World Cup 2026: Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz brands expanded tournament ‘vulgar and ordinary’

The expanded World Cup format has come under sharp criticism from Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz, who has questioned whether football’s biggest stage has lost its exclusivity following FIFA’s decision to increase the tournament to 48 teams.

This year’s edition is the first to adopt the new structure, moving away from the 32-team format that had defined the competition since 1998.

Approved in 2017 under FIFA president Gianni Infantino, the expansion was presented as a move to broaden global participation and give more nations access to the world stage.

However, the change has remained divisive, with critics arguing it has diluted the intensity of qualification and altered the tournament’s traditional elite status.

Queiroz questions value of qualification

Queiroz, a veteran coach with experience across multiple continents and World Cup cycles, did not hold back after Ghana’s 2-1 defeat to Croatia in Philadelphia.

The 73-year-old, who became the oldest coach to win a World Cup match after Ghana’s opening victory over Panama, argued that the increased number of participating teams has weakened the meaning of qualification itself.

“I believe that value comes when things are rare,” he said.

“The number of teams that can qualify for this competition can turn it into something vulgar and ordinary. When so many teams can qualify, is the value still rare? That would seem debatable to me but it is only my opinion.”

A veteran voice shaped by global experience

Few coaches in international football can match Queiroz’s longevity. Having managed 11 national teams over more than four decades, he has previously taken charge of Portugal, Iran, and South Africa at World Cup tournaments, making him one of the most experienced figures in the modern game.

His current role with Ghana has once again placed him on the global stage, and results have already been encouraging. A win over Panama on June 17, followed by a resilient draw with England, was enough to secure qualification for the knockout phase as one of the best third-placed teams.

Despite that success, Queiroz remains uneasy about the pathway that allowed it.

‘Money talks in football now’

The Portuguese coach’s concerns extend beyond the finals themselves and into the structure of qualification, particularly in regions where multiple teams now advance automatically.

He pointed to South America’s expanded allocation, where six of ten teams now qualify directly, with a seventh entering intercontinental play-offs, as an example of what he sees as reduced competitive pressure.

“The real success now in South America would be in not qualifying,” he said.

“The qualification tournaments start to lose their significance if everyone qualifies. Qualification should be serious, it should be very tough, very competitive.”

Queiroz also suggested that financial considerations are increasingly shaping football decisions at the highest level.

“The World Cup should be something with meaning and significance. It should be rare. But, as you know, today money talks in the game. Where we used to talk about football, it is now moneyball.”

Knockout focus as Ghana face Colombia

Despite his criticism, Queiroz has shifted focus to the task ahead. Ghana now prepare for a Round of 32 clash against Group K winners Colombia in Kansas City on July 3.

He has already warned his squad that the tournament is effectively being reset at the knockout stage.

“I have just told my players that the real world championship starts in the next round,” he said.

“The group stage is the warming-up and qualification for the next round is like a credit card but now you have to start paying. Everything goes to the winner, every game is drama, nobody can hide. That starts next game.”