World Cup expansion raises concerns over popular appeal and commercialization

The upcoming World Cup, running from June 11 to July 19, promises to be a tournament of a new kind, expanding to 48 teams and featuring 104 matches spread across Canada, the United States, and Mexico. This extended format, covering four time zones, is expected to dominate evenings and nights for a significant period.

Significant doubts linger regarding the tournament's popular success, particularly in the United States, where football's cultural footprint has evolved since the 1994 World Cup, which still holds the record for spectator numbers. Factors such as discouraged international travel and a diminished sense of fascination with the host nation contribute to this uncertainty. The article also points to potential challenges posed by climate conditions, including heat, humidity, and storms, which could prove more formidable than some opponents.

Despite these concerns, FIFA, under President Gianni Infantino, is promoting the event by highlighting the participation of smaller football nations like Haiti, Iraq, Curaçao, Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, and Jordan. However, the article critiques FIFA's commercial strategy, which includes deregulated ticket prices, authorized resale, mid-game concerts, and "cooling breaks" designed to maximize advertising revenue. This approach is seen as prioritizing profit over the sport's intrinsic value.

The expansionist vision extends beyond this tournament, with plans for the 2030 World Cup to be held across three continents and the 2034 edition potentially featuring an even larger number of teams, possibly awarded to Saudi Arabia. The article questions what football itself stands to gain from these increasingly commercialized and geographically dispersed events, suggesting that Infantino's leadership resembles that of a multinational CEO focused on revenue generation.