Is the World Cup too big?

In the summer of 2026 three countries jointly hosted the football World Cup for the first time: the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. It was also the first World Cup with 48 teams, instead of the previous 32. The number of matches rose from 64 to 104, and the tournament lasted almost six weeks. The hosts were 16 cities: eleven in the USA, three in Mexico and two in Canada.

The opening match was played at the legendary Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, where World Cup matches were played for the third time after 1970 and 1986. For the final the MetLife Stadium near New York was chosen, which holds over 80,000 spectators. The distances between the cities were enormous: from Vancouver to Miami it is more than 4,000 kilometres. That is why FIFA divided the group matches by region, so that the teams and the fans would not have to travel constantly across the whole continent. In addition, the players had to cope with different time zones and, in some places, with intense summer heat. Health experts and players' unions had long warned that temperatures above 30 degrees are dangerous for athletes.

Because almost all stadiums already existed, the host countries did not have to build new arenas, as was the case in Qatar or in Brazil. But fans complained about the high ticket prices. FIFA used dynamic pricing for the first time, which means that the ticket price rises or falls depending on demand. So for attractive matches, especially in the final stage, some tickets cost several thousand dollars. Critics say that the World Cup is thus becoming an event for the rich, and not for ordinary fans.

The biggest debate, however, was about the new format. The national teams were divided into 12 groups of four teams each. The new round of 32 was reached by the top two of each group, but also by the eight best third-placed teams. Supporters of the format believe that more countries from Africa, Asia and Oceania now have a chance to take part. Opponents, on the other hand, fear that the quality will decline and that the players will be even more overburdened. A team that reaches the final must now play eight instead of seven matches.

For FIFA the expansion is above all big business, because more matches bring more revenue from television rights and from sponsors. The next World Cup in 2030 will cover as many as six countries on three continents. But does football really need such a big tournament?