Yeah I do see those points, it's a bit of a balanced pros and cons with them. Club World Cup, in a whole (given the confeds cup is no more, and it will remove the yearly Club World Cup) makes sense. The confusing bit about it I suppose is that clubs can change a lot in 4 years - much, much more than an international team - so will be interesting to see how that goes.

Conference League makes sense too when you talk about it that way.

Of those that I listed, I think the one I disagree with the most is the Nations League. Although, again, there is pros to it in the sense that it gives minor nations competitive games at their level.

I thought the euro standard of play was enjoyable viewing from my untrained eye like Muz quotes no expert but games despite low blocks by some was good football.
I posted a link relating they were saying it was ho hum but I saw opposite.

Agreed the turn around for players involved and Copa pre season is about to start.
Too much football and scheduling.
FIFA and all bodies cramming so much in.
Money is ruining the sport.

I can see myself one day turning to follow a lower league club in regards to LFC that will disappoint me greatly but clubs like them despite their old foundations are turning into business machines.

The bloated Club WC is another cash grab and again toooo much football.
Money is better spent to nations/leagues needing support on development and guidance on improving their leagues, we’re a brilliant case for that matter for we can’t even get a second Pro league up and running.

Yes. Read a big article about this and the low quality on display. Looked good to me but I'm no expert.

Goals per game in the recent Euros was quite low.

Defensive formations rule the scene, plus some very good goalkeeping.

The poor old players have a week's rest and then start pre season training with their clubs- this is just too much.

A lot of joy has gone out of the sport. Big money has ruined it.

I’d say society has changed so much, a lot of things in sport has reflected on that.

Marcelo Bielsa made a great point that football has become a big business rather than create joy for fans as a sport. 

Hmmm I dont usually but Ill disagree with you there Nic... In Europe for example, things like the Conference league give second jump Euro nation clubs a chance to play for something meaningful abroad where they would otherwise wouldnt ever get the chance to. Besides its a handfull of clusb from each elague that play in ONE of these comps ..

The bloated club world cup on the other hand ... well yeah I agree. 

To be fair i think the expanded club world cup is a game changer and a really really good thing. Europe hss pulled away from the rest of the world due to their advantage of having all the best leagues and all the best clubs. This is a step towards levelling that playing field. In the short term south america and brazil should benefit the most. In the long term hopefully other confeds do too

Yeah the main thing I am against with modern football is that there is a bit of an over saturation of competitions.

Asia and Europe both have three tiers of Continental Club competitions
FIFA has created a bloated Club World Cup
UEFA (and I believe CONCACAF?) both have the Nations League

Things like that are the reason why there are concerns of player burn-out.

going with the type of play approach I hear youse.....
Obviously times change, hoof ball, individualism, Total Football, tika taka.
Pre tech to todays abundance of intel.
Mind you individual play is there, ala CR7/Messi/Pirlo/Xavi/Iniesta/Zlatan/Suarez/Bergkamp/Henry and look at the young prospects today in the Euro - its just that its different ways the individual makes their impact.
Progress re coaching - different approachs due to one persons influence that gains/gained success - others follow though many try and fail as well.
Why did they fail ? resource/$$$ today, once upon a time a individual in a lesser team could on their own cause an upset quite often.
Nowadays a surpise/unexpected loss is due to ones mistake and pounced on far more than the early days.
Players have learnt a hell of alot more what they should and shouldn't do.

I don't mind this, I explain to some neutrals over the years do you know the game of chess/checkers ? football has a very like approach.
Probe, find weakness, keep pressing, pounce and finish.

I'm more concerned of the player burn out ahead and expansion sufficating the game and changing it more to a show, that it is but becoming more fabricated.
Pre and HT BS marketing - is this what these gens ahead need for their bang for buck ?
Why did Copa Final follow the typical US kind of route of big money Shakira and HT going for 25mins due to this ?????
Pre game koff was delayed due to the crowd issues - then players have to reset again for a long HT.
Seriously a joke.
IF you've ever had the pleasure going to quite a few US sports as I have this is where we're going, all this pre and HT over hyped BS.
I grave the USA WC coming up.

