Teams you would like to see in the World Cup (Back or for the first time)

Luke1995

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About 20 years ago there was a major shift towards trying to produce more technically proficient players rather than our usual athletic approach with a focus on the mentally tough. Each WC FIFA does a technical report for every team for every age group or sex. The common theme was FIFAs technical report referring to NZ teams as being hard working and determined but never once was there any mention of technical ability.
We also benefitted from the connections started by former Aberdeen Goalkeeper Bobby Clarke who had spent a year as the coach of the mens National team but never got to manage any games. He went to the USA at college level and helped get a number of younger NZ players college scholarships. Ryan Nelsen being the most notable player who ended up captaining Blackburn Rovers in the EPl.
The change to a technical focus in coaching of kids and youth means that right now the current mens National team is arguably our most talented but the yearly problem of meaningful games for the National team makes it hard for them to get any traction.
So we are getting better from a technical position but still someway from being a top 50 nation etc. Our best players are now playing professionally all over the planet but our local domestic competitions are still relatively weak.
That's very interesting, man.

How far are you guys from catching up to Australia's level for example ?

And I know it will never happen, but could New Zealand do well if they went into the european qualifiers ?
 

Luke1995

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I've heard about two good indian players. They are Sunil Chhetri who once played for the Sporting reserve team and Abneet Bharti who has been playing in europe for a while.
 

meamth

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Being Malaysian...I would love to see a South East Asian world cup.

The host would be Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, and Indonesia. Ridiculous, I know, but it would be massive.

Would like to see how world class players adapt to the humidity and temperature.
 

Hoof the ball

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We have tactical fouls, but actually I'd like to see the return of tactical handballs to blatantly prevent clear goalscoring opportunities.

Much like the one Brazil did here in the 1958 WC final

 

Lay

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I would really like to see Zambia in a Fifa Word Cup Finals tournament. Out of the countries in the Southern African subcontinental region, only South Africa and Angola have participated. Such a shame.

Senegal have a decent squad nowadays, so hopefully they can qualify for Qatar 2022, 20 years after they shocked Zizou and Co.

I wonder if Venezuela will ever appear on the World stage. Can't be easy being the only team from your confederation never to have qualified.
Senegal were in 2018 and didn’t make it out the group
 

VP89

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I'd also love to see that.

Every Indian I've ever met loves football, it's baffling to me how the the national team are so bad. I know cricket is number 1 by a mile but there's a billion people there!
It is very frustrating - the India captain came out on twitter some time ago to beg Indians to support the team. He even said he'll take shouts and abuse if they play crap, as long as they just turn up to encourage and talk about the game.

Indian cricketer, Virat Kohli then backed him up in pleading fans to support the country in football.
 

Lay

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Doesn’t help when India lose to Guam. There is a lot of love for football in India though
 

Stack

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That's very interesting, man.

How far are you guys from catching up to Australia's level for example ?

And I know it will never happen, but could New Zealand do well if they went into the european qualifiers ?
I doubt we can ever catch Australia, we just never get enough international games. Our current squad is capable of beating them but in a set of 5 games we would win 1, draw 1 and lose 3. In European qualifiers I would think we would be a team that might finish 3rd or 4th out of a group. I think 2 years ago we would have given Scotland a close game if that helps with our level. Our best 11 are reasonably decent but we lack depth. If we keep trying to improve our players technical abilities we might see more depth.
 

Lay

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I doubt we can ever catch Australia, we just never get enough international games. Our current squad is capable of beating them but in a set of 5 games we would win 1, draw 1 and lose 3. In European qualifiers I would think we would be a team that might finish 3rd or 4th out of a group. I think 2 years ago we would have given Scotland a close game if that helps with our level. Our best 11 are reasonably decent but we lack depth. If we keep trying to improve our players technical abilities we might see more depth.
Any chance of New Zealand trying to go to the Asian qualifiers like Australia did? It helped them massively become a very competent team.

With all due respect I don’t get what New Zealand learn from playing Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea etc
 

Luke1995

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I doubt we can ever catch Australia, we just never get enough international games. Our current squad is capable of beating them but in a set of 5 games we would win 1, draw 1 and lose 3. In European qualifiers I would think we would be a team that might finish 3rd or 4th out of a group. I think 2 years ago we would have given Scotland a close game if that helps with our level. Our best 11 are reasonably decent but we lack depth. If we keep trying to improve our players technical abilities we might see more depth.
It appears that the more the players go to europe, the more they improve. But any foreign experience could be good. Don't think there is a market for players from New Zealand in places like Asia or South America yet though.
 

Luke1995

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I would like to see Bulgaria again.
We set the world on fire in mid 90's. Before that we had a good run of 4 WC qualifications in a row or so.

Unfortunately football here has been on the decline dramatically with insanely corrupt leaders, corrupt league and also - no desire for success whatsoever from the young footballers.
They are absolutely content with playing in embarrassing league and making idiots out of themselves in the national team as long as they get their wages. Most of the population has been alienated from the stadiums.
We used to have players in every top league and produced legends like Asparuhov, Balakov, Penev, Kostadinov, Stoitchkov, Stan Petrov, Berbatov..
Now our very best footballers barely look like average Northampton players.
The last guy that got a sniff of the Premier league was Tonev, who had a laughable spell at Aston Villa.
Well, Japan had next to no football development in the 80's and from the 90's onwards improved massively.

