ICC’s expansion of the men’s 50-over World Cup and FIFA’s debate on a 64-team format show how global sports bodies are balancing elite quality with wider participation.
GS2EssayThe HinduGS2Cricket World Cup expansionFIFA World Cup format debateglobal sports governance
Expansion of marquee sports tournaments is now a governance choice, not just a format change
Football has already tested the expansion argument
The men’s 2026 FIFA World Cup is down to its last two matches and has not turned into the one-sided event critics feared after FIFA enlarged the field to 48 teams. The note cites Cape Verde’s strong showing and says FIFA president Gianni Infantino is now openly considering an even larger 64-team tournament in the future.
The implied argument is that a larger World Cup can still preserve interest if the expanded format produces competitive narratives, surprise results, and wider continental representation. The men’s 2026 tournament suggests that expansion does not automatically destroy quality.
Cricket’s 50-over format is under pressure from Twenty20 cricket
