The FIFA Council voted on Tuesday to back President Gianni Infantino’s plan to expand the World Cup from 32 teams to 48 nations for the 2026 edition. Regardless of how critics may react, the politics of soccer have already moved on to the new reality: The horse-trading starts now.
The impact of this change goes well beyond the issues of how the final tournament is organized, and the Law of Unintended Consequences will certainly apply. No decision has yet been taken on how the 16 extra places will be divided among regional confederations, or how the qualification process will work.