When the expansion of the 2026 World Cup to 48 teams instead of the previous 32 was announced, skepticism arose among fans. Although the additional ten days of competition and forty extra matches in the tournament involving three countries seemed appealing to some fans, critics pointed to increased opportunities for profit and concerns about a decline in game quality and excessive player fatigue, especially under the heat of North America.
Many former professionals argued that the true magic of the World Cup lies in the confrontation of the best players from around the world. One constant critic, experienced Ghanaian coach Carlos Keiroz, noted after his team was eliminated from the tournament that value arises when events are rare, and too many teams can make the competition 'vulgar and mundane.'
However, closer to the final, many admit that the positive aspects of the expanded tournament outweigh any drawbacks. More matches mean more revenue: according to The Athletic, FIFA forecasts revenue of about $9 billion in 2026, significantly higher than the previous record of $5.769 billion in 2022. These funds, the organization claims, are directed towards the development of football worldwide.
Furthermore, the expanded format provided a platform for countries and players who rarely appeared on the global football stage, especially from the Global South, to demonstrate their talent. The discussion has now shifted from whether 48 teams were too many to whether 64 teams should participate in the 2030 tournament.
The level of national teams has risen in many parts of the world due to financial development support and growing diaspora participation. International football, which limits time for intensive coaching, often acts as an equalizer. In the 2022 tournament in Qatar, eighteen Global South nations participated. In 2026, depending on the definition of the term, at least 26 such countries are participating.
South America, as always, showed strong results. The African continent attracted particular attention, with its representation increasing from five teams to a record ten, while four countries debuted at the World Cup: Cabo Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan. Nearly half of the 32 and 16-team qualifying rounds consisted of Global South nations, and nine African teams reached the playoffs, exceeding the previous record of two teams.
Besides the reigning World Champion Argentina, Morocco became a bright representative of the Global South. The 'Atlas Lions' reached the quarterfinals, and their gradual progress—including the semi-final in 2022 and victory in the controversial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations—makes them a team to watch, given that the country will be one of the host nations for the 2030 World Cup.
Although Morocco was not a complete surprise, it is clear that several lesser-known teams did not just participate to fill spots. The incredible journey of Cabo Verde, the island nation off the west coast of Africa with a population of about 530,000, is likely to be the most memorable story. This small nation managed to play against both finalists—Spain and Argentina—in regular time before losing to the reigning champion Argentina in extra time in the Round of 32.
The performance of 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha and the widespread support he received will remain in the memory of football fans. His clean sheet against Spain led to an almost instantaneous explosion in popularity: the player's Instagram followers grew from less than 50,000 to over 29 million. The story of his mother missing the match touched hearts around the world.
Participation in the most-watched sporting event on the planet helps lay the foundation for future development. The Cape Verdean association will receive about $13.5 million for its participation and progress, which, after covering expenses, is intended for further promotion of sports in the country. After DR Congo reached the playoffs, striker Yoan Wissa stated: 'Now any African team can dream bigger.' Thanks to such breakthroughs, successes, and surprises of 2026, more players and teams from around the world can look to 2030 and think: 'It could be us.'
Mandla Mashimi, head coach of the Proteas Women's team, believes that the team has confidently entered the ranks of leading global squads, but warns that to win the long-awaited ICC trophy, they need to improve their attacking play and increase squad depth.
South Africa's campaign at the World Cup ended in deep disappointment on Thursday, as England demonstrated flawless play and advanced to the final, thus dashing Proteas' hopes of participating in the last two major ICC finals. Acknowledging the loss, Mashimi emphasized that exiting the semi-finals should not completely overshadow the structural progress achieved by his team.
After the match, Mashimi stated: 'I take nothing for granted. If we got this far, it means we did something right. Maybe not how we wanted, but ultimately we want to win the World Cup, and we did that.' The coach did not hesitate to admit England's clear superiority that evening, noting: 'They were incredible. Frankly, the two best teams in the tournament are in the final.'
Mashimi dismissed suggestions that tactical changes in batting order hindered South Africa's rhythm, instead placing the blame on the batting unit, which failed to play cohesively throughout the tournament, despite the outstanding individual performance of opening batter Tazmin Brits. He noted: 'We believe in every player in the batting line-up. They just need to perform their role well. I just don't think we played well today.'
Analyzing the entire tournament, he identified the batting unit as the biggest area requiring immediate technical improvement, while unanimously praising his team's bowling stability. Mashimi observed: 'We were able to score runs early in the game in most matches, and we were able to control the middle overs in most games. The only thing I can say is that we probably didn't show our best potential in terms of batting. We are a strong team, and today probably testifies to that in terms of lack of boundaries. If you don't hit boundaries in T20 cricket, you will be criticized.'
England successfully recovered from a dangerous deficit of 23/3 thanks to an impressive stabilizing partnership between Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight. Mashimi felt this demonstrates the immense value of international experience under pressure. The coach admitted: 'They handled the pressure and returned it to us. That's what happens when you have experienced players in the middle.'
Looking ahead, Mashimi agreed that it would be very beneficial for South Africa to add another spin specialist to complement the threat of left-arm orthodox bowler Nonkululeko Mlaba, although he stressed that batting remains one of the team's strongest fundamental aspects. He also expressed great hope that veteran fast bowler Shabnim Ismail would continue her international career, making a remarkable return from retirement to lead the attack in this tournament.
Mashimi concluded: 'She is still here for a long time. She is still a very Proteas player.' He explained that Ismail's return was due to the unique set of skills she offers with the new ball alongside Marizanne Kapp, while emphasizing the need to develop the next generation of fast bowlers. 'The most important thing is to go back to the drawing board and ensure we implement processes so that we have players who will do no less, and possibly better,' he said.
The tournament also secured South Africa qualification for the return of cricket at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, which, in Mashimi's view, will be significant for women's cricket, even if his immediate focus remained on the World Cup. 'I think this is very important for women's cricket,' he stated. Nevertheless, the main message from the Proteas coach was directed towards prospects, not despair. When asked about the disappointment of another semi-final exit, he said: 'What a pain? You just lose and learn. We learned a lot from this World Cup, and we must ensure we go back to the drawing board and implement what will make us a little more dangerous and a little better.'
