Who wins from a 48-team football tournament - Fans, players, or organisers?
The recent football tournament in the USA was no ordinary event for many reasons, one of which was that it had way more teams.
Instead of seeing 32 nations compete for the big prize, it was decided to increase the number to 48, which meant the competition had a total of 104 matches. This sounded amazing on paper, at least when people first heard about it, but the expansion actually resulted in people asking whether it was the right decision.
Football predictions
More inclusion, but at a price
There is no denying that football fans are the clear winners when it comes to access. There were more teams than ever before, and this allowed people to watch way more games. Considering that such a tournament brings national pride and attention for the domestic league and young players, many nations benefited from the new format.
To be fair, the new format also revealed that many of the underdogs can surprise everyone with their results, especially online bettors in the UK. After checking the football predictions for some matches, it became clear that even the best tipsters have become more careful. Paraguay, for example, eliminated Germany and Morocco defeated the Netherlands in the Round of 32. This revealed that the expanded format can give lower-ranked teams more chances to challenge the traditional powerhouses. Needless to say, many tipsters did not take this into account.
Although fans can watch far more games than before, their benefits have limits. Many believe that the competition does not feel as prestigious as before because there are teams that have never qualified in the past. Also, the new format made it complicated for those interested in watching the matches, as everything seemed more expensive.
More pressure on some players
The new format definitely created an interesting atmosphere for players. Some of the footballers from countries that rarely qualify for such a competition are fully aware that moments like this are life-changing. They have the chance to shine on the big stage, gain international visibility and represent communities that are often overlooked.
We also have to mention another benefit - money. Organisers have said they will distribute over 871M to the 48 different countries, which means that some countries will get a big boost for their local leagues.
However, we have to address that the physical cost is real. The fact that footballers have to play way more games due to the new format means that there is more pressure on everyone. The longer tournament also requires managers to be more flexible and be very careful when deciding which players to trust and how to rotate their squads.
The biggest winner
Considering all of the new rules and everything we mentioned so far, it seems like the organising body is the big winner from the new format. All of the new teams and expanded format create more opportunities for broadcasting deals, sponsors, advertising and ticket sales in the UK, as well as in many other parts of the world. Considering that a portion of that goes to the participating countries, it can be presented as a benefit to football.
Outside of the financial side of things, the organising body also gained massive influence. The organization controls the format, advertising rights and everything else around that. It comes as no surprise that this was more than just a football tournament; it's a business model.
Will the new format keep its appeal?
There is no arguing that having more matches sounded like an amazing idea at first because football fans have a lot more games to watch. However, having too many games also means that the competition can feel less special. This is something that has been bothering many people, and it remains one of the biggest issues.
Speaking of issues, we also have to address the competitive balance. Underdog can and have produced surprising results, but there were definitely a handful of Group Stage matches that were not exciting at all.
Conclusion
Having a 48-team World Cup is not automatically bad for football. As we have seen, fans, players and organisers have benefited greatly from the new format in many ways. Yet, there are also many drawbacks that have to be addressed and it seems like many people forget to talk about them.
Disclaimer. Be Gamble Aware. For advice and support for gambling or gambling addiction there are a number of organisations in the UK you can contact such as Gamble Aware or Gam Care