For the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted in North America (United States of America, Mexico, and Canada) will expand field from 32 to 48 – national teams.
It means that more of football’s so – called, “little teams,” that were unable to make it over to Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup they will be now provided the chance of a lifetime on the next World Cup when the global tournament is hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
World Cup Upsets
This may be excellent news for all who were entertained by Saudi Arabia’s stimulating upset against Argentina and Lionel Messi at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Japan’s 2 – victories vs. the former champions of Germany and Spain or even Morocco’s overwhelming win over the star – studded Belgium and Spain on their path to the unforeseen quarterfinal run. More surprises are sure to come 4 – years from now at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
While 48 – national teams may grow the chances of Cinderella moments much like Saudi Arabia’s 2 to 1 victory against Argentina during the group stage of this year’s world cup, there is also a solid chance of the opposite to occur: more one – sided matches that may involve some of the glamour of a World Cup tournament that is supposed to feature only the best versus the very best.
With Spain’s – 7 to Costa Rica’s – 0 did go down at this year’s World Cup tournament hosted by Qatar. The same for England’s 6 to 2 destruction of Iran, France’s 4 to 1 dismemberment of Australia, as well as Qatar becoming the 1st – host nation to get defeated in their initial 3 – group stage matches. FIFA will now have dig much deeper into the lesser – levels of the international football landscape to move forward from 32 – teams to 48 – teams for the next 2026 World Cup competition.
“It means that we will have to find 16 – more good teams,” the FIFA Chief of Global Football Development, Arsene Wenger, mentioned.
FIFA is still in the process of promoting the new expansion plan as simply an upgrade, and they maintain the stance that this is overall a good change for the global game. All continents will now have additional spots, and FIFA claims that the opening football’s bigger – than – ever event offers more of their 211 – member nations or territories ought to have a significant impact beyond the clubs, with the viewpoint of even more eyes on their television monitors and ever more youngsters encouraged to kick their soccer balls world – wide.
“I am convinced that if the teams, the countries have more opportunities to go to the world stage, it will do more for (soccer) development inside that country,” Wenger goes on to say.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup hosted by Qatar is the very first World Cup held in the Middle East, and it is the farthest that FIFA has ventured from the competition’s nucleus of Europe as well as South America where the game is huge.
That recent decision has brought on its own negative criticism, but the on – the – pitch game action just may have been an appropriate advertisement for the newly increased 48 – country plan, which FIFA had previously announced back in 2017, and they have currently had to defend that decision ever since the suspicions regarding what the precise format will be.
The New Format
FIFA originally designated it would be 16 – groups of 3 – national teams, but that idea was extensively criticized. Another option for the upcoming FIFA World Cup competitions could be 12 – groups of 4 – clubs. Wenger said, “FIFA’s decision – making council has not decided yet.”
Over the course of the games played from Qatar, Japan was only 1 of 3 Asian teams that were able to qualify for the final knockout round of 16, which has never happened before in the long and rich history of the World Cup.
African nations managed to collect more points throughout the group stage this year more than ever. Morocco landed atop a group consisting of the 2018 FIFA World Cup runner – up Croatia as well as the semifinalist in Belgium, and Morocco advanced to the quarterfinals narrowly by defeating Spain on penalty kicks. Cameroon finished by taking down the almighty Brazil, and that marked the very 1st – time an African team has squashed the 5 – time world champion and football’s most distinguished team at a World Cup competition.
“Just look at how the World Cup is unfolding,” the head coach of Senegal, Aliou Cisse, expressed. “It’s not like 30 – years ago when the big fish were completely eating the little fish alive.”
Amidst Japan’s run in Qatar their star forward, Takefusa Kubo, stated, “They can’t underestimate Asia.” The head coach of Ghana, Otto Addo, said, “Africa deserves its extra places and its teams now have a better chance of going further.”
However, the new expansion plan may not have all that much of a major impact on the final outcome of the overall World Cup.
Teams of European and South American decent have traditionally won every 1 of the 21 World Cup championship titles thus far, with 12 going to European teams while and 9 going to South America. No teams from another continent have ever been able to make a final in the nearly 100 – years of World Cup all – time history. 82 out of 84 semifinalists have been European or South American decent too. The United States of America back in 1930 as well as South Korea in 2002 are the only couple of exceptions.
While playing the FIFA World Cup in the host nation of Qatar, teams from outside Europe and South America did fairly well during the group stage of play, only Morocco was able to advance to the quarterfinals, where they faced – off against Portugal. South Korea, Japan, Senegal, the United States of America as well as Australia were all eliminated during the knockout round of 16.
Senegal were the only African champions, but they were outlasted by England with a final tally of 3 to 0. South Korea, who was ranked number 3 in all of Asia, was kicked out by Brazil with a final score of 4 to 1. The South Korean forward, Son Heung – min, expressed in a state of envy, “Look at their players.”
Just over 3.5 billion people (which equates to over half of the world’s population) watched the 2018 World Cup played in the host country of Russia, and the football body managed to earn record revenues of $7.5 billion just from commercial deals linked to the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup.
