Skeptical eyebrows were raised when it was announced that the 2026 World Cup would be expanded to 48 teams – up from 32 in 2022.

Ten extra days of competition and a staggering 40 more matches across a three-nation tournament was an enticing prospect for some fans, but cynics pointed to enhanced money-making opportunities, and worried about a dilution of quality and excessive workload on players, especially in the North American heat.

The magic of the World Cup, argued many ex-pros, lies in the best competing against the best from all corners of the globe. A continued critic is experienced Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz, who observed after his side were eliminated from the tournament "that value comes when things are rare" and too many teams can make a competition "vulgar and ordinary."

However, fast-forward to the eve of the final and most acknowledge the positives of the expanded tournament outweigh any negatives.

More matches does mean more money – FIFA's major income comes during World Cup years and it has budgeted for revenues of around $9 billion in 2026, according to The Athletic, significantly up from its previous record of $5.769 billion in 2022 – which the organization says goes back into developing football across the world.

But the expanded competition has also provided a platform for countries and players rarely seen on the world football stage, particularly from the Global South, to flourish.

The World Cup magic, it turns out, lies not only in the elite players and big-name matchups, but also in the opportunities for talent to shine and stories to spread. Players and performances can become legends. Talk is now not whether 48 teams were too many, but whether the 2030 tournament should feature 64.

Standards of national teams have risen in much of the world, aided by development cash and the growing use of diaspora populations, and international football, which allows less time for the intense coaching needed to cement patterns of play, has often proved a leveler.

Eighteen Global South countries played in the 2022 tournament in Qatar. At least 26, depending on how the term is defined, have taken part in 2026. South America, as ever, was a strong performer. Africa in particular saw its representation rise – up from five teams to a record 10 – and four nations made their World Cup debuts: Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.

Almost half of both the round of 32 and round of 16 qualifiers were from the Global South, and a record nine African teams reached the knockout stages (the previous record was two).

Aside from reigning world champions Argentina, Morocco has been the star Global South performer. The Atlas Lions made it to the quarterfinals, and the team's gradual progression over recent years – making the semifinals in 2022 and officially winning the controversial 2025 African Cup of Nations – already makes them one to watch when the country co-hosts the 2030 World Cup.

But while Morocco weren't a surprise package, it was clear from the first round of group matches that several of the less heralded teams weren't just there to make up the numbers.

Cape Verde's incredible journey is probably the story that will be remembered best.

The island-chain nation off the west coast of Africa is one of the smallest to ever qualify for a World Cup, with a population of around 530,000. Yet they held both finalists – Spain and Argentina, who will compete for the trophy on Sunday – in normal time, before losing out to the reigning world champions Argentina in extra time in the round of 32.

The performances of goalkeeper 40-year-old Vozinha and the global embrace he received will live long in the memory of football fans and beyond. The journeyman's clean sheet against Spain led to an almost instant explosion in fame – his Instagram followers jumped from under 50,000 pre-match to over 29 million today, and the story of his mum missing the match touched hearts across the world.

Being a part of the most-watched sports event on earth helps to solidify the foundations for even greater development. For their participation and progress, Cape Verde association will receive around $13.5 million, which after covering costs, is intended to be used to further grow the sport in the country. 

A host of other developing countries also thrilled fans, creating their own stories at home and making their name around the world, showing that given the platform, with support and cooperation, the possibilities are limitless. 

After DR Congo qualified for the knockout rounds, striker Yoane Wissa said, "Now every African team can dream big." And with the breakthroughs, successes and surprises in 2026, more players and teams from across the world can look ahead to 2030 and think – "that could be us."