DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The next World Cup it will be the largest in history after world soccer body FIFA made the leap from a field of 32 teams to 48 teams in 2026.
It means more of soccer’s so-called “little teams” that didn’t make it to Qatar will get the chance of a lifetime when the tournament is hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
That could be great news for everyone who was amused by Saudi Arabia’s heartwarming victory over Lionel Messi’s Argentina. in this World Cup, Japan’s two victories over former champions Germany and Spain or the humiliation of Morocco of star-studded Belgium and Spain en route to an unexpected quarterfinal run. Surely more surprises await in four years.
Still, it’s not clear to everyone that bigger is better.
While 48 teams may increase the chances of fairy tale moments, such as Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win over Argentina in the group stage, there’s also a good chance of the opposite: more one-sided games that may take some of your game away. shine to a tournament that is destined to be the best against the best.
Spain 7, Costa Rica 0 It also happened in this World Cup. Just like England’s 6-2 win over IranFrance dismantles Australia 4-1 and Qatar becomes the first host country to lose all three of its group stage matches.. FIFA will have to go even deeper into the lower levels of international football to go from 32 to 48.
“It means we will have to find another 16 good teams,” said Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s Head of Global Football Development and a central figure in making a 48-team World Cup viable.
FIFA is still touting the expansion as an improvement and good for the global game. All continents will have more spaces and FIFA says opening up soccer’s premier event to more than its 211 member countries or territories should have an impact beyond the teams, with the possibility of even more eyes on television screens. television and more children inspired to kick balls around the world. .
“I am convinced that if teams, countries have more opportunities to go on the world stage, they will contribute more to the development (of football) within that country,” Wenger said.
The World Cup in Qatar is the first in the Middle East and the furthest FIFA has ventured from the heart of the game in Europe and South America. That decision has drawn its own harsh criticism. but the action on the pitch could have been a timely announcement for the 48-team plan, which FIFA announced in 2017 and has had to defend ever since over questions about what the exact format will be.
In Qatar, Japan were one of three Asian teams to qualify for the round of 16, something that had never happened before. African teams scored more points than ever in the group stage. Morocco topped a group that included 2018 World Cup runners-up Croatia and semifinalists Belgium, and advanced to the quarterfinals by beating Spain on penalties on Tuesday.. Cameroon said goodbye by beating Brazil, the first time that an African team has beaten the five-time champion and the most famous team in football in a World Cup.
“Look how the World Cup is developing,” Senegal coach Aliou Cissé said. “It’s not like 30 years ago, when big fish would completely eat small fish alive.”
In the midst of Japan’s Qatar run, winger Takefusa Kubo said they “can’t underestimate Asia.” Ghana coach Otto Addo said Africa deserves its extra places and their teams now have a better chance of going further.
However, the expansion may not have much of an impact on the final outcome of the World Cup.
European and South American teams, the big fish Cissé referred to, have gobbled up each of the 21 World Cup titles so far, with 12 for Europe and nine for South America. No team from another continent has reached a final in almost 100 years of World Cup history. Eighty-two of the 84 semifinalists have been European or South American. The United States in 1930 and South Korea in 2002 are the exceptions.
In Qatar, while teams from outside Europe and South America did well in the group stage, only Morocco advanced to the quarterfinals, where they will face Portugal on Saturday. South Korea, Japan, Senegal, the United States and Australia were eliminated in the round of 16.
Cissé’s Senegal are the African champions but were beaten 3-0 by England. South Korea, number 3 in Asia, was knocked out 4-1 by Brazil. South Korean striker Son Heung-min, the star of his country, said almost enviously: “Look at their players.”
However, a bigger World Cup offers clear advancement opportunities for FIFA.
Just over 3.5 billion people, more than half the world’s population, watched the 2018 World Cup in Russia, according to FIFA, and the soccer body earned a record revenue of $7.5 billion. of commercial agreements linked to the World Cup in Qatar.
With those numbers on the bench from a 32-team tournament, 48 offers the obvious opportunity to sell World Cup aspirations to more people in more places.
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AP sportswriter Ronald Blum contributed to this report.
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