"The magic is gone": Queiroz warns Ghana ahead of Colombia clash and rips new World Cup format

03.07.26 FT World Cup

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Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz criticized the expanded World Cup format in North America today after his team advanced despite a defeat.

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Scarcity defines true value

Ghana officially secured their progression to the Round of 32 at the World Cup 2026 squeezing through as one of the best third-placed teams despite suffering a tight 2-1 loss to Croatia in their final group fixture.

However the successful qualification did very little to improve the mood of their veteran manager. The Portuguese tactician launched a fierce critique against FIFA's new 48 team structure warning that the massive expansion severely devalues the historic prestige of the tournament.

Queiroz expressed deep concerns over the governing body's current direction which already includes internal discussions regarding a potential 64 team tournament in the future.

He argued that the magic of the tournament relies entirely on exclusivity claiming that opening the doors to so many nations turns an elite sporting spectacle into something ordinary. The former Real Madrid manager lamented that financial motives have completely overtaken pure footballing logic making grueling continental qualifiers feel entirely redundant if almost everyone gets a ticket.

The real tournament begins now

Turning his immediate attention to the upcoming fixtures, Queiroz issued a stern warning to his squad ahead of their highly anticipated elimination clash against Colombia.

He bluntly told his players that the group phase was merely a glorified warm up and that the true, high stakes tournament starts this week. He compared their initial qualification to a credit card stating that the time has come to finally pay the bill because knockout football leaves absolutely no room to hide under the lights.

Khaled Hegazy |

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Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

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