FIFA World Cup 2026 :Canada/Mexico/United States: Discussion Thread

[Lidger]

We should not expect to see Neymat playing in the good for when he comes back to play for Al Hilal and Brazil. Neymar was a good player when he was younger but he is out of good form and he is getting injured more often which is a reason to say Neymar is not stable anymore.
Brazil was relying on Neymar before but they should learn to pay attention to the younger player and find their new Neymar.

If Neymar is not injured then surely he will do well either for the national team or Saudi League club Al Hilal. We saw how the Brazil team did without Neymar at the 2022 World Cup and Neymar's absence was clearly evident in the Copa America. Neymar is a talented player and has no shortage of skills so he needs to defend himself before playing well. I believe if he performs a full season fit for any team he will surpass all players. 
One of Neymar's biggest regrets is that even with so much talent in football, he was unable to express his talent due to injuries and was unable to crown Europe's best. The whole career has gone to injury, so the hope of Neymar will be great at the end.

[Sithara007]

If Neymar is not injured then surely he will do well either for the national team or Saudi League club Al Hilal. We saw how the Brazil team did without Neymar at the 2022 World Cup and Neymar's absence was clearly evident in the Copa America. Neymar is a talented player and has no shortage of skills so he needs to defend himself before playing well. I believe if he performs a full season fit for any team he will surpass all players. 
One of Neymar's biggest regrets is that even with so much talent in football, he was unable to express his talent due to injuries and was unable to crown Europe's best. The whole career has gone to injury, so the hope of Neymar will be great at the end.

I am not sure whether Neymar will ever again play for Al Hilal. Back in April, he made an announcement that he will leave the Saudi Club next year and go back to Brazil. So far, he has played only 5 matches for the club in Saudi Pro League. Almost a year back, he suffered an injury to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and this was the last time that he played competitive football. There were some rumors that he will be part of the Al Hilal squad for the Saudi Super Cup, but the team management later confirmed that he's not ready yet. 

[criptoevangelista]

We should not expect to see Neymat playing in the good for when he comes back to play for Al Hilal and Brazil. Neymar was a good player when he was younger but he is out of good form and he is getting injured more often which is a reason to say Neymar is not stable anymore.
Brazil was relying on Neymar before but they should learn to pay attention to the younger player and find their new Neymar.

If Neymar is not injured then surely he will do well either for the national team or Saudi League club Al Hilal. We saw how the Brazil team did without Neymar at the 2022 World Cup and Neymar's absence was clearly evident in the Copa America. Neymar is a talented player and has no shortage of skills so he needs to defend himself before playing well. I believe if he performs a full season fit for any team he will surpass all players. 
One of Neymar's biggest regrets is that even with so much talent in football, he was unable to express his talent due to injuries and was unable to crown Europe's best. The whole career has gone to injury, so the hope of Neymar will be great at the end.

I can certainly say that Neymar is the best Brazilian player to emerge in the last 15 years.

He was hampered by injuries, but one thing is certain: he could have been much greater than he was if, instead of choosing to be a celebrity, he chose to be a real athlete, like Cristiano Ronaldo chose. Neymar has the gift of playing, but he often relaxed when it came to physical preparation and rest from matches. This may have been one of the reasons for so many injuries throughout his career.

[Forsyth Jones]

I can certainly say that Neymar is the best Brazilian player to emerge in the last 15 years.

He was hampered by injuries, but one thing is certain: he could have been much greater than he was if, instead of choosing to be a celebrity, he chose to be a real athlete, like Cristiano Ronaldo chose. Neymar has the gift of playing, but he often relaxed when it came to physical preparation and rest from matches. This may have been one of the reasons for so many injuries throughout his career.

I wonder if players like Neymar had the same focus as Ronaldo or Messi, Neymar would definitely be Goat and who knows, he might even win a FIFA World Cup. His natural talent is undeniable, but I think he still has the attitude of a child, he's very quarrelsome and a party animal, which undoubtedly affects his development and focus on professionalism.

