World Cup qualifying needs fixing ahead of 2026 as 48-team field is harder to arrange, not easier

With World Cup qualifying reaching its dramatic conclusion around the globe over the past few days, Gab Marcotti takes a slightly different approach to his Monday Musings this week. There’s a look at the weird way in which teams book their place (or don’t) at the World Cup, as well as the impact on national teams when a lot of players come from somewhere else.

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It’s Monday, and Gab Marcotti reacts to the biggest moments in the world of football.

Jump to: Fix World Cup qualifying? | Italy hurt by Serie A with lots of foreigners? | Premier League fans generally happy with their clubs?

World Cup qualifying is a headache: they should have a suggestion box …

We’re almost there. So far, 20 countries have qualified for the World Cup, with 12 slots left. We’ve played 838 games and there are 17 left to go, including the two inter-confederation playoffs: the winner of Oceania vs. fourth place in CONCACAF, and fifth place in Asia versus fifth place in South America.

We’ve had countries forfeit games for refusing to travel (Macau vs. Sri Lanka, way back in December 2019). We’ve had countries who entered and then withdrew (Samoa and American Samoa, as well as Saint Lucia). We’ve had countries withdraw before their first game due to volcanic eruptions and ensuing tsunamis (Tonga), and due to fears over COVID (North Korea). We’ve had countries travel all the way to Qatar for their confederation qualifying tournament, only to then have to pull out due to a COVID outbreak in their squads (Vanuatu and Cook Islands).

We’ve had games postponed due to a bureaucratic mess over COVID documents (Brazil vs. Argentina) and due to war breaking out in Europe (Scotland vs. Ukraine), and we’ve had a country kicked out less than a month before their playoff game for invading their neighbour (Russia).

If United Arab Emirates or Australia qualify for…