Total Soccer Show: USMNT, Champions League, EPL, and more ... Would a team of just Beasleys and McKennies win Serie A? Yes or Emphatically Yes? | Listener Questions
Mar 14, 2026
They debate which countries and confederation rules make the most likely 2038 World Cup hosts and how expanded tournaments change host viability. They consider what would happen if Iran withdraws from 2026 and how FIFA might replace them. They rank which Premier League big six might be relegated and imagine Thomas Müller recruiting MLS talent. They even sketch a funny team built only from Beasley and McKennie.
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Expanded World Cup Shrinks Host Pool
- FIFA's informal rotation rules and 48-team logistics sharply shrink viable World Cup hosts.
- Joe Lowry notes only a few nations have infrastructure for a 48-team event, making repeat U.S. bids much more likely.
FIFA Willingly Bends Hosting Rules
- FIFA often applies or ignores rotation rules opportunistically to suit bids and politics.
- Graham Rutherford and Joe Lowry discuss Saudi 2034 as an example and speculate Australia-New Zealand or the U.S. as 2038 contenders.
No Formal Protocol If A Nation Withdraws
- FIFA has no fixed protocol for replacing a withdrawing World Cup team, giving it wide discretion.
- Taylor and Graham point to Article 6.7 and recent ad-hoc replacements like the Club World Cup example as precedent.