WC to have 4-team groups

THE 2026 World Cup will have 104 matches instead of the traditional 64 games due to the expanded format with 48 teams taking part, global soccer governing body FIFA said on Tuesday ahead of its Congress in Kigali, Rwanda.

The 2026 edition, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the first edition of the quadrennial tournament where 48 teams are taking part. The final will be held on July 19.

The new format will also stick to drawing four teams in a group after a proposal for 16 groups of three was shot down over fears of collusion in the final group game. However, the number of groups will increase from eight to 12.

The original plan for the 2026 edition had a total of 80 matches but the decision to increase the number of games to 104 was approved by FIFA’s council at a meeting on Tuesday.

Traditionally the top two teams from each group advance to the last 16 but the 2026 edition will also have the eight best thirdplaced teams moving into the knockout round of 32.

“The FIFA Council unanimously approved the proposed amendment to the FIFA World Cup 2026 competition format” FIFA said.

“The revised format mitigates the risk of collusion and ensures that all the teams play a minimum of three matches, while providing balanced rest time between competing teams.”

The 32-team World Cup in Qatar last year had a total of 64 matches completed in 29 days. The last time Mexico (1986) and the United States (1994) hosted a World Cup, there were only 24 teams.

The tournament has had 32 teams since the 1998 edition, with eight groups of four and the finalists playing seven games each. But teams reaching the summit clash in 2026 will now play eight matches in total.

FIFA said a 32-team Club World Cup will be played every four years from June 2025, confirming the announcement made by its president Gianni Infantino in Qatar last year.