Ireland will still have to negotiate tough World Cup qualification route

Ireland will still have their work cut out to navigate through World Cup qualification despite the expansion of finalists from 32 to 48.

Of the 16 extra places at the showpiece from 2026, most will be shared by Africa and Asia.

For the tournaments hosted outside Europe, the increase for that region will be just two, from 14 to 16 qualifiers.

Ireland have got their quest to end a 16-year wait for a World Cup appearance off to a solid start, topping their group by two points after four games of 10, but the arduous qualification trail means there are plenty of hazards before trekking to Russia in 2018 can be contemplated.

Only the victors of the nine groups within the Uefa sector are guaranteed to progress. Finishing runners-up will clinch a spot in the four play-off fixtures but not for the sole runner-up across the pools with the worst record. That amounts to 13 nations joining Russia at the finals.

Adding two places provides Fifa and Uefa with latitude to incentivise the chasing pack, although it remains to be seen what format they opt for.

Uefa has 55 nations, including Russia, eligible to chase qualification. That means Uefa could extend the number of groups to 12, giving the winner a qualification berth and putting the best eight second-placed teams into the play-offs to extract the remaining four spots.

Theoretically at least, based upon their European ranking of 14th, the revamp would see Ireland hurdle the qualification landmines but a lot can change at international level in the space of nine years, as proven by Wales and Iceland at last summer’s Euros.

Though Scotland hailed yesterday’s news from Zurich, the FAI remained silent, preferring not to opine on a development which further drives a chasm between the powerful big clubs and the governing bodies at international level.

Aside from the fatigue factor, major questions arise about the adverse effect on the quality at what’s billed as the greatest show on earth.

“I don’t think it will make for a better tournament but this trend has been growing for some time,” bemoaned former Ireland manager Brian Kerr on RTÉ Radio last night.

“We should have a quick look back at the World Cup in 2014 where a lot of teams from Africa and Asia finished last in their groups. And they’re the continents probably getting the biggest increase of qualifiers under this plan.

“We’ve seen it with Uefa increasing the European finals to 24, which is almost 50% of the nations qualifying for the finals. There has been pressure, politically, around the world for further representation from Africa, Asia, Concacaf and Oceania over the years.”