Former Germany Coach Löw Critiques Expansion of World Cup to 48 Teams

Joachim Löw, the former coach of the German national football team, has voiced his concerns regarding the recent increase in World Cup participants from 32 to 48 teams, deeming it a misstep. Speaking with RTL during their series "World Cup Fever: Monica Lierhaus and the National Team Coaches," Löw stated, "I'm not a fan of this World Cup. I've always said I thought the 32-team format was good."

This expansion was implemented for the current tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, which commenced on Thursday. Löw, who famously guided Germany to victory in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, believes the new format dilutes the competition.

He expressed respect for smaller nations aspiring to participate but remarked, "for me it's a bit too blown up." Löw also criticized the change in dynamics, noting that with eight third-place teams advancing to the knockout rounds, the group stages have lost their competitive edge.

"From that perspective, I'm in favour of making it a bit more competitive and maintaining a high level of quality," he concluded, highlighting his preference for a more exclusive tournament format.