Let’s call it what it is: FIFA’s World Cup expansion is about profit, not passion. The push from corporate giants to ramp up participation from 32 to 48 teams is a classic case of maximizing revenue streams—who cares about the quality? Fox Sports and ESPN hopped on the bandwagon, spinning tales of “global unity” while they’re actually lining their pockets. They want you buzzing about “more football” when in reality, it’s just more mediocre matches to fill ad slots.

Now fast forward to 2030, where the whispers are dangerously close to a bloated 64-team format. The mainstream media, especially outlets like CNN and NBC, are going to paint this as some grand evolution in sports, but let’s unpack the nonsense. They’ll hype it as “more diversity” while glossing over that the integrity of the sport is at stake. These same networks have a vested interest in sensationalizing every angle to keep ratings high, so don’t expect them to question whether more teams actually improves competition.

Fox News will surely jump in with a soundbite or two about how this promotes international camaraderie, conveniently overlooking the fact that many teams wouldn’t even qualify under previous standards. What’s the takeaway? Keep your eyes peeled; as FIFA plays Monopoly with our beloved game, it’s the elite media outlets that will keep you distracted with their endless feel-good narratives, while you’re left wondering what happened to real football.