Feature
Inside the 48-team World Cup: bigger, longer, richer
The expansion remakes the economics of football’s showpiece — for better and worse.
Quick Summary
The leap to 48 teams has remade the economics of football’s showpiece, adding matches, host cities and broadcast inventory — and lengthening a tournament that now stretches well over a month.
More for everyone?
Smaller federations gain access and revenue, but players and critics warn about fixture congestion, travel and the dilution of early-round jeopardy.
Whether the format becomes the new normal may hinge on how this first edition is judged.
Senior Sports Writer
Tharindu follows Sri Lanka Cricket home and away and writes on the wider sporting world.
