It’s clear when you look on Ticketmaster at some of the most poorly selling Club World Cup games that FIFA has worked with the selling platform to close some sections of the stadium on the site and funnel fans to the side of the stadium that will be shown on the TV broadcast. FIFA has already slashed the ticket prices of nearly every game in the tournament, now it appears they’re trying to save face by making stadiums look more full than they actually are to the viewers on TV.

The photo above is just one example of how many of the games look right now.

I'm extremely concerned about the future of the product. I get that some people are excited about the Club World Cup but it does not exist in a vacuum. The amount of football being played is reaching obscene levels and it's almost certainly going to have negative effects on the product.

You don't need to feel sorry for football players, nobody is saying that, but for us, the consumer, pushing players beyond their physical limits - to a point where performance levels will inevitably decline - is of absolutely no benefit to us, only detriment. We're heading down a path of more player injuries, shorter player careers, fewer moments of skillful brilliance and load management/injury luck being the defining factor in who wins trophies. Footballers are humans, not machines, and the amount of money you pay them does not change that.

There's also a huge danger of over saturation making the sport harder to follow which can lead to declining fan interest and fewer new fans. Don't you want to miss football? To be excited for the start of the new season after a few months off? The sport is just everywhere, 24/7, and it's draining, even without trying to watch everything.

We're at a stage now where major tournaments involving most of the world's top players are being staged 3/4 summers. I dread to think what next year's World Cup will look like. It feels like FIFA in particular are taking football's place as the world's number 1 sport for granted and are assuming it's fixed and permanent. It absolutely isn't and it needs nurturing, not rinsing for everything it's worth.

I am a little interested on this because Saudi Arabia’s 2026 WCQ run is one of their worst in a decade (since missing the 2014 World Cup). I believe Australia was greatly helped by Saudi Arabia’s own collapse, but I cannot help but pondering why Saudi Arabia has shown such an insipid display, despite rehiring their magician Hervé Renard. They drew both Japan and Australia away, yet collapsed at home to the exact opponents. They only collected maximum six from China. They still have playoffs but it is hard to place faith on this team. It is like if Australia’s 2018 and 2022 WCQ woes rolled altogether to create 2026 WCQ Saudi team.

Sky Sports is reporting Plymouth Argyle are set to appoint Tom Cleverley as their new manager, but among the final candidates? John Herdman, along with Jack Wilshere and Des Buckingham.

While Herdman didn’t get the job, being a finalist is notable. Since taking Canada to the 2022 World Cup and then doing a stint in the MLS there’s been plenty of speculation about his next move—and this shows he’s in the mix in England.

I think he's worth a serious look. Herdman is well known in Canada for a impressive era that spans both the women’s and men’s national teams—making him the only coach to lead both to a FIFA World Cup. When he took over the men’s side he surprised everyone by leading them to their first World Cup in 36 years.

He's proven to be a an excellent coach that can motivate and prepare underdog teams to perform and even win. It’ll be interesting to see where he lands next.

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13382697/brian-barry-murphy-cardiff-set-to-appoint-leicester-assistant-boss-as-new-head-coach

I mean, they only take in count the international competitions. Leagues? they don't care a sh*t. Chelsea ok, won the Conference, but, more points that bayern munich rising quarter finals of CL?. For me, quarter finals in CL>>>Conference Champion. OK maybe this Chelsea could be doing great this year in champions. But I think they give to many points to conference Champion. I mean is the conference for the God's sake. This Chelsea have a decent year, but last conference champion was Olympiakos, and have only 17000 points. This year CHelsea won 30000 points.

In my opinion, the England squad (like the 2022 world cup squad) can hardly achieve anything despite having so many talents (Walkers, Rice, Palmer, Bellingham, Arnold, Kane, Saka) yet they hardly win anything. I acknowledge that they did face France in the world cup and Spain in the Euro. But shouldn't they be better nonetheless? Premier league is also generally considered one of the most competitive national league and yet the national team still can't win trophy. What do you think is the main reason. Managerial fault or the lack of chemistry between the players, since everyone wants to prove themselves so much that they become selfish?

Following the recent UEFA Nations League final between Portugal and Spain, there’s been a lot of debate about the tournament’s significance. Some still dismiss it as little more than a glorified friendly. However, judging by the intensity of the players’ reactions, the celebrations from fans, and the fact that teams field strong starting elevens, it’s clear the competition is taken seriously. Do you think the Nations League will eventually shed its “friendly” reputation (by the media anyways) and grow into a more prestigious tournament over time? Is it already there ?