GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — Not long after FIFA announced an expanded 48-team World Cup, criticism began to pour in about how the quality of the tournament would likely be worsened.The critics argued that by allowing smaller teams to the expanded field, the number of weak matchups would increase, as would the chances of lopsided results. But as the biggest World Cup ever progresses, those fears have not fully materialized. Through the first 24 games, the goal differential was unchanged compared to the tournament in Qatar in 2022, suggesting the larger field did not create more one-sided competition.Germany did rout newcomer Curacao 7-1, Qatar was trounced 6-0 by Canada, and Haiti was eliminated after two matches. But some of the less-traditional nations were able to hold their ground early on.Cape Verde, the fifth-lowest ranked team entering the World Cup and one of the smallest nations to ever make it to the tournament, pulled off one of the biggest surprises in World Cup history by holding European champions Spain to a 0-0 draw.
Congo, whose only other World Cup participation was in 1974 as Zaire, was unfazed while facing Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, holding one of the tournament favorites to a 1-1 draw.
