Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz has launched a sharp attack on FIFA's decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams, warning that the move has stripped the tournament of its prestige and transformed it into something "vulgar and ordinary."

The 2026 edition is the first to feature 48 nations, a significant leap from the 32-team format that had been in place since 1998. FIFA president Gianni Infantino championed the expansion in 2017, arguing it would broaden access to the world's most popular sporting event. Critics, however, have long contended that the underlying motivation was to increase FIFA's revenues and consolidate Infantino's authority within the organisation.

Speaking to reporters — via The Athletic — following Ghana's 2-1 defeat to Croatia in Philadelphia on Saturday, the 73-year-old Queiroz expressed deep reservations about the expanded format.

"I believe that value comes when things are rare. 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."

Queiroz speaks from considerable authority on the subject. The veteran coach has guided 11 different national teams across a career spanning more than four decades, and when Ghana defeated Panama in their opening group-stage match in Toronto on June 17, he became the oldest coach to win a World Cup match at 73 years of age.

That victory, coupled with a hard-fought draw against England the following week, was enough to carry Ghana into the knockout rounds as one of the best third-placed teams. Yet Queiroz remains unconvinced that third-placed finishers deserve a place in the last 32.

The qualification argument

The former Manchester United assistant coach broadened his critique to target the qualification process itself, pointing to South America as a stark example of the problem.

"The real success now in South America would be in not qualifying," he said, noting that six of the continent's ten nations now progress automatically, with a seventh earning a play-off berth. "Who did not qualify in Europe? The qualification tournaments start to lose their significance if everyone qualifies. Qualification should be serious, it should be very tough, very competitive."

Queiroz, who was appointed Ghana manager in April, became only the second coach in history — after the legendary Bora Milutinovic — to appear at five consecutive World Cups. His previous appearances came with Portugal in 2010, Iran at the next three tournaments, and South Africa at the 2002 edition.

He closed with a blunt verdict on the direction of the game.

"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."