Banzai, well we had the Qatar WC, it delivered I suppose what we expect just in a region never ventured in before as strange as it is.
Inclusion ? will it be any different in Saudi in the future ?
We once would have never thought Russia would have held a WC don't forget.

Yes Superleague will come, these well off business owners will keep expanding adding to their portfolios.
LFC/FSG owners below, business pulled out due to so much to invest and insecurity, this is not passion for a club/football as we know it its business and thats top flight football today.
https://www.thisisanfield.com/2024/07/fsg-will-not-buy-french-club-bordeaux-official-statement-from-liverpool-owners/

I definetely agree its systems over individual flair now. The problem is then it's hard to have systems at international level as you arent together enough, now the flair is gone as well so the international football has become quite dull. 

As for the money, the games been headed this way for a long time, Saudi World Cup coming as well, it's hard to see how it gets better from here, Superleague will surely happen one day. 

I definitely think that the fact that the systemic approach of europes top nations defeating the free flair approach of south america has hurt the spectacle

Even argentina were basically another barcalona. One barcalona was beautiful as it was so different. Now there is a lack of variety. Im simplifying a bit as the tactics have evolved slightly. But still a heavy reliance on systems over individual flair and most systems look very similar at the euro this year

But not sure what to do about it. You cant tell teams not to try and do the most successful strategy

I just think the 2000s was peak football..but it might be nostalgia. But I'll always follow football the buzz around a team is something you don't find anywhere else especially with the national team 

Covid put the world on hold - and the question post covid in other articles I've seen of late is Football getting to the point of OTT and challenging all, from players, standards, crowd management, organisers incl FIFA not dotting the i's crossing the t's.
Tournament following another, expansion of the WC (i don't approve), expansion into other regions FIFA sees growth, ie USA.
Top flight players incl selected for their NT's are up 60game seasons, only weeks apart till new season starts.
Injuries prevail.
Quality of games questioned late in the 2nd half mentioned.
Now the below article coupled Euro and Copa recently run, I don't agree with their POV re quality of Euro match's, I was impressed the whole tournament but who am I but a devoted armchair sleep deprived observer.
Interesting the comments re some Euro pitch quality - maybe I did see some but overall thought they were fine.
Led to believe there has been some organising issues at hand in Germany.
Whereas it was chalk and cheese to Copa.
Pitch quality using NFL stadiums, grass not weaving strong enough, some facilities were sub par, Bolivia had ground and facility sub standards, couldn't train on their dedicated pitch.
Official game outcomes questioned.
Crowd issues, the Uruguay Columbia post troubles, from what I've read Biesla rightly threw it back on the Media, the Organisers, the USA....
Jesse Marsch and winning coach Scaloni have also said their peace.
Is the drive pushing into the USA that political and cash grab more important that the game itself.....
and I grave all the money in their MLS and WCup post influence that more will be poured into it, a league that is not the model our beloved games foundation flourish's from.

Is football quality to be sacrificed due to the buck ? I believe FIFA believe as such.
The same will become as the ghost of the dreaded SLeague lingers.
There is points I totally agree with below :
https://www.tribalfootball.com/article/soccer-copa-america-uruguay-coach-bielsa-football-is-dying-it-s-less-and-less-attractive-346413ea-f859-41b4-8714-fcef62ce8f88

Then on another hand the ME influence, the shonks whatever, copious amounts of $$$ to throw into the game but for what football gain globally is going to be achieved ?
All I see its a 30yrs on retirement fund for the players they target.
FIFA supported so much in that region the $$$$.


Mediocre Euros and Copa América show there is such a thing as too much football | Copa América | The Guardian
https://www.messenger-inquirer.com/ap/ap_national_news/uruguay-coach-marcelo-bielsa-says-players-deserve-apology-not-sanctions-after-copa-america-fight/article_14b82d45-1dab-5aaa-aab8-f6cc4e0e7717.html
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1922620/marcelo-bielsa-copa-america-fight-blame
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13629893/uruguay-coach-marcelo-bielsa-copa-america.html