Former Russia National Team Coach Criticizes World Cup Format

Former head coach of the Russian national team, Sergey Balakhnin, criticized the new format of the FIFA World Cup. It is worth noting that the final stage will now feature 48 teams directly.

He expressed his opinion in an interview with the publication "Euro-Football.ru".

"I don't like that too many teams are being added to the World Cup. Everything becomes diluted in the first stage.

In my opinion, only the strongest teams should qualify for the final stage. This would not only make it more exciting but also improve the quality of the tournament.

Now, there are too many average games in the World Cup. Previously, such games did not exist at all.

I understand that everyone wants to play in the final stage, but this negatively affects the quality," said Balakhnin. In the previous format, smaller teams like Curaçao or Cabo Verde could not qualify for the final stage of the World Cup.

However, now smaller nations like Curaçao have secured a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Read “Zamin” on Telegram!