FIFA World Cup 2026 to Have Record Number of Games

Due to the expanded format and 48 participating teams, the men’s FIFA World Cup will feature 104 matches rather than the traditional 64, according to FIFA. The first quadrennial tournament in which 48 teams compete will be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico in 2026.

According to FIFA, the proposal to change the FIFA World Cup 2026 competition format from 16 groups of three to 12 groups of four with the top two and eight best third-placed teams moving on to a round of 32 was unanimously approved by the FIFA Council.

FIFA added that the revised format reduces the likelihood of collusion, ensures that each team plays at least three matches, and provides teams with equal rest periods. 64 matches were completed in 29 days for the 32-team 2022 World Cup in Qatar. There were just 24 groups last time Mexico (1986) and the US (1994) facilitated a World Cup.

Since its inaugural year in 1998, the competition has featured 32 teams, eight four-team groups, and seven games between the finalists. Be that as it may, groups arriving at the culmination conflict in 2026 will currently play eight matches altogether.

At a meeting, FIFA’s council approved the decision to increase the total number of matches for the 2026 tournament from 80 to 104. After a proposal to draw three teams in a group was rejected due to concerns about collusion, the new format will also continue to draw four teams together.

Typically, the top two teams in each group advance to the round of 16, however, in the 2026 tournament, the eight best teams in third place will also advance to the round of 32.