STEWART Regan, the chief executive of Scottish Football Association, feels that the Fifa Council's decision to expand the World Cup tournament from 32 to 48 teams for 2026 is a blessing for smaller countries like Scotland.
Speaking after the vote in Zurich yesterday - which unanimously rubber stamped Fifa president Gianni Infantino's plan to make the first changes to the format of the four-yearly showpiece since 1998 - Regan welcomed the news, even though it is unlikely to alter the qualification equation for Gordon Strachan's national team too greatly.
The 48 teams will be divided into 16 groups of three, with the two top teams in every group going into a 32-team knockout stage. The plan could generate as much as £1bn in additional revenue but as little as three of the additional teams could come from the Uefa grouping.
The final details of the qualification progress for 2026 - and the host nation - has yet to be confirmed, amid speculation that the South American and North American qualifying groups could be merged. Scotland haven't reached any finals competition since 1998, the first year when the number of competing teams was increased from 24 to 32.
“We are pleased with the news that the World Cup will expand to 48 teams from 2026," said Regan in a statement. “We believe this is a positive step, particularly for the smaller nations, and will allow more fans across the globe to revel in their country’s participation at a World Cup finals. This will also allow these nations to invest further in their footballing infrastructure and youth development, which in turn can yield significant social benefits.
“The exploits of Wales, Iceland, and Northern Ireland at Euro 2016 showed what an impact the smaller teams can have, and how beneficial to a tournament their participation can be," he added. "A greater eclectic mix of footballing cultures at the FIFA World Cup will create a bigger and better a
atmosphere than ever before.”
His enthusiasm for the plan wasn't shared by everyone however. The influential European Club Association re-iterated their opposition to the plans and insisted that the consequences of the new format would be fully analysed at their next executive board meeting at the end of the month.
"We fail to see the merits to changing the current format of 32 that has proven to be the perfect formula from all perspectives," a statement read. "Questionable is also the urgency in reaching such an important decision, with 9 years to go until it becomes applicable, without the proper involvement of stakeholders who will be impacted by this change. We understand that this decision has been taken based on political reasons rather than sporting ones and under considerable political pressure, something ECA believes is regrettable."
While the number of games at the tournament is increased from 64 to 80, and it remains inside a 32-day schedule, one idea being floated is penalty shoot-outs to settle the results of all drawn games, amid concerns over an increase in the amount of teams colluding in their final group games to eliminate others from the tournament. The first World Cup, hosted in Uruguay in 1930, included just 13 teams.
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