Spain Win the World Cup: How 48 Teams Changed Everything

The 2026 World Cup is done and dusted, and according to The Guardian, the first edition with 48 teams delivered a genuine celebration of global football. Spain lifted the trophy after 104 games played across five and a half weeks in North America, with the expanded format giving more confederations a bigger slice of qualifying spots.

Africa and Asia were among the biggest beneficiaries of the new quotas, and all four debutant nations had their moments. The Guardian highlights Curaçao's group stage equaliser against Germany, scored by Livano Comenencia, as one of the tournament's standout moments, while Cape Verde were singled out as the biggest underdog story of the whole competition.

The piece also raises questions about what comes next. Nations ranked as low as 151st in the world were involved in late qualifying for 2026, and the gap in class between the strongest and weakest sides was visible at times. The debate about whether a bigger tournament means better drama is far from settled.

With the world's best teams all now gathering in the same bracket, The Guardian notes that the format creates a new kind of spectacle, even if the flaws are real. Spain's triumph closes a remarkable chapter, and the football world is already looking ahead to 2030.