Arsene Wenger, Getty images January 23, 2026, 8:56 p.m

The former head coach of London Arsenal Arsene Wenger spoke about the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams. His words are quoted by Calcio a Finanza.

“Playing for your national team is something special. On the one hand, you imagine the pride of your country, but on the other hand, you feel enormous pressure: the fear of losing, disappointing, not being up to par.

It takes enormous psychological strength to take responsibility for an entire nation. Big national teams need players who can withstand such pressure and a new generation.

For a long time, the World Cup was a competition focused mainly on Europe and South America. It was necessary to open it to more countries, especially Africa and Asia. Football has become global: wherever people go, they talk about football. If we look into the future, then in a hundred years everyone should have a chance to at least dream of winning the World Cup. The transition from 32 to 48 teams was an important step in this direction.

The first two weeks of the World Cup are always the most beautiful: the whole world gathers here, everyone is proud to represent their country, and at the same time there is a sense of unity. This is a collective holiday.

The World Cup, consisting of 104 matches and a longer journey, will be a real test for the mental component. Victory will require serious psychological preparation: the staff and coaches will have to keep the team together and motivated for many weeks. Penalties will become almost inevitable in the play-off rounds, and the psychological factor will also be important here,” said Wenger.