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

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

The Rosario native spoke before the match that the Celeste will play this Saturday in Aztec territory and took the opportunity to share his vision of the next 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.

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

Delving into the sporting impact, the former coach of the Argentine national team 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 participate, but I understand it is to raise the level," he analyzed, leaving open the possibility that collective performance might vary upwards or downwards depending on what happens on the field.

In the same vein, he stressed that the main goal is to elevate the football proposal. "The objective of a World Cup with this characteristic is to offer better spectacles, more beautiful matches, teams that play well, as well as high-level confrontations," he insisted. For him, only when the first matches are played can the true scope of the reform be evaluated.

The coach also referred to the role of the governing body of football. "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 evident that the play will be worse. If the rest and preparation processes are insufficient, football is worse," he pointed out.

As a recommendation, he proposed a series of points he considers key to ensuring the best possible scenario. He indicated that rest periods, match load, heat conditions, and cooling systems should be reviewed in detail, trusting that they will be treated with the seriousness they deserve, just like other decisions made by the organization itself.

In closing, 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 advancements as an example. "This system of judging through images has improved football, the system currently used to assess offside has improved," he recalled before concluding with a hope: "Let's hope it does 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.