Monday, August 28, 2023

CONCACAF Nations League 2023/24: 10.000 simulations (August 2023)

The upcoming September window starts a new edition of the CONCACAF Nations League. It will be the third edition and follows only one year after the previous one. It is used as qualification tournament for the Copa America 2024, the South American continental final tournament, which is in 2024 co-organized by CONCACAF (and hosted in the USA) and will be expanded to 16 teams, the 10 from CONMEBOL and 6 CONCACAF teams. It is still not clear if this is a one-off co-operation or the first of a real Americas Cup. Time will tell.

Saturday, August 26, 2023

FIFA ranking: September 2023 probable ranking

Here is the probable September 2023 ranking, to be published on Thursday September 21st. In the upcoming September window matches for the following tournaments will be played:

- the final match day in African Nations Cup 2023 qualification. Of the 24 berths for the final tournament in January next year in Cote d'Ivoire 16 are already decided, still 8 to go;

- the CONCACAF Nations League 2024 group stage starts with match days 1 and 2;

- match days 5 and 6 of qualification for EURO 2024;

- qualification for the World Cup 2026 starts, this time in South America with match days 1 and 2 in the group;

- lots of friendlies, featuring f.i. most Asian teams and the top 4 CONCACAF teams that got a bye to the league A quarter finals in November.

FIFA ranking: September 2023 probable results

Here are the probable results of all 180 played and currently scheduled matches up to and including September 17th, used to calculate the September 2023 probable ranking. The results are generated using elo ratings. Also the already played matches since July 17th, (probably) counting for the September ranking, are presented.

Saturday, August 19, 2023

Qualification World Cup 2026 10.000 simulations (August 2023)

The qualification tournaments for the World Cup 2026 start this September window in South America, in October in Asia and in November in Africa. Next year's March sees the first qualification matches in CONCACAF while UEFA only starts in March 2025. For OFC the qualification format and schedule is unknown yet.


The World Cup 2026 in USA, Mexico and Canada has been expanded from 32 to 48 berths. Here is the distribution of berths amongst the confederations:

 

direct slots

 

play-off slots

Confederation

2026

2022

growth

2026

2022

AFC

8

5

60%

1

1

CAF

9

5

80%

1

0

CONCACAF

6

3

100%

2

1

CONMEBOL

6

4

50%

1

1

OFC

1

0

-

1

1

UEFA

16

13

23%

0

0

 

 

 

 

total

46

30

53%

6

4