could help them as Senegal v France is an us v England game.

For what it's worth, using the world rankings as a guide, the three Pot 1 to Pot 3 teams that Ireland's playoff path was drawn with are ranked the lowest of the 12 groups (average ranking for the three teams is 33). In other words, it's about the best possible draw we could have gotten if we do go on to qualify.

ROUND OF 32
Runner up group A v Runner up group B
(B: Switzerland or UEFA A [Italy, Wales, Bosnia or N. Ireland].)
ROUND OF 16 v Group F winner or Group C runner up
(F: Netherlands or UEFA B [Ukraine, Sweden, Poland or Albania] v C: Morocco or Scotland.)

OR
ROUND OF 32
Winner A v 3rd Group C/E/F/H/I
ROUND OF 16 v Winner L or 3rd Group E/H/I/J/K
(L: England, Croatia or Ghana or ...)

OR
3rd Group A...!


Glass half full for UEFA Path D winner as Group A runner up:
Round of 16:
1. Germany v France
2. UEFA D v Netherlands

3. Croatia v Spain
4. USA or UEFA C [Turkey, Slovakia, Kosovo, or Romania] v Belgium

5. Brazil v Ecuador/Ivory Coast/Norway/Senegal
6. Mexico v England

7. Argentina v Egypt
8. Switzerland v Portugal

Getting into that group is going to be tougher than getting out of it.

Pretty decent draw for us IF we get through the playoffs

Sure lads, we’re goin to win the feckin thing.

Some pretty ludicrous match timings for Ireland's games if we qualify - 3am Irish time for the South Korea game and 2am for the Mexico game. I don't remember the timings being anything like as bad as that at USA 94. Buth then there were only half as many teams.

In the 24 team and 32 team World Cups I have always tried to watch as many games as possible because it's only once every four years. But a combination of the sheer numbers of teams and games, the lack of quality of some of the qualifying countries and the awful timings will mean I will be only be watching games a lot more selectively here regardless of whether Ireland end up qualifying or not.

It almost feels a bit more like the Olympics where there's far too much sport to watch so you end up just watching certain games/events of interest to the part of the world you are from. But it does dilute the meaningfulness of the group stages a lot I think - very few decent teams are going to be knocked out in the group stages of this World Cup. Arguably the tournament will only seriously start at the round of 32.

I like night duty, most dont, I will very graciously volunteer to work those nights and hope they are quiet so chill in a staffroom in front of the tv. We'll robably suffer after with a load of injured drunken people that have been in the pub from before midnight to almost 5am in case anone thinks any health service staff always have the feet up!!

The earlier ko in the US in 94 meant playing Mexico for one KO 12 midday I think. Stan was burnt before the anthem finished. Throwing knotted bags of water was pretty new thinking at the time. No water breaks so just a stop in play, not water bottles so refs couldnt do a whole lot if a player was holding a sandwich bag filled with water.

Im still quite indifferent about getting there after that absolute shambles yesterday. I never held FIFA in much esteem like many, but they plumbed new depths. Even if I were a tiny bit supportive of Trump it will sicken to see him in the middle of everything, nabbing the trophy during the final winner presentation. Its bothered me more than it should listening to Infantino and the whole pure tone deaf bs bootlicking grotesque charade.

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Originally Posted by Eirambler

Some pretty ludicrous match timings for Ireland's games if we qualify - 3am Irish time for the South Korea game and 2am for the Mexico game. I don't remember the timings being anything like as bad as that at USA 94. Buth then there were only half as many teams.

In the 24 team and 32 team World Cups I have always tried to watch as many games as possible because it's only once every four years. But a combination of the sheer numbers of teams and games, the lack of quality of some of the qualifying countries and the awful timings will mean I will be only be watching games a lot more selectively here regardless of whether Ireland end up qualifying or not.

