Thailand can learn from watching first-timer teams in the Fifa World Cup 2026 tournament when it starts later this week, former Thai national player and prominent coach Sasom Pobprasert says.
Sasom, the PT Prachuap FC coach, said in a PPTV interview the tournament would give the Thai team an opportunity to study the performance of teams taking part for the first time, how they got there - and why.
The governing body has this year expanded the number of teams competing in the World Cup finals to 48. This gives small countries, including Thailand, a greater opportunity to join the big names, at least in the first stage.
To date only the Thai Women's team has had any success at all, competing in the Fifa Women's World Cup tolurnament in 2015 and 2019.
"This World Cup will show how small countries reached the finals [for the first time] and show the gap when they play against world-class national teams," said Mr Sasom, who was a midfielder for the national team in 1997 and is a football analyst.
"Their performances on the pitch will show whether the Thai team can emulate their success," he said.
Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan are in the World Cup for the first time. Covering just 4,033 square kilometres, Cape Verde, an island off the west African coast, is the smallest nation by area, and Curacao is the smallest in terms of population, only 156,000.
This year’s World Cup starts on Thursday and the final will be played on July 19. Mexico, the United States and Canada are co-hosting the matches.
