THE expansion from traditional 36 to 48 teams for the 2026 Fifa World Cup has indirectly lowered the standard of the tournament, according to Singapore football legend Fandi Ahmad.
While the change has allowed more smaller nations to make their debuts, he believes it has also given stronger teams a greater advantage.
“I think there are too many games,” he told theSun. “The quality has gone down, it has been good for bigger team. For the newcomers, I think they will be happy to be playing in the World Cup.
“But, for the competition itself, it can be lame sometimes. The bigger teams will be happy because they will gain advantage based on group seeding.”
The expanded 2026 World Cup has seen four countries, including Uzbekistan and Jordan, qualify for the tournament for the first time.
However, none of debutants managed to win in their opening matches with only Cape Verde earning a point after holding European champions Spain to a draw last Tuesday.
That result aside, Fandi’s concerns appear justified, particularly following Germany’s emphatic 7-1 victory over Curacao.
Although there have been numbers of unexpected results, the Singaporean believes the expansion diluted the true essence and quality of football’s biggest international competition.
“There will always be an upset but sometimes it will disrupt the true meaning of World Cup football. Some of (smaller team) get trashing. For the fans who watched 5-0 or 6-0 score line, this is not interesting anymore,” he added.
Although never taken part in the World Cup, Fandi has wide experience in international tournament after scored 55 goals from 101 official appearances for The Lions, making him the country’s all-time top scorer.
Widely regarded as one of the finest players of his generation, the former midfielder also enjoyed an illustrious club career, including a three-year stint with Dutch side FC Groningen beginning in 1983.
The increase in the number of teams has also made it difficult for Fandi to predict which nation will lift the trophy, believing that a clearer picture will only emerge in the knockout stages.
“With 48 teams still in the competition, it is hard to say. Maybe when it gets down to the last 16, then you can decide. But Argentina, France, Germany and England look exceptional. South Korea and Japan have also looked good,” he said.
