The Expanded World Cup Format - Are You Converted After the First Week

[Estuary59]

The 48-team World Cup was the most debated format change in tournament history before it started. A week in, with Germany 7-1 Curacao as the argument against and Japan 2-2 Netherlands as the argument for, Ivory Coast's last-minute winner over Ecuador, Scotland beating Haiti, and Australia upsetting Turkey all providing evidence in various directions, we have something more than theory to work with.

The group stage has produced genuine drama and genuine mismatches in roughly equal measure. The question is whether that ratio is acceptable, whether the format serves the sport's development goals even when the football is uncompetitive, and whether the overall experience of following a 48-team tournament is better or worse than following a 32-team one.

Have the first days converted you, confirmed your scepticism, or left you where you started?

[Paul73]

I was sceptical before and the Germany vs Curacao result confirmed what I expected. But Japan vs Netherlands on the same day reminded me that you take the whole package or nothing. Still slightly against but holding it lightly

[Orbit William]

The Curacao equaliser against Germany briefly giving a nation of 156,000 people a World Cup memory is worth a great deal. Whether it is worth the tactical mismatch that followed is genuinely a values question not a football question

[Rory84]

Scotland winning their group game after 28 years, Australia beating Turkey, Ivory Coast scoring a 90th minute winner. The expanded format produced all of those stories. I am converted

[GlassKnight35]

The scheduling is the thing that is actually bothering me. 104 games across three countries across multiple time zones means genuinely good matches are happening at times when most of the world is asleep

[NealBinnom-Williams]

The 32-team format excluded Scotland, excluded some of the nations that have produced the tournament's best stories this week. The argument for expansion is also an argument for who gets to participate in the sport's biggest moment

[Amber Tiger]

Germany 7-1 Curacao is the worst version of the expanded format. But it was also Curacao's only ever World Cup game and they got a goal and they had a moment. The meaning is different for both sides

[Bussin]

I keep thinking about who was excluded from 32-team tournaments to make room for the fourth-place European qualifier. The expanded format does not create the mismatches, it just makes them visible

[ProperMadLad]

I had a specific opinion before the tournament and the first week has left me uncertain about whether it was right. That might be the most honest position