The expansion of the FIFA World Cup to 48 teams will strengthen global participation and give more countries a realistic chance to compete on football’s biggest stage, sports analyst Kojo Addae Mensah has said.

Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Thursday (11 May), Addae Mensah dismissed concerns that the expanded format could dilute quality, arguing that wider access is essential for football development.

“I don’t have a problem at all with the expansion… the World Cup should give everybody across the world an opportunity to qualify,” he said.

He pointed to past African greats who never played at the World Cup due to limited qualification slots.

“How on earth did Abedi Pele never graze the World Cup? There are iconic players who never got the opportunity,” he noted.

According to him, expansion mirrors the evolution of global football, where exposure improves competitiveness over time.

“If we don’t do that, how do countries improve?” he asked.

However, he suggested 48 teams should be the upper limit unless pre-qualification tournaments are introduced.

Addae Mensah also argued that FIFA’s push for expansion is partly financially motivated.

“The ultimate goal of FIFA is money… Infantino is trying to match UEFA in terms of revenue,” he said.

Despite this, he maintained that the broader benefit of growing the game globally outweighs commercial concerns.