FIFA's decision to expand the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams was finalized in 2023 and has raised a lot of eyebrows in the footballing world. The World Cup is arguably the most prestigious sporting event on the planet, and to many, this is an unnecessary change to the tournament's existing format. Since 1998, the World Cup has been contested between 32 teams. An expansion with an additional 16 teams was bound to come with big changes; the only question was how? Well, in September 2023, the footballing world got its answer. FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced some of the changes coming to the FIFA World Cup in 2030, the biggest of which was that the tournament would be hosted in six different countries. As always in football, this decision was met with supporters and detractors, but why have FIFA decided on the changes, and how do they affect the World Cup in 2030 and beyond?