The World Cup is without a doubt the most well-known and most watched sporting event in the world. According to FIFA.com the 2014 World Cup had around 3.2 billion viewers. For some perspective, the Super Bowl, the next most watched sporting event in the world, only had 167 million viewers in 2016. The World Cup stands alone as the most watched sporting event ever and the viewers of the 2026 World Cup will have something new to either look forward to or dread.
Gianni Infantino, the current FIFA president, has stated multiple times since his election in February of last year that he would like to see the World Cup pool of teams be expanded to at least 40 teams. With the most recent vote, his dream came true. The 2026 World Cup will be played under a new format, with the field being expanded from 32 to 48 teams. On the surface, this seems like an odd change to a tournament that seems to be on a system that works for the most part. There are no glaring problems with the current format and both fans and players alike know the format well. The changes to the World Cup have outraged many critics but there are positives mixed into a sea of negative reactions.
First of all, this seems like a cash grab by FIFA. FIFA stands to gain an estimated 800 million pounds from the new system. On the surface, it seems corporate greed has taken over and the new system is only for the sponsors and board directors sitting on top. If the giant pile of money can be looked past, the fútbol itself will change in ways that it has not before. For certain countries, there will be excitement about the prospect of being one of the new 16 teams that could feature in the tournament. The fútbol world has seen small countries such as Iceland make miracle runs in tournaments. Just last year, Iceland made a run all the way to the quarterfinals of the Euros. The new 16 teams will have a chance to show off their skills and possibly make a run of their own. This publicity on a global stage will promote growth in the small countries that have very limited resources and funds.
For larger countries that are already well established, the new format will not affect them very much. They must believe that the new teams can be beaten just like any of the previous opponents they have played. The large teams will still make their runs if they play up to their high standards. If not, they will go out just like any other small team would.
Having 48 teams will mean more matches to watch, which will please fans. More matches would also mean players would need to be in better shape and their overall fitness levels would need to be near perfection to be able to compete for a longer tournament. This push for better fitness could raise the game’s quality as a whole. This is Gianni Infantino’s hope, as he has said repeatedly that quality is not in question as long as underdogs like Iceland continue to impress.
Overall, it will take a long time for critics to be persuaded that this is a good move. If FIFA is not ready for this expansion in 2026, it could mean the return of a 32-team tournament. At this point, only time will tell but for FIFA to subdue their critics, they need to keep everyone in the loop on how they are planning to organize this tournament. In the end, it will be up to the players to impress the world, as they have time and time again.
Statistics taken from: FIFA.com and The Mirror
