There has been plenty of criticism of the expanded FIFA World Cup. The logistics of the 48-team tournament mean there are more games, yet they will arguably be lower quality.
For example, while it is an incredible achievement for some of the nations that qualified, having fixtures such as Curacao vs Ecuador, Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia and Algeria vs Jordan feels somewhat low-key.
However, it is undeniable that the expanded tournament has left many fans a bit more downbeat about the World Cup this summer.
It’s not only the quality of some of the teams, but the fact that more teams will qualify for the knockout phase from the group stage – 32 of 48 – leading to the prospect of games with little at stake in the early weeks. It’s conceivable that a couple of draws or just one win will be enough for a team to qualify.
The buzz should build after the group stage
Things will heat up by the time the group stage is over, with fans buzzing as the real action gets underway.
Which brings us to the World Cup final, which will take place a little later than usual on Sunday, July 19. If you are a fan of all sports, you might notice there is a bit of a quirk with that date.
Normally, the World Cup Final coincides with the Wimbledon men’s singles final on the second Sunday in July. But the tennis match will be played a week earlier.
There were some great double-headers down the years, including Novak Djokovic winning Wimbledon hours before France and Croatia kicked off in the 2018 World Cup Final.
But fear not, there is still a bumper day of sport. Most notably, the FIFA World Cup final will coincide with the conclusion of The Open at Royal Birkdale.
Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and others who featured prominently in the Masters betting at Augusta recently should be in the mix for the 154th Open.
The timing should actually work out quite nicely, as the World Cup is scheduled to start at 8.00 pm in the United Kingdom, meaning there should be enough time to catch your breath, as The Open will probably finish around 7.00 pm.
Grand Prix and Tour de France are also on
There is more action on the cards that day, too, as the Belgian Grand Prix is scheduled for the same day.
And if you are completely committed to being glued to the couch for an entire day, note that it will also be Stage 15 of the 2026 Tour de France.
It’s quite the set-up, even if you would have to flip between the golf, cycling and motor racing due to the overlap.
However, the World Cup final will take precedence with most fans, especially if England progress to the culmination of the tournament.
BBC and ITV will continue their policy of broadcasting the final simultaneously. Plenty of the games are being played in the early morning in the UK during the tournament, but at least FIFA has seen some sense by staging the final at a primetime slot for European audiences.
The build-up will go on all day before the 8.00 pm kick-off, but you have plenty of options to keep you entertained if you want a break from the football coverage.
