The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to make history with a record of 48 teams competing—the largest field ever for the tournament. While many fans are showcasing their excitement about seeing more nations compete, not everyone is sold on the expansion. Six-time major champion Rory McIlroy recently weighed in on the debate. He admitted he’s not a fan of the expanded World Cup format.

A devoted football fan and lifelong supporter of Manchester United, McIlroy has been vocal about his love for the sport. Nonetheless, he doesn’t seem to share the excitement of other fans about the recent expanded 48-team decision. He believes it wouldn’t align with FIFA’s exclusivity and competitive edge.

“Yeah, it's a different World Cup. There's a lot more teams in it. I wouldn't necessarily be a fan of that, I think, but it means Scotland are in. So I guess you're happy about that,” he says with a chuckle during the 2026 U.S. Open Championship press conference on Tuesday.

This, coming from a massive football fan like McIlroy, carries incredible weight. That said, McIlroy admitted he is still looking forward to the big game. Funnily, he called it a welcome distraction from the grind of golf.

“It's nice that it's on, and especially this week, it's a good distraction to be able to go back from the golf course and turn the football on and forget about the golf for a little bit,” he added.

Football could be a good distraction for the six-time major winner as he prepares for this week’s major. In the press conferences, beyond football, McIlroy also commented on the new changes to the PGA Tour.

Rory McIlroy Voices His Concerns About the PGA Tour’s New Direction

Earlier this month, the PGA Tour had proposed a two-track model. The first track will include around 15 to 18 top-level events with fields of 120 to 130 players, and the players in Track Two will compete to elevate themselves into Track One events.

On Tuesday, during the U.S. Open press conference, McIlroy reflected on these changes. He stated how he thinks it might be risky, believing that certain iconic tournaments may be stripped of their iconicity. As an example, he talked about the RBC Canadian Open, which, according to him, shouldn’t be reduced in stature.

He further argued that the old-standing PGA Tour’s pre-LIV structure worked well. “Like I think, as they've done all this work, you start to realize that the way the TOUR was before LIV came along was actually pretty good. It was a pretty good structure, and everything sort of worked pretty well.”

McIlroy went on to stress how certain traditional tournaments might lose their importance. He said this could happen if the sponsors are unable to meet the higher level of financial demands.

“Yeah, I just think there's going to be certain events that might lose their stature if a sponsor doesn't pony up $30 million. So that's the tough thing,” he emphasized.

What are your takes on McIlroy’s remarks? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Avantika Das

Edited by

Ankita Yadav