Arsene Wenger optimistic 48-team World Cup won’t affect quality

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is confident that a 48-team World Cup won’t diminish the quality of the tournament. This is the first time in FIFA World Cup history that the quadrennial competition will have 48 teams.

Earlier editions of the World Cup had 32 teams. There have been a lot of discussions about whether FIFA’s decision to increase the number of teams will affect the overall quality.

Speaking at a panel alongside FIFA chief football officer, and former U.S. women’s national team head coach Jill Ellis ahead of Friday’s World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center, Wenger said, “I believe that 48 teams is the right number. It’s less than 25% for 211 countries who are affiliated to FIFA. That means one team out of four has a chance to participate. That means still 75% of the teams are not there.”

Wenger pointed to the recently contested FIFA U17 World Cup, which also had 48 teams.

“I’m quite optimistic, because to qualify you need to be beat the teams of your confederation, and that’s a sign of quality, it’s just down to results,” Wenger said.

“The teams are not there by coincidence because they’ve been invited. [They’re] here because they’ve beaten some teams in their confederation, but have a quality, and you look at the playoffs now, the quality of the players and the quality of the teams that we played there. So I’m optimistic about that.

“We had the same question to answer at the U17 World Cup and we were positively surprised [at the quality].”

Meanwhile, the venues and kickoff times for the 2026 edition won’t be released on the same day. FIFA will reveal the full match schedule on Saturday.

“We are quite confident that the quality of the pitches will be perfect because for two months before the competition there’s no games played on the pitches,” Wenger said.

“We learned a lot about how to protect better the teams after the draw, and on Saturday we have the places where the games will be played and as well the timing of the games and we consider a lot the best possibilities for the teams to be protected from heat and as well for the players where we have hydrating moments during the game but could be decided before the game.”

Wenger tagged England and France as the two hot favorites for the World Cup. The former Gunners manager said Les Bleus will be super favorites given their depth in the forward line.

“[England], they’re always near there to win it; semifinal, quarterfinal and final. And they have to make a step. They have the quality to do it.

“I still believe in Europe personally, by trying to be as objective as possible, that France is a super favorite just for one reason: It’s a country that has more quality strikers than any team in the world.”