Italy’s head coach Gennaro Gattuso has voiced strong criticism of the World Cup 2026 qualifying system, particularly regarding its perceived unfairness towards European teams. With the expansion of the World Cup to include more teams, questions arise over the allocation of slots among different confederations.
World Cup 2026 Qualifying System Critique
Gattuso points out that while UEFA oversees a significant number of competitive teams, its share of World Cup slots has notably decreased. In the 1990s, European teams held 54% of the World Cup allocations. Currently, that number has dropped to 33.33%, despite UEFA having nearly half of its teams ranked in the top 50 globally.
Current Allocation of World Cup Slots
- UEFA: 33.33% of World Cup spots
- Africa: 21.43% (9 automatic slots with 53 participants)
- Concacaf: 14.29% (6 teams)
- Asia: 19.05% (8 teams, but only 4 in the top 50)
The allocation for the 2026 World Cup has led to Africa receiving nine World Cup spots. This comes alongside a growth in participants from 53. Of these nine slots, only seven teams are ranked within FIFA’s top 50. Gattuso questions whether these rankings justly reflect the teams’ abilities.
European Representation vs. Other Confederations
In terms of representation, Gattuso argues that six African nations, including established teams like Algeria, Egypt, and Morocco, have earned their place. However, there are concerns about whether Africa’s representation is disproportionately high relative to their global rankings. Africa’s inclusion could suggest a slight over-representation compared to European nations.
By contrast, Concacaf’s representation aligns closely with its relative strength, with five of its 32 teams in the top 50. Conversely, Asia stands out as an outlier, securing eight automatic places despite having only four teams ranked within the top 50.
Conclusion
While Gattuso may have valid concerns regarding the fairness of the World Cup 2026 qualifying system, it remains to be seen whether these views will resonate within the football community. The debate over equitable representation in global football continues as the event approaches.
