Things to hate about a 48-team World Cup

expanded the World Cup to 48 teams, adding 16 extra nations to the 2026 tournament which is likely to be held in North America.

President Gianni Infantino’s favoured plan was unanimously approved yesterday by the FIFA Council.

With 80 matches instead of 64, FIFA forecasts the equivalent of US$1 billion (RM4.47b) extra income at current rates from broadcasting and sponsor deals, plus ticket sales, compared to $5.5 billion (RM24.6b) revenue forecast for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

FIFA projects an increased profit of $640 million (RM2.86b) despite some extra operating costs and prize money for teams, which is great for them. But here’s why it’s a bad idea for everyone else: the knockout phase begins. That is the sort of inefficiency that only FIFA could dream up.

South America’s qualification group is one of the few things still worth watching in international football outside big tournaments.

And while a historically successful continent should have plenty of representation at the World Cup, the fact remains that these proposals would see seven out of the ten Conmebol teams qualify for the 2026 World Cup should a South American side win their playoff.

It will diminish the level of qualifying, especially the later games, as star players are rested or simply pull out for dead rubber qualifying games.

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