The 48 teams format is real joke dude, the first round will be real joke, the excitement of 3rd match of the group won't exist anymore and you are probably out with only one defeat. It is World Cup but you need to go by power of continent and as it stand Europe deserves way more than 16, same as South America.
FIFA, unlike the NHL, sees the promise of growing the sport by having these teams in this tournament.
Europe is fine at 16. South America may need a tad more, one or two spots, but on a whole, I think this is best for growing the sport. Adding more European teams just makes the tournament more of the Euro cup. Europeans will have 1/3 teams represented at this tournament, more than enough.
Asia at 8 may be a bit much, but having these teams from one of the fastest growing regions on the planet isn't a bad idea when it comes to growing the sport.
Africa at 9, same thing, a tad much, but I would like to see more African teams than more European teams.
CONCACAF at 6 is a great idea, because lets face facts, there was only one spot in flux because Mexico and the USA are guaranteed to qualify. Maybe a team like Canada can qualify now, maybe a Jamaica, maybe a Trinidad and Tobago again.
Oceania at 1 is no calamity, although it's all but certain to always be Australia.
South America at 6 seems like a small number to me, but not by much. I wouldn't shed a tear is they stripped one each from Asia and Africa and gave it to south America.
At the end of the day, the world cup is supposed to represent the world. If it was simply the top ranked 48 teams in the world facing off it would be a very boring euro verus south america cup with a few other nations making the top 48.
The actual top 48 according to FIFA.
1.Argentina
2.Brazil
3.Germany
4.Chile
5.Belgium
6.France
7.Colombia
8.Portugal
9.Uruguay
10.Spain
11.Switzerland
12.Wales
12.Poland
14.England
15.Italy
16.Croatia
17.Mexico
18.Peru
19.Costa Rica
20.Egypt
21.Netherlands
22.Ecuador
23.Iceland
24.Ireland
25.Slovakia
26.Turkey
27.Hungary
28.Senegal
29.Bosnia and Herzegovina
30.USA
31.Ukraine
32.Cameroon
33.Iran
34.Austria
35.Northern Ireland
36.Burkina Faso
37.Tunisia
38.Congo
39.Romania
40.South Korea
41.Nigeria
42.Czech Republic
43.Ghana
43.Paraguay
45.Sweden
46.Greece
47.Ivory Coast
48.Denmark.
South America 8
Europe 26
North America 3
Asia 2
Africa 9
Oceania 0
Not so much a world cup anymore is it?