More than the Score - World Cup 2026: Is the 48-team tournament a success?

Download World Cup 2026: Is the 48-team tournament a success?

Lee James is joined by African football commentator Mark Gleeson, South American football expert Tim Vickery and Daniel Storey, chief football writer for the i Newspaper, to assess whether the biggest World Cup has been a success.

They discuss whether the tournament has lacked jeopardy, what has led to nine African teams reaching the knockout stage and whether the World Cup will now expand again to 64 teams.

Tim believes the rise of Africa could make life more difficult in the coming years for some South American nations and that questions will be asked about whether Asia deserves so many places, given their relative under-performance in 2026.

More than the Score brings you more than the men’s football World Cup - the new teams, standout stars and fandoms shaping the tournament in ways the stats don’t show. Search for More than the Score, wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

Published on Monday, 29th June 2026.

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