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The joy sparked by Scotlandโs qualification for the World Cup is a perfect illustration of why expanding the tournament is good for football, not bad. Make it a World Cup of 100 nations!!
Their celebration shows that, for me anyway, the World Cup is not just about the favourites or the powerhouses, itโs about the entire footballing community feeling represented on the biggest stage.
For smaller or less frequent participants, reaching the World Cup is almost like winning a trophy in itself. It was wonderful to see the explosion of pride, positive national unity, football joy from all quarters, no matter what age, race, sexuality. That is precisely what keeps the sport alive. And by the way, we donโt have enough of that. Why limit that experience to a handful of countries?
Every new team adds a fresh story, a unique style, a different cultural expression of the game. Fans love underdog narratives, just think of Iceland or Morocco. Or Uzbekistan, Cape Verde.
When more teams qualify, more federations invest, more young players dream, more governments offer support. I am convinced broader participation lifts the global level, not lowers it.
On top of that, if the World Cup is truly global, the door shouldnโt be half-closed. Scotlandโs celebrations are a reminder: nations with long histories, passionate fans, rich traditions deserve more opportunities to be part of the worldโs biggest sporting event.
The tournament isnโt, or shouldnโt be, only about who wins it, or should not be limited to a Euro-centric vision of football. For me itโs about what it means emotionally to millions. The more nations involved, the more of those moments we get.