The current record margin of nine goals in men's World Cup history, last matched in Hungary's 10-1 win over El Salvador in 1982, faces long odds of being surpassed even in the expanded 48-team 2026 tournament. Modern defensive organization, higher overall squad quality among qualifiers, and fewer extreme mismatches than in earlier eras have kept blowouts rare, with no team reaching double digits in a single match for over four decades. While the larger field could introduce weaker sides in the group stage, elite teams rarely run up such totals against organized opponents, and historical patterns plus recent form trends support trader consensus that this barrier will hold. Late roster changes or unusually one-sided draws remain the only plausible paths to a shift.