Disastrous decisions by Fifa are nothing new. But yesterday’s announcement by football’s governing body that it will expand the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams in 2026 marks another depressing low. The logic is that more teams will now get an opportunity to play on football’s biggest stage. A noble sentiment, perhaps, but this is a half-baked plan that should worry football fans.
The huge imbalance in the quality of football on display at the tournament is one of the main troubles with expanding the World Cup. England fans are accustomed to watching their team play our dismal 3-0 victories against the likes of San Marino and Malta at the qualifying stage. But once the tournament starts, you expect to find your side up against high quality opposition. That was true at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where England faced Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica, all in the group stages.
Under the new rules, teams will first participate in a merry three team group where one side – presumably the rubbish one who wouldn’t otherwise have qualified – will be humiliated and eliminated.
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