To get rid of the worst invention… Why does FIFA need to expand the World Cup to 64 teams?

The system of qualifying the “best third-placed” to the knockout stages has again sparked controversy at the 2026 World Cup, after some observers and analysts described it as “football’s worst invention”.

According to a statement released by the network RCC: In France, critics of the system believe that the expansion of the tournament to 48 teams has made the group stage lose much of its importance, as most teams now have a wide chance of qualifying even without achieving exceptional results, opening the door to complex calculations and affecting competitiveness in the final stage of the first round.

Before the start of the tournament, many expected that the increase in the number of participants would lead to the widening of technical differences and the appearance of many hard-fought results, but the events of the first round showed a different picture in many matches.

While some of the big teams enjoyed wide victories, lesser-seeded teams managed to assert themselves, such as the Cape Verdean national team, who were held to a goalless draw against Spain, one of the most popular title contenders.

But the current criticism is not so much on a technical level as on the structure of the tournament itself.