Cricket World Cup - Will expansion lead to elevation?
The article discusses the expansion of the FIFA World Cup to 48 teams, noting that the tournament has remained competitive despite initial skepticism. It highlights the success of underdog teams like Cape Verde and mentions future hosting plans for the 2026 and 2030 editions.
Why it matters
The expansion of major global sporting events impacts the commercial viability and competitive integrity of professional sports on a worldwide scale.
It feels like it was only the other night that co-hosts Mexico and South Africa kicked off the 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup, and here we are with only two of the gargantuan 104 matches left to play in the tournament.
One of them, the third-place playoff, is a match no team wants to feature in. It is not even a necessary evil, a consolation prize that offers scant to no consolation. Just days after suffering heartbreaking losses to Spain and Argentina respectively, expecting France and England to put on a show is asking for a little too much. But such are the demands on modern professional sport that the show must go on, no matter that the protagonists believe it is nothing if not a formality.
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