The modern World Cup loses its soul: generic stadiums and bloated format

The modern World Cup: an inflated product that has lost its soul

International football is going through its biggest identity crisis. Today's World Cups all look the same: stadiums with an identical cut, players with matching hairstyles and tattoos, and an atmosphere closer to an influencer event than a sporting occasion. The latest edition, hosted by Canada, offered a revealing image: the North American country's debut was played in a stadium that could well belong to Spain's second division, instead of making use of the majestic baseball or American football venues that attract so much attention.

The expansion that dilutes everything

FIFA has multiplied the number of participants: 48 teams in 2026, with plans already announced to reach 64. The commercial argument is obvious: more teams, more audiences, more revenue. But the result is a tournament bloated with meaningless matches. Fixtures like Canada-Bosnia or Ivory Coast-Ecuador barely generate any interest. The World Cup, which always prided itself on bringing together the best, has become a championship of forced inclusion where anyone gets a spot.

Instagram aesthetics versus authenticity

Modern stadiums are pure artifice: domes, VIP boxes, LED lighting and a design made for the photo, not for the real fan. The atmosphere of the old English grounds, where you could smell beer and coal, is missed. Even attempts to recreate that aesthetic (like Toronto's stadium) come across as fake: they are new sets dressed up as old ones. The epic quality has faded.

Still, not everything is lost. The Qatar 2022 final, with its goals and comebacks, proved the tournament can still deliver unforgettable moments. But the trend is clear: if FIFA keeps expanding the format, the damage to its prestige will be irreversible. Perhaps in ten years we will remember the World Cup for what it was, not for what it is now.