FIFA has not even debuted its expanded 48-team World Cup format yet, but talk is already emerging about an even bigger tournament. On The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon, the hosts discussed reports that FIFA is exploring the possibility of expanding the World Cup to 64 teams in the future.
Jason Smith said the conversation shouldn't come as a surprise. In his view, the overwhelming popularity of international soccer and the continued growth of the World Cup make further expansion almost inevitable. Smith noted that major tournaments often evolve over time, and the World Cup has already expanded multiple times throughout its history.
According to Smith, the success of recent FIFA events in North America is proof that demand for the sport continues to rise. He argued that adding more teams creates more opportunities for countries around the world to participate, bringing new fan bases into the tournament and increasing the global reach of the sport. While critics immediately point to concerns about the competition being watered down, Smith believes those fears are overblown.
Watch the Discussion here:
Smith pushed back against the idea that a larger field would damage the quality of the World Cup. His argument was simple: the best teams usually reach the latter stages regardless of format. Whether the field contains 32, 48 or 64 nations, he believes powerhouse countries will still find their way into the semifinals and final.
He also pointed to the value of underdog stories. Expanding the tournament gives more nations a chance to experience the World Cup stage, potentially creating new memorable moments and surprise runs that help grow the game worldwide. Smith argued that those stories are part of what makes international soccer compelling in the first place.
Harmon acknowledged that many soccer fans have already expressed concerns about expansion, with some arguing that increasing the number of nations could lessen the exclusivity of qualifying for the tournament. However, Smith countered that sports continually evolve and that resistance often comes whenever major changes are introduced.
Ultimately, Smith's prediction was straightforward: if FIFA eventually moves to a 64-team World Cup, fans may complain at first, but they'll quickly embrace it once the matches begin. In his view, more teams, more games and more global participation would only make the sport's biggest event even bigger.