Ghana’s Coach Carlos Queiroz Slams Expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup

Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz has criticised the expansion of the FIFA World Cup to 48 teams, arguing that the new format has weakened the value of qualifying for football’s biggest tournament and made the competition “vulgar and ordinary”.

Naija News reports that the 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature 48 countries, marking the end of the 32-team format that has been in place since 1998.

FIFA approved the expansion in 2017 after strong backing from president Gianni Infantino, who said the move would give more countries and supporters the chance to experience the World Cup.

Critics, however, have long argued that the decision was driven more by financial gains than sporting merit.

Queiroz, who has managed 11 national teams during a coaching career spanning more than four decades, guided Ghana into the knockout stage after a victory over Panama and a draw with England secured one of the best third-placed spots.

Despite benefiting from the new system, the 73-year-old insisted he does not believe third-placed teams should advance beyond the group phase.

Speaking after Ghana’s 2-1 defeat to Croatia in Philadelphia on Saturday, Queiroz said: “I believe that value comes when things are rare.

“The number of teams that can qualify for this competition can turn it into something vulgar and ordinary. When so many teams can qualify, is the value still rare? That would seem debatable to me but it is only my opinion.”

Queiroz, who was appointed Ghana manager in April, became only the second coach, after Bora Milutinovic, to appear at five consecutive World Cups. He previously led Portugal to the 2010 finals and Iran to the next three tournaments, having also guided South Africa to the 2002 World Cup.

He also questioned the growing number of qualification places available, particularly in South America, where six of the continent’s 10 teams now qualify automatically and a seventh can still reach the finals through the inter-confederation play-offs.

“The real success now in South America would be in not qualifying,” he said.

“Who did not qualify in Europe? The qualification tournaments start to lose their significance if everyone qualifies. Qualification should be serious, it should be very tough, very competitive.

“The World Cup should be something with meaning and significance. It should be rare. But, as you know, today money talks in the game.

“Where we used to talk about football, it is now Moneyball.”