[LUCKMCFLY]

~~ Snip ~~

That's what I believe will happen. He went to Saudi Arabia only because of the wear and tear he had at Paris Saint Germain, especially with Mbappé and the team's fans. Since there were no better offers from elite European teams, he decided to accept the petrodollars for a few years of football.

From what I've read, Neymar bought a plot of land in a gated community in Rio de Janeiro, where he intends to build a mansion, so everything indicates that he will soon return to Brazil and the team he's been flirting with is Flamengo, which in theory is the only team in Brazil that can afford to pay Neymar's high salary.

Neymar was never been in list of the Saudi League organizers as they were chasing Lionel Messi after having Cristiano Ronaldo but after rejection from the Messi they chase Neymar even we all know about Neymar and his injuries, so this gamble never works for them, and now they are facing consequences for this as well but now most chances we will have no elite club for the Neymar after end of this contract, and he will be headed for Brazilian Serie A because he can adjust in his own country.

But he is still good for the Brazilian team because currently they are having no big player who can do anything positive for them but due to long injuries things are not going as expected so Brazilian soccer future and Neymar both are hanging around with poor performance and struggling for the better days now we have to wait next World Cup qualifiers for having major updates about him.

Neymar was injured while strengthening the Brazilian National Team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, which made him have to miss the Copa America yesterday. I think Neymar will be fine when playing in the Saudi Pro League, because the level of play there is not so competitive, but Al Hilal must bear the risk when finding Neymar injured again after strengthening the Brazilian National Team. Neymar is known as the "glass player" because he often gets injured, and it seems that his injury this time is the worst. Hopefully he can get fit soon, and return to play for Al Hilal and can help the Brazilian National Team in the continuation of the World Cup qualifiers.

Meanwhile, we must admit that the Brazilian National Team lost a player who was able to make a difference when Neymar was absent, this confirms that his role is very much needed. Indeed, Brazil does not lack talented players, but they do not have the same flying hours as Neymar, his experience and expertise are difficult to find in other players. The upcoming 2026 World Cup event will most likely be the last event for Neymar, and for now it seems that he will stay in Saudi until his contract ends.

I think the biggest problem is not that he is in Saudi Arabia, the problem is that he has to improve quickly to be in optimal conditions to Compete for his country, Brazil is not doing very well in football right now. I think the problem is a lack of leadership. They need a more determined coach to get good results, because they haven't done well in the qualifiers for the next World Cup and that's something that has affected them a lot. They are much better off with Ney, and as soon as he is well, even if he lives on the other side of the world, he should go to help his Team.

[Zlantann]

I wonder if players like Neymar had the same focus as Ronaldo or Messi, Neymar would definitely be Goat and who knows, he might even win a FIFA World Cup. His natural talent is undeniable, but I think he still has the attitude of a child, he's very quarrelsome and a party animal, which undoubtedly affects his development and focus on professionalism.

We have so many players who would have been great if not for their bad character. I remember Adriano and Mario Balotelli had some unprofessional behavior, which made them achieve less than their capacity. However, Neymar had other issues with clubbing, womanizing, and excessive alcohol drinking. Such an unhealthy attitude will affect any player's fitness and performance. Legends like Ronaldo and Messi are uncommon because of hard work and discipline.

Ronaldo is known for his extraordinary physical training it was reported that he goes on vacation with his personal trainer because vacation wouldn't stop him from working on his body. The Portuguese once encouraged people to consume natural drinks like water rather than carbonated drinks containing sugar.

Besides his unruly behavior and unhealthy lifestyle, Neymar's biggest problem is injuries. His injury-prone nature has made him spend some of his productive football age on medication. He is just lucky that Al Hilal SFC decided to sign him even when they knew of his injury problems.

[bitgolden]

He is in the best possible place to play while he recovers from his injury and gains physical conditioning. The Saudi Arabian league is not as competitive as the major world leagues. Not that it is bad, but it is still evolving. Perhaps with the government's investments in clubs, this will change in the future. Unfortunately, Neymar got injured and the club that suffered the biggest loss was the club, which invested heavily in signing him and was unable to use his services as a football player.

