When co-hosts Mexico and South Africa set the ball rolling for the ‘biggest’ World Cup a little after midnight (IST) at the historic Azteca Stadium tomorrow, 11 June, it will mark the biggest gamble on the part of FIFA in the history of the game. As the jury is out on whether a 50 per cent increase in teams (48 from 32) at one go and a quantum leap in the number of matches will make the sport more inclusive, there are several points to ponder.    

It was nine years back during a FIFA Congress in 2017 that it had voted to make the World Cup a 48-team affair from the existing 32, which had been in place since 1998. ‘’This is a historic decision to shape the World Cup of the 21st century. Football is more than just Europe and South America and it should give more countries the chance to dream,’’ said Gianni Infantino, the then newly appointed FIFA president replacing the long-serving Sepp Blatter who exited amidst charges of large-scale corruption.

The expansionist plans of Infantino, with an eye on the windfall that TV revenue could generate if there were 104 matches instead of 64, has polarised the football world since then. The footballing elite of Europe — particularly La Liga and Bundesliga bosses — had resisted even as the Asian and African blocs lauded the move.

Infantino, however, tried to push the envelope a bit too soon when he advocated the expanded format from Qatar 2022 itself, but was shot down on........

© National Herald