Ghana’s Coach Called FIFA’s 48-Team World Cup ‘Vulgar’ Right After His Team Advanced Because of It

Croatia punched their ticket to the Round of 32 on Tuesday with a 2-1 win over Ghana in Group L. But the real fireworks came after the final whistle.

Ghana manager Carlos Queiroz stood at the podium and unloaded on FIFA’s expanded 48-team format. He didn’t hold back one bit. He called it vulgar. He called it ordinary. And he made it clear he thinks the whole thing is a money grab dressed up as progress.

“Qualification has lost its meaning,” Queiroz said. “When everyone gets in, nobody earns it.” He argued that the old system made the World Cup special because it was exclusive. Now, he says, it’s just another tournament. “This is not football. This is moneyball.”

Wait. Didn’t Ghana benefit from this format?

Yeah. That’s the irony. Under the old 32-team setup, Ghana finishes third in their group and goes home. Under the new expanded format, they sneak through as one of the best third-place teams. They’re still alive. They’ll face Colombia on July 4.

Seven nations are making their knockout stage debut this year because of the expansion. Teams like Cape Verde, a country smaller than any U.S. state in population, finished ahead of Uruguay in their group. They get to play defending champion Argentina next. That’s a wild story. But Queiroz isn’t buying it as a good thing.

“Player welfare matters zero to the people making these decisions,” he said. “More games. More travel. More money. Less rest. It’s not sustainable.” And he’s got a point. The tournament now runs longer. Some players will log serious extra minutes on already wrecked legs.

The game itself was pretty good though

Croatia got an early spark from teenager Petar Sucic. He ripped his first career World Cup goal in the 31st minute. Beautiful strike. Ghana answered in the second half through Derrick Luckassen. But Nikola Vlasic put Croatia back ahead ten minutes later, and that was that.

Croatia finishes second in the group with six points. They face Portugal on July 2. That’s a scary matchup for any team. Meanwhile, South Africa, Bosnia, Ivory Coast, Egypt, DR Congo, and co-hosts Canada are all making their first knockout round appearances. Some of those teams might even make a run. That’s the good side of expansion.

But Queiroz is clearly not here for the feel-good stories. He sees watered-down competition and a governing body chasing cash. And honestly, he might not be wrong. The old format was brutal. Only the best survived. Now the door is wider than ever, and some purists hate it.

Whether you agree with Queiroz or not, he said what he said. On a night his team kept playing, he made sure everyone knew he thinks the game they’re playing isn’t what it used to be.