What U.S. Must Do to Win a Spot in the Next World Cup
*By Christian Smith*
To the surprise of absolutely no one, the 2018 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 is filled with European and South American teams, and that's not likely going to change any time soon.
Money, national soccer infrastructure, and league leadership are the keys to the success of these two continents says longtime soccer fan and publisher of the World Cup newsletter "[The Banter](http://jointhebanter.com/)," Jeffrey Marcus. These three factors are the reason Europe and South America have dominated world soccer since the first World Cup in 1930, and are what the United States and other competitors will need if they ever want to hoist the golden World Cup trophy in the air.
"I think we have the administrative here in the United States," Marcus said in an interview on Cheddar. "I think it's a question of finding better players and nurturing them."
In Europe's case, math is on the continent's side. Out of the 54 countries competing in UEFA, Europe's World Cup qualifying conference, 13 get spots in the World Cup finals. By comparison, Africa's CAF is made up of 54 nations, and only five will qualify for the World Cup. That's not to say Europe's 13 qualifiers aren't deserving, it just means there more European teams are likely to advance out of the group stage.
South America's story is slightly different. Only five teams from CONMEBOL, the South American FIFA league, qualified for the tournament. Four of those teams made it to the Round of 16: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay. All of those teams except for Colombia have won the tournament two times or more, cementing their dominance in the sport.
Uruguay is an [especially interesting case](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EVr1I6oll0). The country is the size of Florida and has about 3.44 million people, which is just shy of the population of Connecticut. Despite these limiting factors, the country regularly shines on the world stage.
From 1950 to 1990 the United States failed to qualify for the World Cup. If the U.S. men's national team hopes to one day match the success of its South American neighbors, then it will need to focus on finding and developing better talent, Marcus said.
World Cup 2026, which the United States will host along with Canada and Mexico, could provide the best chance for a North American team to win the tournament for the first time. All three host nations automatically qualify for the tournament. Plus, the hometown focus on the World Cup will likely mean more money will be funneled into talent and coaching development.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/previewing-the-2018-fifa-world-cup-round-of-16)
After a seven-year hiatus, Nissan is returning to the Super Bowl action-packed, star-studded commercial. Allyson Witherspoon, Nissan's Chief Marketing Officer, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the concept of the ad campaign and how it gives clues into where the brand is heading next.
'Pixstory' is an integrity-based social media platform providing a space for healthy dialogue. It was designed to fight misinformation, hate speech, and other forms of toxicity. NBA champion and Pixstory brand ambassador, Dwight Howard, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Chris Spagnuolo, VP of Content, Champion Gaming, joins Cheddar Bets to break down the lessons learned from betting the NFL this season, and how to make money next season.
Sponsored by BetMGM
Sean Green, Co-Founder, of the Sports Gambling Podcast Network, joins Cheddar Bets to discuss betting on the Big Game, and when to wait it out to buy the lines low.
Sponsored by BetMGM
After tennis player Peng Shuai made an explicit sexual assault allegation toward a former Chinese government official, she disappeared from the public eye. Her recent reappearance with the IOC alongside a Chinese Olympic committee official raised eyebrows and renewed concerns for her safety. Asian affairs expert Gordon Chang, author of "The Coming Collapse of China," joined Wake Up With Cheddar to discuss Peng Shuai's retraction and the various human rights controversies swirling at the Beijing games. "It's clear that the IOC was working with Beijing to make sure that she did not express herself freely," Chang said. "So really this is the IOC being complicit in these mechanisms of control over Peng."
Team USA is still searching for its first gold at the Beijing Winter Olympics that is held amid geopolitical tensions and a global pandemic. Cheddar News speaks with Stephen Cannella, Co-Editor-in-Chief of Sports Illustrated about the highlights and disappointments so far.
The opening ceremony of the 2022 winter Olympics has kicked off at the Beijing national stadium. 150,000 spectators are in attendance for the games inside the 'closed loop' system separating Olympic personnel from the public. Cheddar News spoke with Brian Cazenueve, Sports Illustrated contributor, to share the highlights you may have missed and much more.
Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores has filed a lawsuit against his old team along with the Denver Broncos and the New York Giants. Flores alleged that the league has been following racist practices in its hiring process. Former NFL quarterback and Sports Analyst and Commentator, Lester Ray Ricard Jr, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
