It shouldn’t surprise anyone that we now have at least one report that CONCACAF wants a bigger Gold Cup. CAF may also be reconsidering the size of the Cup of Nations. Even if these reports prove inaccurate, the push for more is hardly a surprise. FIFA leads the way, stressing more with their approval of an expanded World Cup.
The day after FIFA voted in favor of their plan for 2026, is it worth asking what happens if there’s more of everything? UEFA has already set the standard, adding games whenever and wherever they can. Spreading games around the international window rather than having set match days was a European initiative. The move away from friendlies is their latest innovation. It’s as if soccer realizes the world has a shortage of soccer games and they’re stepping in with all of their available inventory while cranking up production.
Basic market theory can explain how this ends, but soccer in particular and sports in general are immune from market conditions. Well, at least the negative market forces that tend to act on everything else. That’s the bigger message FIFA and the rest of world soccer is sending. There can never be enough. The public will always demand more.
Bloomberg’s Tariq Panja reports that there might be a joint North American bid to host the 2026 World Cup. SI.com’s Grant Wahl isn’t a fan of FIFA’s plan for World Cup expansion. Paste’s Richard Whittall considers the bigger message FIFA may be sending by adding teams to the tournament. The Daily Mail’s Martin Samuel highlights some of the potential games the 2026 format might offer.
MLSsoccer.com’s Sam Stejskal talks to Seattle GM Garth Lagerwey about planning for 2017 without knowing the status of Clint Dempsey. The Guardian’s Kristan Heneage assesses David Beckham’s influence on MLS a decade after he officially joined the league. FC Yahoo!’s Leander Schaerlaeckens also looks at Beckham’s legacy in MLS. The St Louis Post-Dispatch’s Mike Faulk and Koran Addo report that the city’s MLS bid won’t be getting public funds for their stadium plan. The Boston Globe’s Shirley Leung asks if the New England Revolution stadium plan in Dorchester is already over.
Eurosport’s Miguel Delaney looks at Manchester United’s Premier League winning streak.
NEWS: A knee issue has forced goalkeeper @BillHamid28 to withdraw from #USMNT #JanuaryCamp: https://t.co/aTyf8hnIGm pic.twitter.com/4Yai9p5sUm
— U.S. Soccer (@ussoccer) January 10, 2017
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