World Cup 2014

[dom9]

Tickets are on sale:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23765810

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/organisation/ticketing/apply-for-tickets/index.html

I really want to go to Brazil. And the World Cup sounds like a great time to go. But I can just imagine that it will be complete chaos, not to mention more expensive than going on a regular holiday.

[Imy]

The Price of Football - World Cup 2014

Ticket: £58-£112
Final ticket: £281-£632
Hotel: £146-£797 per night
McDonald's meal: £11
Average dinner: £29
T-shirt: £13
Sun cream: £9.50
Water: £1.28
Imported beer: £3.83
Domestic beer: £1.91
Coffee: £2.55

Expensive isn't it!

I'd like to go, more for the women though (and if i was loaded, free and single )

[dom9]

Why anybody would fly all the way to Brazil and then eat a MacDonalds is beyond me.

I'd like to see what the equivalent prices are this summer (football tickets excluded obviously).

[Neil Young]

£29 for an average dinner seems expensive too. And I'd take my own T-shirts.

[dom9]

£29 for an average dinner seems expensive too. And I'd take my own T-shirts.

A good point.

I think we can do this on a budget after all.

[Baracus]

Why stay in a Hotel too..When you have the 'City of god' next to you

[Fernandinho]

My best mate and I are going to this, we were actually looking for two more people just because 4 seems like a good number of people to travel with. Just difficult to find people from Oz who are going...

Who is going from here?

[ChesterDave]

This doesn't sound confusing at all. I wonder how many test runs they go through to make sure they understand it

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25206040

England are in an unseeded pot of European countries but could still be moved ahead of Friday's draw for the 2014 Fifa World Cup.

Roy Hodgson's side are included in Pot 4, along with eight other European teams, for the draw in Brazil.

Beforehand, one of those teams will be drawn into Pot 2, and will face one of the four South American seeds.

No more than two European teams, or one from South America, can be drawn in the same group for next year's competition.

If England are moved to Pot 2, which contains seven African and South American teams, they would be guaranteed to face either Brazil, Argentina, Colombia or Uruguay, who will form a temporary "Pot X".

The three South American teams in "Pot X" not drawn against the European team in Pot 2 will go back into the main draw.

Should England remain in Pot 4, they could face any of the top eight seeds from Pot 1.

As hosts, Brazil will be automatically placed into Group A and the rest of the teams in each pot will be drawn into one of the eight four-team groups, bearing in mind the geographic stipulations.

"It's not easy to understand it the first time, I agree with you," said Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke at a news conference in Costa do Sauipe where Friday's draw will take place.

"It took me some time to be sure I had the right explanation."

Hodgson has said that England's base is more important than who they will face in the World Cup.

Pot 1 (top eight seeds): Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Belgium, Colombia, Germany, Switzerland, Uruguay

Pot 2: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Algeria, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chile, Ecuador

Pot 3: Japan, Iran, South Korea, Australia, United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras

Pot 4: Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia, England, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, France

Also, love the fact Owl FAce reckons the base is more important than the opponents. That way when we do hilariously **** he can't blame a tough group as clearly the management team got the base wrong

[ChesterDave]

My best mate and I are going to this, we were actually looking for two more people just because 4 seems like a good number of people to travel with. Just difficult to find people from Oz who are going...

Who is going from here?

I would if I could afford it but I can't. I work with a guy who basically uses International football as an excuse to go on holiday and watch the games in bars. He isn't even considering it because of the cost - thinks he'll be able to get 2 weeks in Thailand all inclusive for the same cost as flights and hotel in Brazil before food and spends. Cost is going to be prohibitive for many by the looks of prices posted on page 1.

Edit: I've just noticed we are still on page 1

[fah-q]

Why are Switzerland one of the top 8 seeds?

[Assassin]

Why are Switzerland one of the top 8 seeds?

Becuase the bodge doesnt manage them

[PTP]

Why are Switzerland one of the top 8 seeds?

there was a big thing on this somewhere recently

due to the way the rankings work - switzerland have been very clever when picking friendlies and getting a few results

i think Holland, played a few more friendlies and against lesser oppostion, and even though they won, it went against them or something

This has nothing to do with Sepp Blatter being from Switzerland

[Mike]

Here's how the ranking points work. Basically the Netherlands picked **** friendlies and it worked against them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25134584

[ChesterDave]

In Qualifiers for the last 3 major tournaments the records are as follows


No code has to be inserted here.2010 World Cup Holland were beaten finalists and Switzerland went out at the group stage with a 1/1/1 record.

2012 Euro Netherlands were poor losing all 3 games - but hey - at least they made it unlike Switzerland.

And Switzerland are higher seeds because Netherlands average points gained per match is lower than Switzerland because they played and won a friendly whereas Switzerland didn't play?

Its ridiculous. Its so pathetic you might as well just have a free draw and not bother with seeding teams.

And nope - nothing to do with Blatter being Swiss - I mean, he wouldn't use his position to further the cause of his home nation that affords his organisation 'charity' status meaning they can not be sued or have their finances investigated, would he?

[PTP]

In Qualifiers for the last 3 major tournaments the records are as follows


No code has to be inserted here.2010 World Cup Holland were beaten finalists and Switzerland went out at the group stage with a 1/1/1 record.

2012 Euro Netherlands were poor losing all 3 games - but hey - at least they made it unlike Switzerland.

And Switzerland are higher seeds because Netherlands average points gained per match is lower than Switzerland because they played and won a friendly whereas Switzerland didn't play?

Its ridiculous. Its so pathetic you might as well just have a free draw and not bother with seeding teams.

And nope - nothing to do with Blatter being Swiss - I mean, he wouldn't use his position to further the cause of his home nation that affords his organisation 'charity' status meaning they can not be sued or have their finances investigated, would he?

And i am pretty convinced that Blatter wouldn't have knowledge of the ranking system and would not have used the knowledge to advise the Swiss, how to ensure they achieved their 'maximum' ranking - it was just pure coincidence/luck that they chose not to play any extra friendlies