Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic gave his approval to expanding the World Cup from its current 32-team format to 40 or 48 teams as FIFA prepares to discuss the idea during its board meeting on Tuesday.
"Soccer is steadily being played at a higher level across the world. The idea to expand the World Cup makes sense," the Franco-Bosnian, who led Algeria to the knockout stage at the 2014 World Cup, told Kyodo News.
"The 48-team proposal, especially the one in which the group stage trims the field to 32 teams, is clearer and fairer."
Sixteen groups of three and a 32-team knockout stage are likely to be introduced should the 48-team proposal go through, and Halilhodzic said it will give teams more impetus to win in their group than in current groups of four.
"A win will carry more significance. In particular, the way teams approach their first games will change," said the 64-year-old, who also admitted the issue remains of two teams playing their group's last game and potentially conspiring for a favorable result that benefits both.
Halilhodzic dismissed claims that more teams would lead to a lower level of the competition, citing Algeria's 2-1 extra-time loss against Germany in the round of 16 in Brazil.
"That way of thinking is hard to understand," he said. "Bigger nations want to avoid tricky sides and use such a general argument as a convenient shield. But I feel that's a bit pompous."
Japan can be one of the beneficiaries from the change, added Halilhodzic, who believes three more slots for Asian nations from its current 4½ is optimal.
"If Japan get out of the group stage and play in the knockout stage in the third game of the World Cup, then that'll be really interesting," said Halilhodzic.