SSP Diaries | 48 vs 32: A FIFA World Cup triumph

Dubbed the greatest show on Earth, the 2026 FIFA World Cup got off to a wonderful start on June 11, 2026, and what a spectacle it has been so far. With the increase in team participation from the standard 32 to 48, there was an expectation that the standard of play and personal fitness would be lower than that seen in previous tournaments. Many thought the new formula was wrong, but from what was seen in the first round, one can only conclude that FIFA got it right. They now have the perfect formula and have released it for the world to see and judge as it goes through its 23rd cycle.

In my opinion, the overall standard of play has been the best seen in any World Cup. There are no longer any countries perceived as giants of the game. The playing field has been suddenly levelled by FIFA’s masterstroke in putting 48 teams on the world stage competing for the ultimate prize in world football. There are no obvious favourites, and many a giant has fallen at the hands of the minnows. There is no more dominance by European, North American, South American, or certain African nations. Iran has beaten France; Ghana held the once-great England to a nil-all draw in an epic encounter; and Brazil had to settle for a 1–1 draw against Morocco in the first round. This, coupled with a delightful mix of the young and the old, the soon-to-be-famous, the famous, and the infamous, creates the perfect blend of players. The first round of the 2026 World Cup is demonstrating that many nations have taken the game seriously and invested huge sums – because it is not a cheap sport – to maximise their chances of achieving glory. This augers well for the future of this global event.

Now, Cabo Verde is a country that no one gave any serious thought to prior to this event. They have truly surprised the world with some of the best performances seen in the game and are a testament to the fact that the proverbial playing field has been levelled. Cabo Verde drew nil-all with Spain; drew 2–2 with Uruguay, which lost 1–0 to Spain; and drew nil-all with Saudi Arabia. Senegal gave France and Norway a good run for their money and won their first game 5–0 against Iraq, while the great Germany was defeated by Ecuador 2–1, an unbelievable scenario until it played out before our very eyes! Together with Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, New Zealand, South Africa, Haiti, and Curaçao, the world has been treated to displays on the field of very high standards of football. Even if some do not make it to the second round, FIFA can rest assured that the current formula is a good one, demonstrating an evolution that is trending in the right direction.

Success is never without its challenges. The USA’s refusal to allow entry to the highly rated and gifted Somali referee is evidence of the fact that politics still has an unacceptable influence in sports. In my humble opinion, the FIFA administration should have stood by its decisions where its officials were concerned and demanded the referee’s entry to carry out his functions on the world stage. One can only hope that there will not be a recurrence of such unwarranted actions, in the absence of a plausible explanation, on the part of a nation in the future. Perhaps the question of political interference in sports should be taken up at the UN level as this growing tendency impacts athletics, cricket, and, to a lesser extent, tennis, to name a few sports that have true global reach.

I would like to question the water-break rule that has crept into the sport and is most obvious in the staging of the 23rd World Cup. I think I recall seeing one match where there was one or no rehydration break. This break detracts from the momentum of play and is often a disadvantage to the team that has settled first or is about to settle. To ensure the health of the players, it might be prudent to scientifically determine the temperature at which such a break is necessary, and where the temperature is below that figure, the game is allowed to flow freely. The breaks witnessed so far are so well-choreographed that I am left to wonder if they are designed to enhance media exposure or bring football closer to the American sporting culture of competing in quarters. With the standard of physical fitness displayed in round one, rehydration breaks should only be necessary where temperatures exceed the regulated norm. This goes a long way in assisting teams to strategise, play at their best, and keep the game flowing.

There is much good that will come out of the 2026 World Cup as well as a few negatives. FIFA now has the task of reflecting on these issues, developing strategies to improve areas that need improvement, and ridding itself of negative influences. The game is too beautiful and too great an experience for the world not to enjoy it in as perfect a setting as is humanly possible.

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