They had to play off when qualification was for a 24, then 32 team WC. Now it is being expanded Oceana will get a guaranteed place.
I look forward to the first WC when New Zealand are there as Oceana winners (beating the Solomon Islands to qualify) and Australia fail to qualify against...
Effectively, you are advocating scrapping the confederations?
Just keep merging them, into massive super-confederations? It means the likes of New Zealand and other smaller nations would never qualify for the WC, which would be shit.
FIFA's remit is to govern and develop the game globally. Do you think that development of the game in New Zealand, and those 'barely inhabited islands' is going to be accelerated by removing the best side, and only nation with a functioning professional league? Should Mexico be able to join the...
No idea, I'm afraid.
I do know that (like the Olympics) the football at the Asian Games, is an U23 competition (Alireza is not that), but they are allowed a couple of over-aged players.
Bloody hope not.
Australia won't be in the Asian Games, because Australia is not in Asia.
(Australia IS in the FIFA Asia Cup, as Australia IS in FIFA's Asia confederation, because FIFA are spineless pricks and allowed them to 'choose' federations to ease World Cup qualification)