TIRANA, Jan. 18 – FIFA’s recent unanimous decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams from 2026 has been hailed by Albania whose chances of a first-ever participation significantly increase following the major 2016 debut at the European championship.
The world football governing body’s decision which adds another 16 teams starting with the 2026 tournament will also benefit the European World Cup qualifiers with the number of teams expected to make it to the World Cup increasing to at least 16 from a current 13. The new tournament will have a format with 48 teams split into 16 groups of three with the top two advancing to a 32-team knockout stage.
Albania’s Italian coach Gianni De Biasi, who has been in charge of the national side since 2011 and managed to take Albania to a first-ever major tournament such as the Euro 2016, says the decision increases Albania’s chances just as the latest European championship did by expanding the competition to 24 teams from a previous 16.
“There is no doubt I am with the minnows. If we are given more opportunities to reach the World Cup, what we can do is only smile at this choice,” De Biasi has said.
“I think this is the best chance for changing the tournament’s basis and format. The Euro 2016 taught us that small realities such as Albania, Wales and Ireland can compete at high levels even without the important tradition on their backs,” he adds.
Armand Duka, the president of Albania’s football association, has described the FIFA decision, as positive development that increase’s Albania’s chances for a World Cup debut.
“It is an extra opportunity but it does not considerably make it easier to get qualified. The extra teams Europe could get is five to six which means that in addition to the group leaders in the qualifying stage, 70 to 80 percent of the second placed teams will also make it,” says Duka now on his fourth term as the head of Albania’s head of the football association which he has led for the past 15 years.
After its historic direct qualification for the Euro 2016 and failing to make it as the third-best team at the knockout stage only on goal difference, Albania has been facing some tough times in its Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying bid.
Albania’s hopes for a third place and a possible play-off opportunity in the World Cup qualifiers received a severe blow in late 2016 following losses to Spain and Israel.
With seven other qualifiers to go, Albania now see themselves fourth with 6 points, trailing Israel by 3 points and group leaders Spain and Italy by four points.
Although mathematically Albania can still remain hopeful for a miracle second place which would award them a play-off opportunity, their qualifying bid looks like a mission impossible now as former World Champions Italy and Spain seem unrivaled in the fight for the group’s first two places.
The Red & Blacks will travel to Italy on March 14, 2017 to conclude the first round of group matches for the Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
