Pourquoi la Coupe du monde 2026 va être une révolution

We started this week, we will start this week, the qualifications for the World Cup 2026 for the French team. And so, first, why on this World Cup that awaits us in the United States? The question mark and we dive. World Cup 2026, why are we going to live a revolution? I imagine because it's a World Cup with 48 teams. We will explain to you, but yes, already 48 teams, it changes a lot of things or it changes something in the format. 48 teams, that means

12 groups of 4 teams, before it was 8. The first two are qualified, that's not a good thing. The 8 best 3rd also have a chance to qualify. Not the 8th but the 16th of the final. We will obviously go to the final. 39 days of tournament, that means that we extend the duration of the tournament. Before it was 30 days, there we will finish on July 19. So why so many teams? Why all these changes? We asked the living memory of the World Cup to the team, it's Vincent Duluc.

The FIFA president was making sure that his re-election would be more convenient for teams around the world. There were more matches, more TV rights.

So one in the other, it was only for very good reasons, obviously. He surely aimed at the level of reasons, since FIFA anticipates a record gain for this World Cup, 10.3 billion euros of anticipated revenue, or 3 billion more than during the World Cup in Qatar. It's not bad, though. We're going to have new teams, then. I think it's pretty cool. I think it's pretty exciting to have new teams in the World Cup, because there are 48 teams out of the 10 teams that have already qualified.

We already have, for example, Jordan and Uzbekistan, who will participate in the World Cup 2026. Who says more teams, obviously says more matches. It will be 104 matches in total. This is really a revolution, but a revolution that is constant with FIFA. From 1962 to 1970, we had 32 matches. From 1974 to 1978, on these two World Cups, 38 matches.

From 1982 to the World Cup, 94-52. From 1998 to 2022, 64 matches. And now, 104 matches. I like it, it's a lot of stories to live. But Vincent calmed me down because a lot of stories can also mean too many stories to live. We want to see the matches of Jordan, Uzbekistan or the first round. We are not completely sure. In fact, there are 104 matches.

In about 40 days, if we send 30, it will be huge. It will dilute the interest and the freshness.

That's for the team's number. But it could also be an arbitrary revolution. Indeed. It will be studied in February by IFAP. So it's not yet certain. But they are considering two revolutions. First, more intervention from Lavard, who can intervene on corners or yellow cards. It will not please everyone. And then the ban for a player to take a penalty if he has been stopped by the goalkeeper. We will come back to 5m50.

So, another big revolution. It's going to be in three different countries. We had two countries in 2002. Japan and South Korea. We'll have three this time with the United States, Mexico and Canada. Total superpowers. 21 million square kilometers. 16 high-rise buildings planned.

Mexico

In comparison, during the World Cup in Qatar, our type of revolution, the two most distant stadiums were 50 km away. Because it was a very small state. Look, we placed the state of Qatar on the state of New York, which will organize a match, which will have a stadium. Well, the state of Qatar, it is very small. We would have wanted to place it on the US-Mexico-Canada map, but unfortunately, we would not have seen it on television. We would have needed a loop.

Obviously, it's going to be very hot. Los Angeles 1994, the last World Cup organized on the American soil. Vincent Duluc remembers it, it was very, very, very hot. In 1994, I remember very well that in the final we were in Los Angeles, we had the first computers, the Tandy, the liquid crystal computers. And with the sun, the liquid crystals fell from the bottom of the screen. We had to get the TV boxes that we put on it to make shadows, to be able to write our papers. So in fact, we were at the Rose Bowl, it was not covered, it had no DNA.

So yes, we were learning about heat. That was 30 years ago. We still specify that since then, we are beating every year and every summer record of heat. There is also less liquid crystal. At the level of ecology, how is it by the strength of things? Another new record, unfortunately negative for this World Cup which is announced in the United States, Mexico and Canada. According to an English scientific report, it should emit

This World Cup, 9 million tonnes of CO2, is the equivalent of twice the World Cup in Qatar, it is the equivalent of 6.5 million British cars in one year on a daily basis, it is the equivalent of the emission of a country like Iceland in one year.

Only the FIFA president

presidents of countries and then those who win can touch it because it's for winners only. And since you are a winner, of course you can as well touch it. It's pretty heavy. It's the winner trophy. The last one who lifted that is Leo Messi, Lionel Messi of Argentina. And here it is in the Ola office in Argentina.

We understood during this press conference organized in the Oval Office that Donald Trump wanted to make this World Cup his World Cup.

