New faces, gulfs in class and flawed drama: how 48 teams changed the World Cup

The first 48-team World Cup had its positives and negatives – do we need to brace for a 64-team future? It was less than 12 months after Gianni Infantino succeeded Sepp Blatter as president that Fifa announced the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 32 to 48 teams. The reaction was mixed. Diego Maradona said he wa…

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