The positives of the “48 teams” in the World Cup are more than the negatives

Athletes confirmed that the 2026 World Cup achieved great gains by increasing the number of participating teams to 48, noting that the fears that accompanied the implementation of the new system, represented by the possibility of a decline in the technical level or the fans feeling bored, due to the increase in the number of matches and the length of the tournament, did not materialize, stressing that the positives were much greater than the negatives.

They told Emirates Al-Youm that the most notable gains of the new system were giving a number of teams a historic opportunity to participate in the World Cup for the first time, which was not possible under the previous system.

They added that the expansion also contributed to increasing the fan base that follows and supports its teams, which has enhanced the spread of football globally and enriched the tournament with new success stories, while maintaining the strength of competition, especially in the knockout rounds.

Greater comprehensiveness

The former coach of Al-Jazira Club, Tunisian Noureddine Boufalgha, said that the new system gave the opportunity to participate for teams that had not previously been able to reach the World Cup, such as Jordan, Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, and Curacao, which strengthened the principle of the tournament’s comprehensiveness, and gave the fans of those countries the opportunity to live the atmosphere of the World Cup for the first time.

He added: “It is important to emphasize that increasing the number of teams to 48 did not affect the quality of the tournament. Although some of the teams performed at relatively modest levels, they played matches against major football schools such as Spain, France and Argentina, which provided them with valuable experiences and proved that the expansion did not detract from the technical level of the competitions.”

Financial returns

For his part, former Hatta and current United player, Moroccan Anis Karimi, said that the 48 participating teams benefited from the financial returns allocated for participation in the tournament, which will help many national federations implement development projects, including investment in age groups, developing infrastructure, and upgrading team preparation programs.

He added: “The expansion confirmed that football has become more global than ever before. Giving new teams the opportunity to participate does not only serve those teams, but also reflects positively on the development of the game in their countries, and motivates new generations to play football and strive to reach the highest levels.”

In turn, the top scorer in the First Division League and the French Fujairah Club player, Sander Benbachir, confirmed that the 48-team system represents an important step towards enhancing the spread of football globally, explaining that increasing the number of participating teams allows more countries to appear in the largest football forum, and also contributes to increasing economic returns through television broadcasting rights, sponsorship contracts, and tourism activity associated with hosting the tournament.

He added: “This system gives teams that had difficulty qualifying during previous editions the opportunity to gain important international experience through contact with the best football schools. It also allows a larger number of players to participate in the World Cup and showcase their abilities to international audiences.” Benbachir concluded: “If the goal is to expand football’s representation base and contribute to developing the game globally, then the 48-team system is an appropriate option. If the priority is the highest possible technical level, a smaller system may be more appropriate, but I believe that the beauty of football lies in giving everyone the opportunity to dream and participate in the World Cup, because it is a tournament whose value goes beyond the limits of sports competition to humanitarian and developmental dimensions.”

• Fears of implementing the new system that would increase the number of matches and lengthen the duration of the tournament did not materialize.