With those sums in the bank resulting from a 32 – team tournament, a 48 – team tourney will provide the apparent opportunity to sell World Cup dreams to much more people in many more places.
The Results of the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Argentina barely snuck out the ultimate victory over France in one hell of a match in the final game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup from Qatar. Lionel Messi managed to play just one step ahead of France’s Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint – Germain). This match truly featured all of the drama and excitement that is expected from a FIFA World Cup final. Just look below at both Lionel Messi’s and Kylian Mbappé’s lifetime football accomplishments. Absolutely amazing!
Lionel Messi’s Football Career Achievements, Honors, & Awards
Barcelona
- La Liga (10): 2004 – 2005, 2005 – 2006, 2008 – 2009, 2009 – 2010, 2010 – 2011, 2012 – 2013, 2014 – 2015, 2015 – 2016, 2017 – 2018, 2018 – 2019
- Copa del Rey (7): 2008 – 2009, 2011 – 2012, 2014 – 2015, 2015 – 2016, 2016 – 2017, 2017 – 2018, 2020 – 2021
- Supercopa de España (8): 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018
- UEFA Champions League: 2005 – 2006, 2008 – 2009, 2010 – 2011, 2014 – 2015
- UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015
Paris Saint – Germain
- Ligue 1: 2021 – 2022
- Trophée des Champions: 2022
Argentina U – 20
- FIFA World Youth Championship: 2005
Argentina U – 23
- Summer Olympics: 2008
Argentina
- FIFA World Cup: 2022
- Copa América: 2021
- CONMEBOL – UEFA Cup of Champions: 2022
Individual
- Ballon d’Or / FIFA Ballon d’Or (7): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021
- FIFA World Player of the Year: 2009
- The Best FIFA Men’s Player: 2019
- European Golden Shoe (6): 2009 – 2010, 2011 – 2012, 2012 – 2013, 2016 – 2017, 2017 – 2018, 2018 – 2019
- FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 2014, 2022
- FIFA World Cup Silver Boot: 2022
- FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2009, 2011
- FIFA U – 20 World Cup Golden Ball: 2005
- FIFA U – 20 World Cup Golden Boot: 2005
- Copa América Best Player: 2015, 2021
- Copa América Top Goalscorer: 2021
- La Liga Best Player (6): 2008 – 2009, 2009 – 2010, 2010 – 2011, 2011 – 2012, 2012 – 2013, 2014 – 2015
- Pichichi Trophy (8): 2009 − 2010, 2011 – 2012, 2012 − 2013, 2016 – 2017, 2017 − 2018, 2018 – 2019, 2019 – 2020, 2020 – 2021
- Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: 2020
- Argentine Footballer of the Year (14): 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021
Kylian Mbappé’s Football Career Achievements, Honors, & Awards
Monaco
- Ligue 1: 2016 – 2017
- Coupe de la Ligue Runner – Up: 2016 – 2017
Paris Saint-Germain
- Ligue 1: 2017 – 2018, 2018 – 2019, 2019 – 2020, 2021 – 2022
- Coupe de France: 2017 – 18, 2019 – 2020, 2020 – 2021; Runner – Up: 2018 – 2019
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2017 – 2018, 2019 – 2020
- Trophée des Champions: 2019, 2020
- UEFA Champions League Runner – Up: 2019 – 2020
France U19
- UEFA European Under – 19 Championship: 2016
France
- FIFA World Cup: 2018; Runner – Up: 2022
- UEFA Nations League: 2020 – 2021
Individual
- UEFA European Under – 19 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2016
- UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year: 2018 – 2019, 2020 – 2021, 2021 – 2022
- UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year: 2016 – 2017, 2017 – 2018, 2018 – 2019
- UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2016 – 2017, 2017 – 2018, 2018 – 2019, 2020 – 2021, 2021 – 2022
- UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: April 2017, March 2018, August 2018, February 2019, February 2021, August 2021, February 2022
- UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2016 – 2017, 2019 – 2020, 2020 – 2021
- UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2021 – 2022
- FIFA FIFPro World11: 2018, 2019
- Golden Boy: 2017
- FIFA World Cup Golden Boot: 2022
- FIFA World Cup Silver Ball: 2022
- FIFA World Cup Young Player Award: 2018
- FIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2018
- Kopa Trophy: 2018
- IFFHS Men’s World Team: 2018, 2021
- French Player of the Year: 2018, 2019
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2018
- Ligue 1 Top Goalscorer: 2018 – 2019, 2019 – 2020, 2020 – 2021, 2021 – 2022
- Ligue 1 Top Assist Provider: 2021 – 2022
- Globe Soccer Best Player of the Year: 2021
- Onze de Bronze: 2019
- UEFA Nations League Finals Golden Boot: 2021
Orders
- Knight of the Legion of Honour: 2018
Sources:
Imray, Gerald. “The next World Cup will jump to 48 teams. Is bigger better?”. The Associated Press. Wednesday, December 7, 2022.
Football Reference News Services. “Lionel Messi”. Football Reference. Thursday, December 29, 2022.
Football Reference News Services. “Kylian Mbappé”. Football Reference. Thursday, December 29, 2022.