I would guess that not only he is at the best place to recover, but he is at the best place to gain his confidence back as well. Until 2026, if he doesn't get injured again then it means he will recover and play against not so strong competition, some layers are there nowadays so it could be good enough, but I also saw that there some weak ones as well.

This would allow him to gain his confidence back by being good against all of them, and this should be a good thing because he will be better than most players there and he will do his best to do as well as he hopes. This should not be an issue, it could make it work like we are going to see him do his old style football. But this will of course take time for him to be ready for Brazil.

[Blitzboy]

We should not expect to see Neymat playing in the good for when he comes back to play for Al Hilal and Brazil. Neymar was a good player when he was younger but he is out of good form and he is getting injured more often which is a reason to say Neymar is not stable anymore.
Brazil was relying on Neymar before but they should learn to pay attention to the younger player and find their new Neymar.

If Neymar is not injured then surely he will do well either for the national team or Saudi League club Al Hilal. We saw how the Brazil team did without Neymar at the 2022 World Cup and Neymar's absence was clearly evident in the Copa America. Neymar is a talented player and has no shortage of skills so he needs to defend himself before playing well. I believe if he performs a full season fit for any team he will surpass all players. 
One of Neymar's biggest regrets is that even with so much talent in football, he was unable to express his talent due to injuries and was unable to crown Europe's best. The whole career has gone to injury, so the hope of Neymar will be great at the end.

Now, when Neymar's healthy, he's a decent player. A true superstar. Still, his stay in Al Hilal has not exactly been a fairy tale. Five games? That hardly counts as a warm-up. And you also know what? It's an absolute disgust. Injuries have deprived us as well as him of seeing him at his finest.

Considering his career, you see a typical case of "what could have been." Though he possessed all the ability in the world, those injuries continued to keep him back. Seeing him returning to Brazil next year makes one somewhat depressed.

Possibly, though, this is a fresh start. Perhaps at last he can concentrate on becoming fit, remaining on the field, and reminding everyone why he is among the most fascinating players on the planet. I hope we see more of the Neymar magic whether its in Brazil or someplace else.

[Lidger]

If Neymar is not injured then surely he will do well either for the national team or Saudi League club Al Hilal. We saw how the Brazil team did without Neymar at the 2022 World Cup and Neymar's absence was clearly evident in the Copa America. Neymar is a talented player and has no shortage of skills so he needs to defend himself before playing well. I believe if he performs a full season fit for any team he will surpass all players. 
One of Neymar's biggest regrets is that even with so much talent in football, he was unable to express his talent due to injuries and was unable to crown Europe's best. The whole career has gone to injury, so the hope of Neymar will be great at the end.

I am not sure whether Neymar will ever again play for Al Hilal. Back in April, he made an announcement that he will leave the Saudi Club next year and go back to Brazil. So far, he has played only 5 matches for the club in Saudi Pro League. Almost a year back, he suffered an injury to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and this was the last time that he played competitive football. There were some rumors that he will be part of the Al Hilal squad for the Saudi Super Cup, but the team management later confirmed that he's not ready yet. 

I have never seen Neymar announce that he will leave Saudi Arabia for Brazil. Before the start of the new season, Neymar is struggling to make a full return to the game and Al Hilal has posted pictures of him on their Facebook page, suggesting that Neymar will be playing for Al Hilal next season. As for Neymar, I don't think he is ready to leave Saudi Arabia at the moment because he has played very few matches for Saudi Arabia and Al Hilal has paid him a lot of money and also paid for his medical due to these few matches. So Neymar may want to stay in Saudi Arabia for one more season.

[Julien_Olynpic]

I think it is good news that 48 teams will take part in the championship instead of 32. I think that 48 teams are not enough, because football is a very popular game and essentially every country has national football teams. I would prefer to have 96 teams in the championship, not 48. After all, the more teams in the championship, the more representative the event is, and secondly, the more significant the victory will be. Can the championship be considered a world championship if it includes national teams from less than half of the countries in the world? Of course, this question is rhetorical and for now we will have to look only at games between teams from developed countries. However, as the economic level of many poor countries improves, they will also be able to present their national teams in the championship. It would be exciting to see a tournament table of 100 teams someday.

