Bielsa on 2026 World Cup: 48 teams is an experiment on the pitch | OneFootball

Marcelo Bielsa’s analysis once again became a central topic ahead of Uruguay’s clash with Mexico. In his meeting with the press, the coach praised the new format for the 2026 World Cup, a tournament that will, for the first time, bring together 48 teams. He explained that, from his perspective, the expansion could add interesting nuances to the development of the competition: “These are inventions that are verified in practice.”

The Rosario-born coach spoke before the match that La Celeste will play this Saturday on Mexican soil and took the opportunity to share his vision of the upcoming World Cup, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. He also recalled that in 2030, the multiple-host format will be repeated with Europe and Africa, in addition to the opening matches in the Río de la Plata region.

“Having 48 teams compete are inventions that are then verified in practice,” he stated bluntly about the expansion. According to him, the measure could prove positive for the competition. “Most likely, this new procedure will prove the organizers right because we will find that there are many teams with a level that enriches the competition,” he added.

Delving deeper into the sporting impact, the former Argentina national team coach emphasized that the expansion is not simply about adding more participants. “The idea of accepting more participating teams is not about satisfying someone’s desire to take part, but rather, I understand, it is so that the level is raised,” he analyzed, leaving open the possibility that the collective performance could vary up or down depending on what happens on the field.

In the same vein, he stressed that the main goal is to elevate the footballing offering. “The aim of a World Cup with these characteristics is to provide better spectacles, more beautiful matches, teams that play well, as well as top-level clashes,” he insisted. For him, only once the first matches are played will the true impact of the reform be able to be assessed.

The coach also referred to the role of football’s governing body. “For that, there are measures that I suppose FIFA will take accordingly,” he warned, mentioning climatic and organizational aspects that, in his opinion, affected the last Club World Cup. “If you look at the time and temperature at which the Club World Cup was played, it’s obvious the quality of play will be worse. If the rest and preparation processes are insufficient, football is worse,” he pointed out.

As a recommendation, he outlined a series of key points he considers crucial to guarantee the best possible scenario. He indicated that rest periods, match load, heat conditions, and cooling systems should be carefully reviewed, trusting that they will be addressed with the seriousness they deserve, just as other decisions made by the organization itself have been.

Towards the end, he highlighted the organization’s ability to adjust rules and promote improvements in the game. “FIFA is a specialist in valuing football and proposing modifications that constantly improve it,” he praised, citing technological advances as an example. “This system of judging through images has improved football, the system now used to judge offside has improved,” he recalled before closing with a hope: “Let’s hope they do so in these aspects so that the spectacle is better.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.