The Changes to the World Cup Suck

While prepping for the World Cup, I took a look back at the 2014 Group Stages. Team USA pulled off a pretty shocking upset, advancing to bracket play in a loaded group that included Germany (eventual champion), Portugal, and Ghana.

Maybe it’s rose colored glasses, but I look back so fondly on that World Cup. The pressure was so incredibly high for the USMNT, and every other team in that World Cup. Because of that pressure, any mistake felt like it could be the final move you make on the biggest stage in the sport.

Now, I’m still excited for this year's World Cup, but it doesn’t feel the same. This year, FIFA increased the number of groups from 8 to 12, adding 16 teams to the Group Stage. Not only were the group sizes changed, but bracket play also increased from 16 to 32 teams. This change allowed each group's winner and runner-up to advance, as well as EIGHT third-place teams to move on to bracket play.

I absolutely hate this change; however, I will say one nice thing about FIFA. World Cup expansion allowed four countries- Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan- to play in their first World Cup, and I think that’s awesome for those nations.

Unfortunately, this has completely watered down the Group Stages. If you’re a top country, there’s absolutely zero pressure for you to advance into bracket play. Since 2010, only two teams picked from Pot One have finished last in their group. Essentially, if you’re an elite team, it’s going to be insanely shocking to miss bracket play.

No team since Italy in 1982 has finished second in their group and even won the World Cup. Why are we adding more mediocre teams to the actual bracket? I know sports at every level are one big money grab, but at some point, the games still need to matter.

The NCAA tournament expanded, adding more mediocre power-conference teams that have no chance of winning March Madness. College Football seems like they will inevitably be doing the same thing here soon as well.

Fans don’t want more teams in their tournaments; they want the best teams. Quit trying to fix things that aren’t broken. The NCAA Tournament rocks, the World Cup Rocks, and the College Football Playoff rocks.

When is enough, enough? Leave these events alone. The corporatization of these events is killing sports. We have to stop it before entire seasons are just one big playoff. I’m still very excited for this coming World Cup, but it’s disappointing to see FIFA actively making their product worse, but what’s new for the most corrupt governing body in sports.