[bering]

I can certainly say that Neymar is the best Brazilian player to emerge in the last 15 years.

He was hampered by injuries, but one thing is certain: he could have been much greater than he was if, instead of choosing to be a celebrity, he chose to be a real athlete, like Cristiano Ronaldo chose. Neymar has the gift of playing, but he often relaxed when it came to physical preparation and rest from matches. This may have been one of the reasons for so many injuries throughout his career.

I wonder if players like Neymar had the same focus as Ronaldo or Messi, Neymar would definitely be Goat and who knows, he might even win a FIFA World Cup. His natural talent is undeniable, but I think he still has the attitude of a child, he's very quarrelsome and a party animal, which undoubtedly affects his development and focus on professionalism.

I very like to see when Neymar playing because his skill is very amazing but a bit dissapoint to see Neymar now and i think Neymar conditions eventually is similar just like other Brazilian players such as Adriano, Ronaldo Nazário or Ronaldinho which they have to retired early although at that time their age was not categorized as old players but because of their luxurious lifestyle and frequent late night partying which causes their performance decline and wasting their talent

I think Neymar career will similar just like Brazilian legend which i mentioned above especially with injured prone makes Neymar performance not as good as when he played at Barcelona and i think although Neymar will be fully recover and continue to playing with Al Hilal he wouldn't reach to his top performance again

[Hewlet]

I think it is good news that 48 teams will take part in the championship instead of 32. I think that 48 teams are not enough, because football is a very popular game and essentially every country has national football teams. I would prefer to have 96 teams in the championship, not 48. After all, the more teams in the championship, the more representative the event is, and secondly, the more significant the victory will be. Can the championship be considered a world championship if it includes national teams from less than half of the countries in the world? Of course, this question is rhetorical and for now we will have to look only at games between teams from developed countries. However, as the economic level of many poor countries improves, they will also be able to present their national teams in the championship. It would be exciting to see a tournament table of 100 teams someday.

having 99 or 100 teams in a world cup tournament is not necessary and will make it a bit disorganized. Continental qualifiers are organized to give room for all the different continent to compete and bring in there representative who will participate in the world cup tournament. It's not about a nation being a developed nation or another being non developed, the tournament is organized in such a way that it cuts across all regions such that non is left out. The arrangement for this sort of inclusivity follows this order;

AFC (Asia): Eight direct spots + one inter-confederation play-off place
CAF (Africa): Nine direct spots + one inter-confederation play-off place
Concacaf (North and Central America, plus the Caribbean): Six direct spots + two inter-confederation play-off places
CONMEBOL (South America): Six direct spots + one inter-confederation play-off place
OFC (Oceania): One direct spot + one inter-confederation play-off place
UEFA (Europe): 16 direct spots

The three host countries will automatically qualify for the tournament, thus occupying three of the Concacaf slots.

[fullhdpixel]

If Neymar is not injured then surely he will do well either for the national team or Saudi League club Al Hilal. We saw how the Brazil team did without Neymar at the 2022 World Cup and Neymar's absence was clearly evident in the Copa America. Neymar is a talented player and has no shortage of skills so he needs to defend himself before playing well. I believe if he performs a full season fit for any team he will surpass all players. 
One of Neymar's biggest regrets is that even with so much talent in football, he was unable to express his talent due to injuries and was unable to crown Europe's best. The whole career has gone to injury, so the hope of Neymar will be great at the end.

I am not sure whether Neymar will ever again play for Al Hilal. Back in April, he made an announcement that he will leave the Saudi Club next year and go back to Brazil. So far, he has played only 5 matches for the club in Saudi Pro League. Almost a year back, he suffered an injury to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and this was the last time that he played competitive football. There were some rumors that he will be part of the Al Hilal squad for the Saudi Super Cup, but the team management later confirmed that he's not ready yet. 

