The World Cup draw is usually a spectacle. This time, FIFA hopes bigger is better

NEW YORK (AP) — A record 64 nations will be in Friday’s World Cup draw, more than 30% of FIFA’s members, as soccer’s leaders insist a bigger tournament is better.

FIFA expanded the field from 32 teams to 48, and just 42 spots have been determined going into the convoluted ceremony in which balls representing nations are plucked from bowls and assigned to groups per rules that restrict who goes where. Twenty-two teams in Friday’s draw are headed to playoffs that determine the final six berths on March 31.

There will be 104 games instead of 64 in the World Cup running from June 11 through July 19 at 16 venues throughout North America. Seventy-eight games will be at 11 NFL stadiums, including all from the quarterfinals on, and 13 each in Mexico and Canada. The final is at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where there will be a halftime show for the first time.

In addition to 12 group winners and second-place nations, eight third-place teams advance to a new round of 32. The World Cup winner will play eight games.

“I’ve always thought that what FIFA should do is do it like the Final Four and do 64 teams with no groups, just a knockout,” said Alan Rothenberg, the head organizer of the 1994 World Cup in the U.S., comparing soccer with the NCAA basketball tournament.

Led by captain Lionel Messi, who turns 39 during the tournament, Argentina seeks to become the first nation to win consecutive World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Messi and Portugal’s 40-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo are expected to play in a record sixth World Cup.

At least four countries have qualified for the first time

Cape Verde (ranked No. 68), Curaçao (82), Jordan (66) and Uzbekistan (50) have qualified for the first time and four playoff teams could become debutantes: Albania (63), Kosovo (80), New Caledonia (149) and Suriname (123).

Curaçao, an autonomous territory of about 156,000 people within the Netherlands kingdom, is the smallest nation by population to qualify,

Haiti is in for the first time since 1974 and Austria, Norway and Scotland for the first time since 1998.

“I’m a little bit worried,” said former U.S. goalkeeper Kasey Keller, now an ESPN analyst. “We talked about it when they expanded from 24 that it was going to leave some teams that got into the World Cup that weren’t quite at the level, and now expanding it to 48 I think you’re looking at some teams that are going to really struggle.”

World Cup ticket prices are setting records

FIFA has set record initial prices of up to $6,730 for a ticket along with as much as $175 for a parking place and $73,200 for a hospitality package — up from $25 to $475 for the 1994 tournament in the U.S.

Almost 2 million tickets among what is expected to be more than 6 million have been sold, the governing body said.

“I’m not sure that FIFA’s number one goal is to grow the sport in America,” former U.S. goalkeeper Tony Meola said. “I always hate that people miss out on this because they get priced out of it.”

Ticket holders who require visas to enter the U.S. have been promised priority appointment scheduling by the U.S. government.

High temperatures could be an issue at some US venues

A key could be whether teams are drawn to play in open-air stadiums where summer heat could be a factor. Only four of the 11 U.S. World Cup venues have roofs, including one that isn’t temperature controlled.

At this year’s Club World Cup in the U.S., six games were delayed by weather for a total of 8 hours, 29 minutes.

“I will be interested when we find out the teams, as to who is playing in indoor climate-controlled venues more as opposed to outdoor, because I do think that there is a significant difference and obviously a potential competitive advantage,” said former American defender Alexi Lalas, Fox’s lead analyst.

Kickoff times will be announced Saturday. The average noon temperature over the past 30 years in East Rutherford on July 19 is 84 degrees with a RealFeel index of 91, according to AccuWeather.

Political element

The 1994 World Cup draw in Las Vegas featured performances by Stevie Wonder, Barry Manilow, James Brown and Vanessa Williams plus comedian Robin Williams, who called the draw screen “the world’s largest keno board” and yelled “Bingo!” when Greece was pulled out of a bowl.

This draw figures to be more akin to the December 2017 ceremony in Moscow, opened by Russia President Vladimir Putin.

After negotiating to hold this month’s event in Las Vegas, FIFA placed it to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, taken over this year by President Donald Trump and his supporters. Trump, who mingled among Chelsea players on the awards stand after the Club World Cup final last summer, is expected to be at the draw along with Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Retired stars Tom Brady of the NFL, Shaquille O’Neal of the NBA and Wayne Gretzky of the NHL along with three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge will be on stage for the draw, to be run by former England captain Rio Ferdinand with broadcaster Samantha Johnson. Brady, O’Neal and Judge are American and Gretzky is Canadian, but there is no Mexican sports representative.

Model Heidi Klum co-hosts Friday along with actors Kevin Hart and Danny Ramirez, and entertainment includes Tony Award and Olivier Award winner Nicole Scherzinger, Andrea Bocelli and Robbie Williams. The Village People will perform Trump favorite “Y.M.C.A.” and FIFA will award its own peace prize, likely to Trump. Former NFL star Eli Manning will be the red carpet host.

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