"THEY will be dancing on the streets of Ouagadougou tonight."

The chances of you hearing football commentators hailing the exploits of Burkina Faso’s national team have been boosted by FIFA’s decision to expand the numbers of teams allowed to compete in the World Cup Finals.

The first tournament held in Uruguay in 1930 comprised just 13 countries but by 2026 the competition will have swollen to host 48 teams, up from the current 32.

It might be great news for football junkies and even better for sticker book manufacturer Panini, but the big winners are FIFA’s top brass. The sport’s world governing body – which under the leadership of Sepp Blatter became mired by corruption and bribery scandals – played down the financial implications of the move, but by expanding the tournament it can expect to raise an extra $1bn in revenue and $640m profit from TV and sponsors.

So, is it a good idea for football fans?

Purists will fear that the early three-team group stages will lead to more dead rubbers and matches turning out like infamous 1982 Disgrace of Gijón, where West Germany and Austria assured their mutual progression to the knockout phase.

The Scottish FA welcomed the move as a boost to its qualification hopes but Europe gets only three extra places so competition from this part of the world will still be fierce. Football federations in Asia, Africa and the Americas have more cause for celebration.

The one undoubted positive to take from FIFA’s decision is that gives a greater number of football-mad nations a chance to compete. Some of the World Cup’s most memorable matches have come from ‘minor’ football powers, such as Algeria, Senegal and Chile, embarrassing more fancied teams.

The days of the World Cup being the preserve of Europe and South America are long gone.