Critics of the expanded championship were wrong. Wenger: The gap between giants and minnows is shrinking

"The tournament's standard was exceptionally high. The gap between major and minor footballing nations is narrowing," stated Wenger. He cited Cape Verde as an example, who, in their World Cup debut, advanced to the Round of 16 and only lost 3-2 to Argentina after extra time.

The group, which includes former German national team coach Jürgen Klinsmann, analyzed matches from the championship held in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. According to their data, the number of goals scored from outside the penalty area doubled compared to the previous World Cup in Qatar.

"We saw many teams defending deep, and it was very difficult to break them down," DPA quoted Klinsmann as saying.

The analysis also revealed that, partly due to some new rules, goalkeepers initiated play more quickly, and the number of stoppages for medical treatment decreased. Following the tournament, FIFA plans to further evaluate the impact of cooling breaks, which generated mixed reactions.

The expanded championship is also expected to generate record revenues. According to The Guardian, world football's governing body anticipates earnings of approximately 15 billion dollars, despite initial projections of 11 billion. The increase is primarily attributed to ticket sales.