FIFA voted to expand the World Cup to 48 teams and a lot of people are angry

The 48-team World Cup idea that’s been floated around for the last year is about to become a reality. The FIFA Council voted unanimously for expanding the men’s tournament on Tuesday, starting with the 2026 edition.

Countries that both benefit from the current format and administer leagues with lots of world class players are upset. Germany’s FA thinks dilution of the qualify of the game could lead to loss of fans and sponsors, while La Liga is so mad they might file a lawsuit.

But the existing powers are mostly mad that they might lose their grip on the sport. While FIFA president Gianni Infantino has clear self-interested political and financial motivation for expanding the World Cup, it might be necessary for soccer to retain its spot as the world’s most popular sport. At the moment, more than half the world’s population lives in countries that feel they have no chance to qualify.

Here’s Alessandro Del Piero becoming Juventus’ all-time leading scorer in 2006.

Here are all the results from The Best FIFA Awards. Cristiano Ronaldo and Carli Lloyd won the big prizes.

Holger Badstuber has moved to Schalke on loan. (FC Bayern)

The FA Cup fourth round draw produced no marquee ties.

Here are all the players available in Friday’s MLS draft. (MLS)

And here’s Top Drawer Soccer’s latest mock draft.

The New York Cosmos have a new owner and will play in NASL in 2017. (SI)

Gabriele Marcotti on how World Cup expansion can work well. (ESPN FC)

Jon Townsend on 29-year-old Julian Naglesmann and how management is changing. (These Football Times)

James Yorke on the Premier League’s mid-table, and whether it truly is weak. (Stats Bomb)

League Cup: Manchester United vs. Hull City (3 p.m.) -- It’s the semifinals, so teams should start taking this seriously now.