FIFA’s big experiment may have made the World Cup too big for its own good

AI Summary

The upcoming World Cup, which incorporates a record number of teams and host nations, raises questions about the sustainability of such a large tournament format. Concerns are mounting about its impact on player endurance and fan engagement.

A supersized World Cup with more teams, more games and even more host nations than ever before leaves a big question hanging over the biggest sporting show on earth: How much is too much? The latest edition of the World Cup — co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico — will push the boundaries of how far the most popular sport on the planet can go before it reaches breaking point. Be it the limits of physical endurance as top players threaten strike action over an ever-congested calendar, the attention span of fans in an age of seemingly wall-to-wall televised soccer or the exorbitant prices people are prepared to pay for tickets — or even parking — the pressure points are numerous going into the June-July tournament.