Officially no one having any time frame about Neymar's return into game because current situation is clearly indicating he is still recovering from his knee injury with his surgery were happened in November but still things are not ideal for his return into game even he is doing all other activities but having no training session or any workout about his return into soccer this is surely interesting even Al Hilal coach Jesus Jorge is also not having any update about his future.

After having all updates and news about Neymar I have strong feeling most chances he will be not able to join Al Hilal or his national team in coming few months because he is still not feeling comfortable with this injury, but we can expect him in second half of this current season this could be also interesting if we have Neymar on soccer ground in near future because still he is the best Brazilian player.

[fuguebtc]

I think it is good news that 48 teams will take part in the championship instead of 32. I think that 48 teams are not enough, because football is a very popular game and essentially every country has national football teams. I would prefer to have 96 teams in the championship, not 48. After all, the more teams in the championship, the more representative the event is, and secondly, the more significant the victory will be. Can the championship be considered a world championship if it includes national teams from less than half of the countries in the world? Of course, this question is rhetorical and for now we will have to look only at games between teams from developed countries. However, as the economic level of many poor countries improves, they will also be able to present their national teams in the championship. It would be exciting to see a tournament table of 100 teams someday.

I think 48 teams is the right amount of team. 96 teams is just too much. I know the more representation the better, for the clubs that are not “champions”, there are UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League for them.  The group stage structure is a little bit confusing for many people as well and it will take time to get used to them. The competition with 48 teams is complex enough so making the competition with 96 competing teams would be a very bad decision.

Also making 96 teams means players and teams will have to play more matches.
After the 48-match tournament introduction, teams will already have to play 1 more match than the previous seasons. Many players get injured due to heavy schedules and if by increasing the amount of matches, the quality of games would just drop.

It is true that if a 96-team tournament is held, it will help many poor countries. But I think if it is really necessary, then create another competition like the Conference League. I don’t see any point of a considerably weak team getting paired up against the likes of Real Madrid or Manchester City and then getting totally destroyed. This would just lower the quality of football, as mentioned before.

[Leviathan.007]

I think it is good news that 48 teams will take part in the championship instead of 32. I think that 48 teams are not enough, because football is a very popular game and essentially every country has national football teams. I would prefer to have 96 teams in the championship, not 48. After all, the more teams in the championship, the more representative the event is, and secondly, the more significant the victory will be. Can the championship be considered a world championship if it includes national teams from less than half of the countries in the world? Of course, this question is rhetorical and for now we will have to look only at games between teams from developed countries. However, as the economic level of many poor countries improves, they will also be able to present their national teams in the championship. It would be exciting to see a tournament table of 100 teams someday.

having 99 or 100 teams in a world cup tournament is not necessary and will make it a bit disorganized. Continental qualifiers are organized to give room for all the different continent to compete and bring in there representative who will participate in the world cup tournament. It's not about a nation being a developed nation or another being non developed, the tournament is organized in such a way that it cuts across all regions such that non is left out. The arrangement for this sort of inclusivity follows this order;

AFC (Asia): Eight direct spots + one inter-confederation play-off place
CAF (Africa): Nine direct spots + one inter-confederation play-off place
Concacaf (North and Central America, plus the Caribbean): Six direct spots + two inter-confederation play-off places
CONMEBOL (South America): Six direct spots + one inter-confederation play-off place
OFC (Oceania): One direct spot + one inter-confederation play-off place
UEFA (Europe): 16 direct spots

The three host countries will automatically qualify for the tournament, thus occupying three of the Concacaf slots.

More teams in the World Cup means having more weak teams in this tournament which can make the tournament not interesting to watch when we see weak teams playing against stronger teams like Germany and this does not even fans to watch something we already know the result. I think even if FIFA wanted to make 48 teams in the 2026 World Cup it should be permanent and for all the World Cups because this can not be good for the quality of the World Cup.
Regardless of that FIFA can earn more money by having more teams and this can be the benefit of having 48 teams.

