Korean Media: Can China Become the "Second Cape Verde" at the 2030 World Cup?
On July 29, Korean media outlet *Hankook Ilbo* published an article asking whether China can become the "second Cape Verde" at the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will mark the centenary of the tournament.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup for CONCACAF and the Caribbean has concluded, and attention from the global football community is now turning toward the next four years. Previously, FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated in a media interview that he would "discuss plans to expand the number of participating nations to 64 starting from the 2030 World Cup." FIFA increased the number of participating teams from 32 to 48 in this edition, achieving positive results in terms of popularity and other aspects.
If the number of teams in the final stage increases to 64, the total number of matches will rise from 104 to 128—double the 64 matches played during the 2022 Qatar World Cup. With the extended schedule, operational burdens will significantly increase. Moreover, there are numerous criticisms, such as "expanding to 48 nations diminishes the value of qualification rounds for the final stage" and "increasing the number of participants only causes chaos."
Nonetheless, it is widely believed that China is one of the key reasons behind FIFA’s ongoing efforts to lower the threshold for qualifying for the World Cup finals. With a population of 1.4 billion, China represents a highly attractive market for FIFA, holding immense potential for broadcasting rights fees and marketing revenue. China also shows strong interest in the World Cup, with numerous companies participating as sponsors and demonstrating significant influence in the "off-field World Cup." However, since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, China's national team has not qualified for the final stage again. Although the number of Asian qualification spots has increased dramatically from 4.5 to 8.5 in this edition, China finished fifth in Group C of the Asian qualifiers and failed to advance to the fourth round.
On the other hand, even if FIFA continues expanding qualification opportunities, it remains uncertain whether China will ultimately qualify for the World Cup final stage.
Beyond the expansion of the number of participating nations in the final stage, attention is also focused on whether the next World Cup will retain "hydration breaks" and "halftime performances." A FIFA official stated that hydration breaks do not affect match outcomes but did not provide a clear answer regarding their continuation. In this World Cup, three-minute hydration breaks were scheduled in both halves, but their effectiveness has been met with mixed reactions. However, the fact that the 2030 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco—regions with hot climates—seems to necessitate careful consideration.
Criticism has begun to emerge, suggesting that halftime performances might disrupt gameplay. The UK's *The Guardian* expressed concern, stating: "Excessively long breaks cause players' muscles to cool down, potentially leading to injuries." The halftime performance in the CONCACAF and Caribbean World Cup lasted 27 minutes, significantly longer than the standard 15-minute halftime break in football matches.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872013895286796/
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