In a way, it's like Johnny said it better, it's like having many Super Bowls in a short period of time. Because each one of these games essentially is a Super Bowl. Some of them are bigger than Super Bowls, actually. A Super Bowl, that's right. Yes, yes. To have a political character in a World Cup, that, on the other hand, is not really a revolution. No, for the moment, FIFA has focused on continuity, precisely.

There is a real idea of the continuity of the FIFA in the way of organizing the World Cup at Mussolini in 1934, at the Argentine generals in 1978, at Putin in Qatar. We still have a certain idea of where the money is, where the influence is.

So it's not so new, unfortunately. So to those who reproach FIFA for always wanting to revolutionize everything, at least they have kept a little bit of tradition in their model. Not the best of traditions, maybe. We'll see. Thank you very much, Adrien. Thank you to Tony Bellina who helped us to work. And Baptiste Bautier who worked very well once again today. Bravo Baptiste. And Vincent. Of course. There are a lot of things to say about this World Cup. Sébastien, how many World Cups have you covered? Good question. I have to think fast. 7-8. 10, 2014, 2015.

I'm not the age of Vincent Duluc. I'm going to tell you, you're doing a lot more. More seriously, this World Cup, 48 teams, I don't know if I'm going to have someone who's going to say, I like it, you don't like it, 48 teams? No, but I'm always sharing these stories, like for the World Cup of Clubs. I mean, I'm also aware that we need to open up to other horizons and other populations,

Whether it's in Africa, for example, which was very disadvantaged in terms of the distribution of the qualified. They had five. That's it, it was very few. And other countries that will benefit from the pleasure of seeing more teams from their continent participate in the World Cup. So you have to think about these people because you don't have to have a European vision of things. After the fact is that the level will come out.

And as we saw at the World Cup, through some matches, there have also been good surprises. So I think that the discovered aspect of some players has disappeared today with the accumulation of matches on television. And that we can find that, as we saw at the World Cup in July last year, and that at least has this positive aspect of things. The distribution, just as Sébastien talked about, we will look at Africa.

and finally the continent winning this new reform with the number of places that has doubled, practically it will be between 9 and 10 places for this new competition, there were 5 before indeed, Europe wins 3 only and then it's a bit the average for Asia that wins 3 also, 2 for North America, also for South America we are between 3 and 4 places won and then Oceania which is currently going to pass 1 to 2 places.

I don't even look for debates. I know, for example, that Anthony is standing up against that, the 48, and it's perfectly understandable, but...

I don't like to judge a competition before it takes place. For example, at the World Cup, I joined Seb, there were good surprises. The JO, if I had listened to the French, the polls, everything that happens, it would be a horror. It was a fantastic success. There are a lot of things. There is no relationship between the world and the JO.

I think that the World Cup will be spectacular for many reasons. But when we talk about winning it, Raymond, is it more complicated to win the World Cup than before? Because there is a 16th final. When we remember the matches of the Blues in the 8th, it was not always obvious. We remember Paraguay, for example, in 1998. There is one more match to win to be world champion. The 16th final will not be very high. If you have a big one who struggled at the beginning of the tournament, he can be 3rd.

"And you are if you are first?" "No, the remark I wanted to make is that with 48 it will be a bit like the World Rugby Cup. We start watching from the eliminatory matches. But we will watch every day, you will have three matches a day. "We will watch them and we will work even." "Yes, but it's boring, it's exhausting and it's matches that have no interest. We will watch Uzbekistan, Jordan..."

Why not? Yes, of course. I don't want to make a face on the countries. Physically, you won't be able to watch 100 matches. It's not about the country. It's not about the country, it's about the level of play. I'm not talking about... It's not racist. Of course, I didn't say it's racist. Don't make me say what I didn't say. Be careful.

foreign

If you participate

- But it's in France! - Because in fact, we give you almost the place, well for me, it breaks the magic! - But the Netherlands is a small country and they have always been the best in the world! - If you make a World Cup with so many places, in fact, you denature the exploit, even to participate in it! - But sorry, but Iceland is a bad example, I think. Because Iceland managed to qualify too, because there was a huge expansion of the UEFA! - Well yes, they have progressed! - At the level of the World Cup, it was difficult to... But that's what you said earlier, the problem is that by doing that,

you empty the qualification campaign out of its interest. And so you weaken international football because it only exists every two years for the competition. Before, we could really be scared and we were interested in the qualification campaign because there was a challenge. Italy didn't pass twice. But now, we really play to be scared.

No, but when I look at El Fonteino, I don't feel like he's in charge of football. He's in charge of something else. He's in charge of the state, almost. And the VAR, I'm against the VAR, so now we're going to add VAR to the competition. Yes, we're going to remind you. We're going to add it to the corners, eventually. We have the possibility to check the corners, indeed, and the yellow cards on the second. I feel like they're having fun.

