Have World Cup changes damaged the final round of the group stage?

The expansion of the FIFA World Cup to 48 teams, featuring 12 groups of four, has led to a significant number of matches in the final round of the group stage where teams have no competitive incentive to play. As of the current tournament, eight teams have already been eliminated before their final group game, and an additional four teams have secured advancement and cannot be overtaken, meaning their final match holds no consequence for their progression. This situation raises concerns about the integrity of the competition, as teams with nothing to play for may not field their strongest lineups or exert maximum effort, potentially impacting the fairness of results for other teams still vying for qualification or seeding. FIFA introduced this expanded format for the 2026 World Cup, aiming to increase global participation and revenue, but the current tournament's group stage dynamics suggest an unintended consequence of reduced competitive tension in a substantial portion of its final group matches.