Bigger and better, or just boring? Debate heats up over FIFA’s expanded 48-team World Cup

To appreciate how far the FIFA World Cup has come, one needs to look back in time.

The 1930 World Cup in Uruguay had just 13 teams – three groups of three and one group of four nations. One winner from each group advanced to the semi-finals and the tournament comprised only 18 matches. There were no qualifiers then as it was an invitational tournament.

But nearly a century ago, economic hardship caused by the Great Depression meant that many European players were either unable or unwilling to participate in the tournament as they were afraid of losing their day jobs. As a result, some of the major European teams, including England, Italy, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands did not make an appearance at the first World Cup.

Fast forward to today, the June 11-July 19 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada will feature a record 48 teams from six confederations, with 12 groups of four teams each.

A new round of 32 will make its debut and the tournament will feature a record 104 matches in total, 40 games more than the 2022 edition in Qatar.

While fans, particularly those from debutant nations, will certainly welcome the expanded format, purists of the game have questioned if this will dilute the competitiveness of football’s biggest spectacle.

‘Football is a world game’

An expanded 48-team World Cup – which was announced by FIFA in 2017 – has already captivated fans with stories of debutants, teams finally ending long absences on the world stage and some who have overcome turmoil back home.

Four countries that will be making their debut in North America are Curacao – the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup – fellow minnows Cape Verde, and Asian newcomers Jordan and Uzbekistan.

Democratic Republic of Congo may be making headlines for an Ebola outbreak, but at the World Cup they are also in the news for their first appearance in the tournament since 1974, while Iraq have ended a 40-year wait to return to the global stage.

FIFA has described this edition as being a “watershed moment for the global game, opening the door to more nations, players and their fans than ever before”, highlighting that the expanded format is making the competition “more representative of the global game”.

Among the 1,248 players confirmed for the 48 teams, 891 players are set to appear at a World Cup for the first time.

Ten teams from Africa and nine from Asia – two continents that have never produced a World Cup winner – will be at the 2026 edition alongside North America’s six teams, Europe’s 16, South America’s six, while New Zealand represent the Oceania Football Confederation.

Former Australia international Bailey Wright, who was part of the 2022 side, said that he is excited about the tournament as it is an “opportunity for more teams to show up”.

He added: “Football is a world game and a sport for all, so it is great that the tournament is more accessible and more achievable, but yes, keeping the prestige of it is important. But I don’t think it’ll be over-diluted in terms of quality.

“I think it’s nice to see plenty of new nations in there and I’m sure they’ll surprise a few people.”

Curacao are one of the teams who will look to prove the doubters wrong. Forward Gervane Kastaneer, who is part of the Blue Wave’s World Cup squad, insists that the lesser-known and unfancied nations bring value and have qualified on merit.

He told The Straits Times: “Teams like us make the World Cup more interesting. It is called a World Cup for a reason so every country, every island should feel like they belong as long as they do their job and qualify.

“We did that, so we deserve to be here.”

Will World Cup be a yawn?

For many decades, qualification felt like an achievement in itself, as World Cup places were precious and difficult to earn. A 48-team World Cup has opened the door for more countries, many of whom would not have qualified under the previous format.

The famed Oranje Army was gutted when the Netherlands failed to qualify for the 2002 edition, while England fans had to suffer the agony of watching the 1994 World Cup without the Three Lions.

The feel-good factor of this World Cup, however, could be dampened by one-sided games, especially after a long club season. It may also spell the end of the “Group of Death”, which is always a point of discussion and ramps up excitement among fans.

Potential lopsided matchups include Curacao and tournament heavyweights Germany on June 14, Cape Verde against European champions Spain (June 15) and five-time champions Brazil’s opener against Haiti on June 19. The World Cup’s lowest-ranked side New Zealand (85th) face tournament dark horses Belgium on June 26.

Recent international friendlies have already given fans some indication of what to expect. Scotland beat 10-man Curacao 4-1 on May 30 and in March, the latter were defeated 5-1 and 2-0 by Australia and China respectively. Meanwhile, New Zealand were thumped 4-0 by Haiti on June 2.

The new format also significantly reduces the stakes of the opening matches and leaves little room for early jeopardy, as the top two teams in each of the 12 groups progress to the knockout stages, alongside the eight best third-placed sides.

As a result, even one win could be enough to secure qualification.

Former Manchester United icon Ryan Giggs, who despite his glittering club career with the Red Devils never played at the World Cup, noted that a 48-team tournament could be a “difficult one” for viewers at home.

The 52-year-old Welshman told ST: “There are a few new countries... And football is a world sport, and the more you can spread it around the globe, the better.

“But also you don’t want fans, watching five or six weeks and getting bored.

“If these new countries, who’ve never been there before, do well, then I think it will be a success.”

A boon for football

Former United defender Nemanja Vidic, who played three matches for Serbia at the 2010 edition, told ST that fans have to accept that it has become much easier to qualify for the tournament than when he was a player.

Vidic, 44, who earned more than 50 caps, added that it is a similar case for the European Championship – which was expanded from 16 to 24 teams in 2016 – where in the past, only the strongest teams made it to the tournament.

Vidic, however, felt that it was still a positive for the sport.

He added: “Now it’s much easier to qualify for the World Cup. But on the other hand, I think it’s good for the World Cup because we will see many different countries and that means more people will watch the game and more fans from around the world can be engaged.”

That is also the ultimate hope for Giggs, as the former midfielder added that football fans naturally rally behind underdogs at the World Cup.

He said: “I remember in 1990 watching Cameroon against Argentina, against England, and not a lot of people knew about them. But Roger Milla, Cameroon, the players that they had, everyone sort of got behind them and they were everyone’s neutral team.

“In any sport, people want to see the underdog beating the bigger teams. Uzbekistan, who are there for the first time, if they’re beating Brazil or Argentina, that’s what the World Cup is about.”

Will fans see the next Milla at this tournament? Debate over the expanded World Cup will certainly heat up after kick-off on June 11 as judgment day looms.