The president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, took stock of the first part of the World Cup and described the group stage in Qatar as "the best in history". Likewise, he affirmed that the number of surprises and the geographical breadth of the qualified teams indicate that football is increasingly global.
Former champions Argentina, Spain, Germany and Brazil suffered upset defeats in the group stage, and Africa, Asia and North America were represented in the round of 16, along with South America and Europe, traditional powerhouses of the beautiful game.
Infantino stated that the matches, "played in beautiful stadiums", have already attracted more than 2 billion viewers. "A fantastic atmosphere, great goals, incredible emotion, surprises, small teams beating big teams," he said Wednesday in remarks published by FIFA. "There are no longer small teams or big teams. The level is very, very even."
"In addition, for the first time in history, national teams from all continents reach the knockout stage. This shows that football is truly going global."
Infantino has promoted the expansion of the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams for the next edition, which will be held in 16 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026. FIFA was harshly criticized in some quarters for granting organizing rights to Qatar due to allegations of corruption and human rights violations. Infantino lashed out at the host country's European critics in his pre-tournament speech, accusing them of hypocrisy and adding that building relationships was the only way to improve human rights.
Infantino declared that he was delighted with the number of fans that packed the country's stadiums and fan zones, and that he believed that the final television audience figures would exceed five billion. "Ultimately, all we want is to bring some joy and smiles to people all over the world," he added.
"That's what football is about, that's what the World Cup is about, and that's what should happen between now and the end as well." "We've already seen great performances on the pitch, which is the most important part."