I don't want to make a VAR campaign anti-VAR.

-

They will play at 12pm, the ticket is free. They will play at 12pm, but it's also... Vickage, sorry, I know it's going to happen. The reality is that you can't make them play. I watched it, I loved it. Vickage, you can't make them play at 11pm, otherwise no one in Europe, in the biggest market in the world, will see them. If they play at 12pm, we'll see, but it will be horrible. But they will play at 12pm, the chouchous, they will make it. Yes, they will make it, of course. Anthony, France-Brazil, 12pm.

Yes.

I mean, there will be, of course, but you have to adapt to the market. You can't... You have everyone who can see it at certain times. That's what I mean. I don't have a Pins Infantino there, Anthony. I don't care. I just have a question. Who had the idea on the penalty to ban the player? Well, there was this idea. Fabulous. Who can do that? Do you like that or not? But it's stupid.

It's totally stupid. So, as a reminder, if I miss the penalty, I can't take it back. It's not stupid. It's not stupid. I can't imagine. I even remember at one point, at the beginning, it was Van Basten who wanted to remove the offside. Tell him it's Wenger, it will please him. It's possible. It's possible. But if it's Poto, does it work? It's already the rule. No, Poto, you can't.

It's already the rule. But the others have the right. But aren't we in the same debate for this World Cup with champions? We were afraid it would denature the posters. In fact, we all enjoyed the new formula. There are plenty of great matches. First, the Champions League has plenty of matches that are useless. No, compared to before, we're not going to start again. No, but the problem is that there are more than three matches a day. We talked about three matches a day. Three matches a day, it was Qatar. There will be more. And it's matches that... You like football. No, but...

No, I don't like football when it comes to watching games that are useless all day long. No, but you don't really like football. No, but you're going to be on the set, you'll be there. But no one is going to seriously watch as many games as they want. I'm going to tell you, because you're going to give them to me. You're going to tweet at the same time. You're going to talk to your family. Unfortunately, Anthony, you're making a mistake. I'm talking about the games to know who scored. There are countries that are much more populated than France, which are small football nations.

And just the country that watches them will make more people than the blue ones. Except that it's not the school of fans, the World Cup. It's also a certain idea of excellence. But don't tell me that no one will watch them. That's a lie. But what do they do with the 3 billion? Yes, yes, it's sure that there will always be the country that watches them. But don't say that no one will watch them. It's false. No, but Anthony is the ultimate representative of the Western world. No, no, it's not that. It's not that. No, but we can reduce the place of Europe.

Europe

But

But there is probably something very exciting, and I don't know if I will be able to convince you, but it will potentially be the last World Cup of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, which would be an event in itself. CR7 will be 41 years old, Lionel Messi 39, so Argentina is already qualified, Portugal not yet, Portugal in the group of Armenia, Hungary and Ireland, and so potentially, I said it, The Last Dance for the two huge stars.

Easy.

I hope that all the tweets from Uzbekistan will write you and make you go to the restaurant. You deserve it, frankly. This poor country that didn't ask anything, who qualified because they are the first. I would have applauded them if they had won. It's not good, it's not good. One last word on this World Cup, obviously, because you said it, there are a lot of things to say. There is nothing to drink, nothing to eat. There will be a little bit of everything. When we are players, do we worry about that? When we are a player of the French team, do we want to win a World Cup ?

Did you block the press?

We didn't have it in the newspapers, we had it on TV. Why are you lying? You were with Anthony Clement. We were in training, in games, we watched a few movies. You didn't want to watch them.

Why ?

From the moment...

Mexico Los Angeles The bus is a gigantism see comedy Sam see you fed a cool human with normal the participant with a total GF a three-piece because la Prochaine is a car a monster 3 continents

We're on a front-runner race that means it's always more. Three continents in space, it's less than the euro in 12 countries.

Because Marrakech is linked to Malaga, if you will. No, but that was already a horrible idea. No, but there are also the Paraguay matches. No, but the opening matches. But there are 100km. You change country for 1km. The other problem of this participant is that you can no longer organize the World Cup in one country. And I'm sorry, but organizing the World Cup in one country is a charm. But it costs too much, Saudi Arabia. Yes, it costs too much. And why does it cost too much? I haven't studied yet with precision...

I can imagine, I think there will be geographical zones anyway. Of course. You won't play once on Monday in Los Angeles and on Friday in New York. We looked at the groups. Of course.