Maybe Bulgaria is in a similar situation right now, in the sense that all the development that came before has been lost. But don't lose hope.

It has, indeed, produced some wonderful players. Will never forget Berbatov's quality.
 

Stack

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Any chance of New Zealand trying to go to the Asian qualifiers like Australia did? It helped them massively become a very competent team.

With all due respect I don’t get what New Zealand learn from playing Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea etc
We are part of Oceania confederation and those are teams we have to play. We cant leave Oceania, FIFA wont let us. However on the positive side it means that we get our age group mens and womens u17s, u20s and Olympic teams to wolrd cups and Olympics every time which has helped massively with our player development. So its 6 of 1 and half a dozen of the other.
 

Stack

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It appears that the more the players go to europe, the more they improve. But any foreign experience could be good. Don't think there is a market for players from New Zealand in places like Asia or South America yet though.
We have players all over the place. A bunch in Australia, a few in South Africa, a bunch in the US at both college and MLS level, as well as a group in Europe. 20 years ago it was just a few players in Australia and the MLS
 

Teja

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One of my life's sporting dreams is to see India play in the world cup. As long as it happens sometime before I kick the bucket!

The interest is there - viewership figures have been going nuts and the U-17 WC (where India played) had millions of viewers. Infrastructure is being built out as well, albeit still very much just in the major metros.

I'm an optimist, so I'm going to assume it will happen at some point in the next 20 years but lets see!
 

P-Nut

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Think they are always better when more of the home nations qualify. To have the full set of 5 at a world Cup would be nice.

Beyond that some of the African teams are always nice to have at a world Cup, Cameroon and Nigeria usually the stand outs.

Jamaica to have a Caribbean side there would be nice and then some small nations with stand out players like Norway with Odegaard and Haaland
 

Oranges038

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DR Congo (Zaire), just because of the below free-kick, which originally looks very funny, I remember laughing at this quit a bit When I saw it first. Apparently these guys were either threatened with imprisonment or death if they lost by more than 3. But wouldn't it be great to see them back without threats hanging over them.

 

Ramos

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Jamaica. That was wild when they participated in 98.
 

Luke1995

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How is the development of football in China these days ? As far as chinese players go. I know that alot of foreign players have been playing in their league. But what about their national team and youth players ?
 

Lay

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We are part of Oceania confederation and those are teams we have to play. We cant leave Oceania, FIFA wont let us. However on the positive side it means that we get our age group mens and womens u17s, u20s and Olympic teams to wolrd cups and Olympics every time which has helped massively with our player development. So its 6 of 1 and half a dozen of the other.
Why were Australia allowed to move?
 

Ramos

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What's the best team that has never qualified anyway? Venezuela? Finland? Uzbekistan?
 

rcoobc

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They did it a long time ago, successfully lobbied and got to leave. that doors now been closed
Has it? Always rumours of New Zealand joining South America.

New Zealand and Australia being in different confederations is insane. Oceania needs to be absorbed by Asia
 

Spiersey

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How is the development of football in China these days ? As far as chinese players go. I know that alot of foreign players have been playing in their league. But what about their national team and youth players ?
Youth teams are improving a lot, probably won't be too long until they have a golden gen of some sorts. Coaching at a very young age is improving a lot over there. National team is being boosted currently by a couple naturalised players as well as trying to integrate the likes of Yennaris and Browning due to Chinese ancestors. That's probably the more likely route for them long term really as those players will always have higher quality coaching with being in Europe from a young age. These players going to China will be way more common over next couple years with the new salary cap as the quality of foreign players will drop so SIPG/Guaon/Evergrande will be trying to get as many good 'local' players as possible. Not sure that will benefit their development but China weren't letting them play for the national team unless they moved to China. Not sure if that stance has softened yet though, they just change their mind as they go to try and reach goals earlier.
 

rcoobc

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I'd like to see an Africa Vs Europe Vs Asia-Oceana Vs Pan- America competition.
 

Stack

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Has it? Always rumours of New Zealand joining South America.

New Zealand and Australia being in different confederations is insane. Oceania needs to be absorbed by Asia
That would be perfect if it were to happen but I have long given up on that dream
 

rcoobc

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That would be perfect if it were to happen but I have long given up on that dream
Needs to happen.

If South and North America merge, and Asia and Oceania merge, all 4 confederations will have 50-60 national teams.

Of course they'll be wildly different in terms of population sizes, but still, each confederation would have 50-60 national teams. Who do Mexico have more in common with, Colombia or Canada? Who does New Zealand have more in common with Australia or Tonga?

You can still have the Gold Cup and the Copa America, just have them in Year 1 then the Copa Panamerica in Year 2 of the 4 year cycle. Likewise you could have an Oceania Cup, an Arab Nations Cup, etc in Year 1 followed by the Asian Cup in Year 2.

The argument against merging Asia and Oceania and North and South America has always been it's logistically impossible to get all those teams and clubs flying across the the globe. But you can have sub groups before the big ticket events.