The first of two group games that gave both teams a chance to progress with a draw has ended 0-0 – raising doubts over the World Cup’s new format. The result, described as the “convenient draw” by observers, should send both sides into the last 32, exposing a flaw Fifa had hoped to avoid.
Expanding the tournament to 48 teams forced Fifa to find a way to reach a symmetrical knockout stage. The original plan was 16 groups of three, but that risked collusion in final matches. After the excitement of simultaneous final group games in Qatar, Fifa switched to 12 groups of four – but allowed eight third-placed teams to qualify. That safety net has removed much of the jeopardy.
“A 0-0 draw that should send both teams through exposes a flaw in the World Cup's new 48-team format.”
“The World Cup has, so far, lacked an element of real jeopardy in the group stage,” the BBC’s football issues correspondent wrote. While South Korea’s shock 1-0 defeat by South Africa on Wednesday sent Bafana Bafana into the knockout stage for the first time, the losers are still very likely to reach the last 32 as one of the best third-placed teams. Three points and a goal difference of -1 is probably enough. Had the same result happened in 2022, when only top two qualified, South Korea would already be on the plane home.
Knockout-stage slots are filling up ahead of the third round of group games, but the format continues to provoke unease. It takes 72 games to reduce the number of teams from 48 to 32, and the absence of real peril in the group stage has left fans questioning whether the expansion has diluted the tournament’s intensity.