[imamusma]

I think it is good news that 48 teams will take part in the championship instead of 32. I think that 48 teams are not enough, because football is a very popular game and essentially every country has national football teams. I would prefer to have 96 teams in the championship, not 48. After all, the more teams in the championship, the more representative the event is, and secondly, the more significant the victory will be. Can the championship be considered a world championship if it includes national teams from less than half of the countries in the world? Of course, this question is rhetorical and for now we will have to look only at games between teams from developed countries. However, as the economic level of many poor countries improves, they will also be able to present their national teams in the championship. It would be exciting to see a tournament table of 100 teams someday.

having 99 or 100 teams in a world cup tournament is not necessary and will make it a bit disorganized. Continental qualifiers are organized to give room for all the different continent to compete and bring in there representative who will participate in the world cup tournament. It's not about a nation being a developed nation or another being non developed, the tournament is organized in such a way that it cuts across all regions such that non is left out. The arrangement for this sort of inclusivity follows this order;

AFC (Asia): Eight direct spots + one inter-confederation play-off place
CAF (Africa): Nine direct spots + one inter-confederation play-off place
Concacaf (North and Central America, plus the Caribbean): Six direct spots + two inter-confederation play-off places
CONMEBOL (South America): Six direct spots + one inter-confederation play-off place
OFC (Oceania): One direct spot + one inter-confederation play-off place
UEFA (Europe): 16 direct spots

The three host countries will automatically qualify for the tournament, thus occupying three of the Concacaf slots.

More teams in the World Cup means having more weak teams in this tournament which can make the tournament not interesting to watch when we see weak teams playing against stronger teams like Germany and this does not even fans to watch something we already know the result. I think even if FIFA wanted to make 48 teams in the 2026 World Cup it should be permanent and for all the World Cups because this can not be good for the quality of the World Cup.
Regardless of that FIFA can earn more money by having more teams and this can be the benefit of having 48 teams.

Everything that changes in the upcoming 2026 World Cup aims to bring benefits to the organizers, in this case FIFA. The intensity of the competition seems to be fierce when entering the last 32, while in the group stage which is planned to be divided into 12 with 48 participants, I agree that the competition is likely to be unbalanced. We will be able to see the gap in strength in each team, so that it has the potential to reduce the quality of the World Cup. However, on the other hand, the reason for giving a fair opportunity to each federation with the addition of participants is also acceptable in my opinion.

References: https://www.fifa.com/en/articles/article-fifa-world-cup-2026-mexico-canada-usa-new-format-tournament-football-soccer

                  https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jun/13/three-hosts-48-teams-how-the-2026-world-cup-will-work-united

[slapper]

~snip~

I can certainly say that Neymar is the best Brazilian player to emerge in the last 15 years.

He was hampered by injuries, but one thing is certain: he could have been much greater than he was if, instead of choosing to be a celebrity, he chose to be a real athlete, like Cristiano Ronaldo chose. Neymar has the gift of playing, but he often relaxed when it came to physical preparation and rest from matches. This may have been one of the reasons for so many injuries throughout his career.

Clearly, Neymar is an amazing skill. Santos, Barcelona during the early years? Absolute magic. However, the man is a party animal. Same tale Adriano, Ronaldinho. Out the wazoo, talent; but, the lifestyle catches up

Injuries, inconsistency - that is the cost you pay. Football today is cruel. Ronaldo, Messi work very hard to maintain their status. Obsessive about their bodies, their game. Neymar? He's got the skills, but does he have the dedication?

Al Hilal is perhaps a fresh start. But the time on the clock is running. He is not aging any younger. Some men work things out and adjust. Others? They disappear from us

Neymar finds himself at a crossroads. Can he concentrate on his game and cut off the distractions? Alternatively will those early decisions follow him always? Time will say

[criptoevangelista]

~snip~

I can certainly say that Neymar is the best Brazilian player to emerge in the last 15 years.

He was hampered by injuries, but one thing is certain: he could have been much greater than he was if, instead of choosing to be a celebrity, he chose to be a real athlete, like Cristiano Ronaldo chose. Neymar has the gift of playing, but he often relaxed when it came to physical preparation and rest from matches. This may have been one of the reasons for so many injuries throughout his career.