It almost feels a bit more like the Olympics where there's far too much sport to watch so you end up just watching certain games/events of interest to the part of the world you are from. But it does dilute the meaningfulness of the group stages a lot I think - very few decent teams are going to be knocked out in the group stages of this World Cup. Arguably the tournament will only seriously start at the round of 32.

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There will be 48 nations in the tournament, its being played in time zones 4 - 8 hours behind "Irish time" . Games are timed to suit the location they are played in, not Ireland or any other nation. I'd do think 48 teams is far too many will be a significant amount of games of little interest to the neutral fan in the the early stages

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Originally Posted by Neish

There will be 48 nations in the tournament, its being played in time zones 4 - 8 hours behind "Irish time" . Games are timed to suit the location they are played in, not Ireland or any other nation. I'd do think 48 teams is far too many will be a significant amount of games of little interest to the neutral fan in the the early stages

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This isn't actually the case at all. They took two days to work out the fixtures for TV so that they suited certain nations in other parts of the world other than the host nations. Among European teams France, Germany and England have all been handed better kickoff times for TV viewers in those countries and the Italy playoff path has been looked after too, presumably in the expectation of accommodating another big TV audience in the form of Italy. Whereas the smaller TV audiences like Ireland's playoff path teams, Scotland and Austria have been given whatever times are left. It would be a mistake to think that this is some kind of coincidence - this has all been carefully planned to suit FIFA and their sponsors around the world.

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Originally Posted by Eirambler

This isn't actually the case at all. They took two days to work out the fixtures for TV so that they suited certain nations in other parts of the world other than the host nations. Among European teams France, Germany and England have all been handed better kickoff times for TV viewers in those countries and the Italy playoff path has been looked after too, presumably in the expectation of accommodating another big TV audience in the form of Italy. Whereas the smaller TV audiences like Ireland's playoff path teams, Scotland and Austria have been given whatever times are left. It would be a mistake to think that this is some kind of coincidence - this has all been carefully planned to suit FIFA and their sponsors around the world.

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That is the preference for winning groups and world rankings, UEFA Playoff patch C have probably worse kickoff time than Ireland in path D(IF we get through playoffs) . Handful of Asian & African nations playing at (local) times as bad if not worse than . Ireland. FIFA will be looking to maximise viewership and potential revenue from advertising etc, a small 4 million populated nations who has yet to quaify if way down their priorities list.

When World cup payed in Europe the rest of the world has to get up early or stay on late to watch games, I'll be delighted if we qualify a first world cup in almost 35 years and early kick off times will be of little worry

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Originally Posted by Neish

That is the preference for winning groups and world rankings, UEFA Playoff patch C have probably worse kickoff time than Ireland in path D(IF we get through playoffs) . Handful of Asian & African nations playing at (local) times as bad if not worse than . Ireland. FIFA will be looking to maximise viewership and potential revenue from advertising etc, a small 4 million populated nations who has yet to quaify if way down their priorities list.

When World cup payed in Europe the rest of the world has to get up early or stay on late to watch games, I'll be delighted if we qualify a first world cup in almost 35 years and early kick off times will be of little worry

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No,. it's the preference for having a big domestic TV audience, as shown by Italy's playoff path getting much more viewer friendly kickoff times than the others.

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Originally Posted by Eirambler

No,. it's the preference for having a big domestic TV audience, as shown by Italy's playoff path getting much more viewer friendly kickoff times than the others.

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Exactly why should UEFA cater to a country of less than 5 million when Italy has a population of almost 60 million? Far more interest in Italy games from the neutral viewer too

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Originally Posted by Neish

Exactly why should UEFA cater to a country of less than 5 million when Italy has a population of almost 60 million? Far more interest in Italy games from the neutral viewer too

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I'm responding to your previous post where you said:

"Games are timed to suit the location they are played in, not Ireland or any other nation."

You're basically arguing with yourself at this point, so I'll leave you to it...

I’m pretty sure it’s both. Scheduled to suit the local markets in the host countries and, where possible, timed to appease some of the bigger countries.