World Cup 2026: Is the 48-team tournament a success?

Lee James is joined by African football commentator Mark Gleeson, South American football expert Tim Vickery and Daniel Storey, chief football writer for the i Newspaper, to assess how the biggest ever World Cup is playing out as we enter the knock-out stages.

They discuss whether the tournament has lacked jeopardy, the success of African nations and whether the World Cup will now expand again to 64 teams.

Mark says the results of investment in African football over recent years is borne out by nine of their 10 representatives making it out of the group stage.

Tim believes the rise of Africa could make life more difficult in the coming years for some South American nations, and that questions will be asked about whether Asia deserves so many places, given their relative under-performance in 2026.

Daniel tells Lee the lopsided nature of the draw, with some teams knowing the result they needed ahead of their final group game, has led to some unfairness. He also updates us on his road trip across the US.

All this summer, More than the Score brings you more than the men’s football World Cup - the new teams, standout stars and fandoms shaping the tournament in ways the stats don’t show. Search for More than the Score, wherever you get your BBC podcasts.