In the least surprising news of all time, there is probably going to be more football. The game’s determination to eat itself in the name of big revenue, not to mention pushing the physical wellbeing of players like some mad Buckaroo experiment, is unmatched. Gianni Infantino, Fifa’s president, has conceded that he is examining an expansion to 64 teams for the next World Cup.
Is it worth even feigning shock for effect? The 48-team World Cup was only ever a placeholder, another step along the road to a World Cup every day in every country just so long as the revenue generation curve never dips. Football has no new ideas, just the same ones bigger. I dunno, call them all Super Bowls or something? It’s the post-truth age anyway. Nobody cares if it makes sense.
We should point out that this is not a done deal yet. In his interview with a Swiss media outlet, Infantino insisted that the issue will be “examined and debated within the relevant committees”. To which I’d say that… sorry I can’t. If I speak I am in big trouble.
The most galling thing: this works as a concept. That is how they get you. You thought a 48-team tournament was flawed? You didn’t like the eight third-place finishers and countries hanging on during an unfair process? Yeah nor us, rubbish isn’t it. But we can’t go back to 32 teams now so we’ll just have to go bigger. What else is a poor governing body to do?
