FIFA's Ellis hails World Cup's power to create next generation of fans

WASHINGTON, Dec 4 : FIFA officials on Thursday predicted that the expanded 2026 World Cup would deepen football's global reach on and off the pitch as they looked ahead to a 48-team tournament they say can inspire a new generation of fans and players.

Speaking on the eve of the World Cup draw, FIFA chief football officer Jill Ellis said the tournament's legacy would be measured not just in television audiences but in how many newcomers it pulled into the sport.

"The power of the World Cup is you have the outside world watching but what does it do to the local fan? What does it do to the people who have never seen the game before?" Ellis said.

"The fan base will increase, the attention will increase. You want kids to pick up the ball and go out and be inspired. It draws the attention and creates the next generation. That's the most important thing of the legacy of a World Cup."

QUALITY GAP NARROWING

FIFA's chief of global football development Arsene Wenger backed the move to 48 teams, saying demand to participate was growing and that the quality gap between nations had narrowed.

"The evolution is always more teams want to participate. And now I believe that 48 teams is the right number," he said, noting it still represented less than a quarter of FIFA's 211 member associations.

"I was a bit scared before because maybe the difference between the teams will be too big. In fact, we realized that the difference quality-wise has been reduced."

Wenger said that was due to greater investment in coaching and player development worldwide.

"Education is correlated with success. That's why we see new teams at the World Cup. That's why as well I think it's normal to have 48 teams."

He said every qualifier would have earned their place.

"The