WHAT’S IN IT FOR US?
Seems to be a pertinent question as football’s world governing body, FIFA, announced last week that the World Cup will be expanded to 48 teams for the 2026 tournament.
Unsurprisingly, there have been mixed reviews for the move, with some agreeing with it, some believing it will water down the quality of the competition, and others calling it just another ploy to increase the money in FIFA’s already huge coffers.
Developing countries in Africa and in our hemisphere have embraced the concept wholesale, no questions asked, and we can understand why.
Traditionally, Europe and South America have been the superpowers of the game and they have used their political weight to run things to their advantage, while countries in other constituencies across CONCACAF, Asia, Oceania and Africa have remained subordinates.
It is true that there was a strategic shift to correct this imbalance beginning with the presidential tenure of Joao Havelange in the early 1990s and continued by his successor Sepp Blatter and now the baton has been passed on to new boss Gianni Infantino.
The expansion has never been well received by the Europeans, in particular, as they probably reasoned that their dynasty was being threatened. On reflection, you wonder if the likes of Havelange and Blatter were targeted for their socialist approach, which not only saw a marked increase in the number of qualifiers in Africa, Asia and CONCACAF but there were also significant top-ups in cash and developmental projects for the game’s less fortunate.
Marred by corruption
There is sufficient evidence to suggest that part of FIFA’s overall process was marred by corruption, but developing countries would never have made so much progress were it not for some of the initiatives put in place under the leadership of Havelange and Blatter.
Both of them benefited from the king-making power of Jack Warner, who was a key player in pushing the agenda for developing countries. While he was there, Concacaf got more places, and smaller countries in the jurisdiction received more assistance for infrastructural and technical development. In other words, they laid the foundation for the announcement made last week about the 2026 expansion.
In parochial terms, this provides small countries like Barbados with their best chance to taste World Cup football. I believe that in the new order, CONCACAF can expect to get no fewer than two or three other spots to play among the elite in what is the greatest sporting show on earth outside of the Olympics.
To be at the head table, Barbados must continue to work hard on governance because if there is order, it will have a positive impact on all the other arteries of the sport.
Must be given opportunity
For sure, there must be an overhaul in the way we do things with the national team. They have to be given the opportunity to play more competitive matches and this will provide the chance to improve our rating, which has plummeted drastically in the last decade.We must at all times ensure that we are able to source the best players whether they play here or overseas. Our neighbours do it successfully, so why can’t we?
The biggest platform to launch our push to be a contender for a place in the 2026 World Cup is to have a professional league. There is very little chance for part-timers to compete on the same playing field with professionals. This is the revolution the Randy Harris administration must try pushing for to validate our future World Cup intentions.
It isn’t going to be easy in an environment where football has the numbers but not enough social muscle to sell the idea easily to corporate partners. However, nothing beats a trial but a failure, so a concerted effort should be made to make it happen. Adequate financing is needed to be a game changer.
The current out-of-season concept doesn’t cut it because it is counterproductive to be a semi-professional for six weeks and return to amateur status for the rest of the year.
When Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago qualified for the World Cup, the majority of the squads were professionals. We have a cadre of promising youngsters and these are who we have to focus on with 2026 in mind. This process has to begin now, not later.
• Andi Thornhill is a veteran sports journalist. Email [email protected]
