The first 48-team World Cup meant the tournament was bigger than ever – but was it better? The reaction to the expansion was mixed. Diego Maradona said he was “delighted by Gianni’s initiative” because it allowed each country to dream. Joachim Löw, then in charge of world champions Germany, said: “I don’t think it’s a good idea to dilute the sporting value … In the long term, the quality suffers.”
New faces
“Football is more than Europe and South America; football is global,” said Infantino after the format was announced in 2017. Africa and Asia benefited from greater qualifying quotas. All four debutants had their moments, with Livano Comenencia’s equaliser for Curaçao against Germany a group-stage highlight. Cape Verde were the biggest underdog story, even without a win. The last 32 gave six nations their first World Cup knockout football, with Egypt and Canada recording first wins.
Gulf in class
There were five group games with ranking gaps of more than 65 places, compared to one at the last 32-team World Cup. Some were competitive – England 0-0 Ghana, Spain 0-0 Cape Verde – but there was little chance of a shock defeat for the big guns. A poor Uruguay were the only major early casualty. Five nations matched or worse than Costa Rica’s -8 goal difference in 2022, with Iraq (-11) the whipping boys. The group stage offered star names like Mbappé and Messi a chance to build momentum.
Flawed third-place system
Fifa stuck with four-team groups and allowed eight third-place teams to advance. This did not bury questions of collusion or competitive advantage. Knockout opponents could change instantly – as when Algeria’s late equaliser against Austria shifted their last-32 opponent. With head-to-head as tie-breaker, five teams (about 10%) were already eliminated before their final group game.
What about 64 teams?
Infantino hinted at expansion to 64 teams, which would add 16 nations but only 24 more games, potentially eliminating the third-place system. However, disparity within groups would be even greater. Nations like New Caledonia (ranked 151) and Indonesia (118) could qualify. Logistical issues include playing four games a day for three weeks in summer heat across Spain, Portugal and Morocco – only the revamped Bernabéu and Camp Nou have roofs among 23 proposed venues.
