"National team that hasn't come to its senses cannot possibly qualify for the World Cup"... FIFA's controversy over expanding to 64 nations → China's unprecedented scathing criticism 'Woo-su-su'

*This content was translated by AI.

Expectations remain nonexistent. As the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) officially begins reviewing a plan to expand the number of participating nations in the World Cup to 64, public opinion within China, which was expected to be the primary beneficiary, is filled with mockery and self-deprecation.

Chinese media outlet 'Sohu.com' focused intensely on FIFA President Gianni Infantino's remarks about reviewing an expansion to 64 nations on the 13th (Korea time). Earlier, In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) stated in an interview with Swiss media 'Bluewin', "After this World Cup concludes, the relevant committee will definitely review and discuss a plan to increase participation to 64 nations starting from the 2030 World Cup," thereby officially hinting at expanding the number of participating countries.

However, the reaction from local fans who watched the Chinese national team's powerless elimination has turned cold. This is a direct reflection of the shock of an early exit in the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF) Asian third-round qualifiers, rendering the initial hope that they could reach the finals with an expansion to 48 nations meaningless.

The comment section on Sohu.com's article was filled with cold responses criticizing their own national team's capabilities. One netizen pointed out, "It seems FIFA has thoroughly decided to push China into the World Cup no matter what," while another mocked, "They will keep expanding until China and India are included."

In particular, a self-deprecating comment stating, "Even if the tournament is expanded to 128 nations, the Chinese national team will likely remain stuck outside the qualification zone with stability," received widespread sympathy.

Another fan agreed, saying, "The current 48-nation system is already chaotic; expanding it further to 64 nations would turn it into complete anarchy," and added, "It should be called a world football league rather than the World Cup."

Even opinions that launched scathing attacks such as "A team that never comes to its senses Cha Ri-neun (CEO) has neither the qualification nor the value to go to the World Cup" received significant support.

With such cynicism erupting even within China, leaders and experts in the global football community, including Europe, have also immediately reacted against FIFA's unilateral decision. If the 64th-nation system is finalized, the total number of matches will increase to 128, reaching double the number from the previous 32-nation era, which would directly lead to severe player overuse and a decline in the quality of the tournament.

Victor Montagliani, President of CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football), drew a line through 'ESPN', stating, "Expanding to 64 nations is not the right measure for the World Cup itself, national teams, club competitions, leagues, and players within the entire football ecosystem."

According to the UK's 'The Guardian', UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin also dismissed it as a "bad idea," while Carlos Queiroz, head coach of the Ghana national team, strongly criticized even the current system expanded to 48 nations, calling it "vulgar and ordinary."

Former coach Jürgen Klopp, who is likely to take over as the next Germany national team manager, also pointed out the chronic problem of schedule overheating in modern football. In an interview with 'BBC', Coach Klopp noted, "As I said before as a coach, players are playing too many matches. For top-level players, modern football schedules are excessively excessive."

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*This content was translated by AI.