ENGLAND could benefit greatly from a 48-team World Cup, it has been claimed.
Fifa members have voted to expand football’s greatest competition despite fierce protests from major nations. It means there will now be 16 groups of three teams and a whopping 80 matches played in total, instead of the 64 played now.
It’s been said that having more lower-ranked teams from around the globe will make the World Cup a less prestigious and exclusive event.
But it seems that the Three Lions will reap the rewards, with the current Fifa rankings and new system for qualifying set to put them in pole position during the 2026 Group Stage.
FourFourTwo’s Huw Davies has calculated that should he still be around in a decade’s time, manager Gareth Southgate could enter a group along with Panama and United Arab Emirates.
And with the top two going through, England have an incredibly strong chance of progressing to the next stage.
It could also give Wales a boost, with Euro 2016’s surprise package potentially up against Curacao and China.
However, with the Chinese Super League’s new-found money and aim of drastically improving the national team, Wales might actually find themselves up against one of the world’s major powerhouses.
Other big teams including Spain, France and Germany would also benefit, although Italy would end up being drawn against Argentina. Republic of Ireland could fin dthemselves in a group of death after being drawn with Mexico and Brazil.
Most Read in Sport
The 2026 World Cup is yet to find a host, with the likes of Canada, Mexico, USA and Colombia already launching bids ahead of a final decision in three years’ time.
But Fifa expect to see their profits rise by a staggering £521million thanks to the extra participants.
President Gianni Infantino said in December: “There is nothing bigger in terms of boosting football in a country than participating in a World Cup.”