Story · Gianni Infantino
New faces, gulfs in class and flawed drama: how 48 teams changed the World Cup
The Guardian analyzes the first 48-team men's World Cup, won by Spain in North America after 104 games over five-and-a-half weeks. The expansion brought new faces like Cape Verde and Curaçao, giving more nations knockout football opportunities. However, it also widened the gap between top and bottom teams, with five group matches featuring ranking gaps over 65 places. Only Uruguay among major teams suffered an early exit, while Iraq (-11) had the worst goal difference. The article notes both Maradona's enthusiasm for global inclusion and Löw's concerns about diluted quality were partially validated, and questions whether a 64-team format is next.
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