Clearly, Neymar is an amazing skill. Santos, Barcelona during the early years? Absolute magic. However, the man is a party animal. Same tale Adriano, Ronaldinho. Out the wazoo, talent; but, the lifestyle catches up

Injuries, inconsistency - that is the cost you pay. Football today is cruel. Ronaldo, Messi work very hard to maintain their status. Obsessive about their bodies, their game. Neymar? He's got the skills, but does he have the dedication?

Al Hilal is perhaps a fresh start. But the time on the clock is running. He is not aging any younger. Some men work things out and adjust. Others? They disappear from us

Neymar finds himself at a crossroads. Can he concentrate on his game and cut off the distractions? Alternatively will those early decisions follow him always? Time will say

I don't believe in a new beginning for Neymar, he went to Arabia because of money and because he no longer has a market in the big European teams, after all, who would pay his salary to have a player who doesn't prioritize sport but chose to be a celebrity ? nothing against choices, but if I were the owner of a club I would look first at the sporting return that the athlete can bring... and in the case of Neymar, signing him is a very risky bet... In his 32 years it is the beginning physical decline of an athlete, a shame, although he doesn't have an end like Adriano, but there's always the feeling that he could have been much better than he is today.

[Webetcoins]

More teams in the World Cup means having more weak teams in this tournament which can make the tournament not interesting to watch when we see weak teams playing against stronger teams like Germany and this does not even fans to watch something we already know the result. I think even if FIFA wanted to make 48 teams in the 2026 World Cup it should be permanent and for all the World Cups because this can not be good for the quality of the World Cup.
Regardless of that FIFA can earn more money by having more teams and this can be the benefit of having 48 teams.

Yeah I agree, we are now heading for the first cup with 48 teams after long time staying with 32 teams which was also good because still we are having big difference of quality in teams and having more teams into world cup can create some useless games and things can go badly on wrong side.

FIFA is already doing good job as they are having tough schedule for countries due to leagues they can bring more changes we have nearly 200 countries those started proceedings for the every event and after having things on good level at the end we have now 48 teams from them to compete in world cup this is not bad at all hopefully with this new system we will be able to have better matches and results from these teams those are coming in 2026 with hopefully all will be ok because first time this new system is going to be checked and in future mostly we will have 3 countries as co-host for this mega event.

[TheGreatPython]

having 99 or 100 teams in a world cup tournament is not necessary and will make it a bit disorganized. Continental qualifiers are organized to give room for all the different continent to compete and bring in there representative who will participate in the world cup tournament. It's not about a nation being a developed nation or another being non developed, the tournament is organized in such a way that it cuts across all regions such that non is left out. The arrangement for this sort of inclusivity follows this order;

AFC (Asia): Eight direct spots + one inter-confederation play-off place
CAF (Africa): Nine direct spots + one inter-confederation play-off place
Concacaf (North and Central America, plus the Caribbean): Six direct spots + two inter-confederation play-off places
CONMEBOL (South America): Six direct spots + one inter-confederation play-off place
OFC (Oceania): One direct spot + one inter-confederation play-off place
UEFA (Europe): 16 direct spots

The three host countries will automatically qualify for the tournament, thus occupying three of the Concacaf slots.

While I do agree that odd numbers could be harder, a 64 team one doesn't look like impossible, and I think would be very fun, because it will take a long time and a lot of games as well.

Firstly you divide that into 4 teams of 16 groups, or you could even make 8 teams and 8 groups, which would be awesome. Then you have 32 teams left, which will be knock out stages but instead of one game, it will be like UCL where they play two games each, and then 16, and then quarters, then semi finals, all two games against each other, and then just one game finals.

That means teams would play probably 12 games until the end, or could be even more if we do 8 teams and 8 groups, but I do not think that makes sense. So that means 12 games would be the case if you make it 64 teams. Of course you are not going to get everyone be awesome, you may not end up with 64 great teams, but it will not be Sri Lanka level neither hence I think it would make sense to have this many teams.

The more the merrier if you ask me, more fun for everyone.