FIFA reportedly approve new format with more teams for 2026 World Cup

The council of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) meeting in Kigali (Rwanda) approved the new format of the World Cup which will be released in the 2026 edition in Mexico, the United States and Canada. The new World Cup tournament will feature more than 48 teams, down from 32, and they will be split into 12 groups of four.

For the group stage, the top two and the top eight third-placed teams will qualify. The increase in participants will lead to one more tie, the round of 16, and the appointment will last up to 40 days of competition for a total of 103 matches, 40 more than in the previous model.

This is not the first time that FIFA, led by Gianni Infantino changes the format of the World Cup in a bid to further increase the value and popularity of its flagship event. With a greater global presence and the growth of the game on the rise, FIFA sought to include more countries, thereby generating greater global interest in the event.

Infantino’s latest statement on the new World Cup format came during his recent visit to Guatemala during the Congress of the Central American Football Union (UNCAF)he celebrated there that “the 2026 World Cup will change the balance of football”.

“We will have the 2026 World Cup next,” explained the FIFA president. “Congratulations on qualifying Mexico, Canada and the United States, already qualified for this World Cup last week by decision of the FIFA Council; but in addition to these three, three other CONCACAF teams are certain to qualify, and possibly even five.

“This next World Cup in North America will be the World Cup in America. It will be the World Cup that will change the balance in football, because we will focus our work on this part of the world,” added the Swiss-born lawyer.

In May 2017, FIFA confirmed which confederations would get additional places for the 2026 World Cup:

The confederations receiving the most places are AfricaWhat gets four seats no longer guaranteed a place in the intercontinental play-off. the following Asiawho gets four additional seats. the Confederation European receives three additionalas North America (taking into account the direct classification of Mexico, the United States and Canada)while South America wins three. OceaniaFor its part, get one more.

After the coronation of Argentina at Qatar 2022Mexico will again host, along with the United States and Canada, the most important sporting event in the world in 2026. the 16 official websitesthe American Union has 11 of its metropolises on the list, for three Mexicans (CDMX, Guadalajara and Monterrey) and two Canadians (Vancouver and Toronto).

The full list:

Canada

Vancouver (BC Square)

Toronto (BMO Field)

UNITED STATES

Seattle (Lumen Field)

San Francisco (Levi’s Stadium)

Los Angeles (SoFi Stadium)

Kansas City (Arrowhead Stadium)

Dallas (AT&T Stadium)

Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Houston (NRG Stadium)

Boston (Gillette Stadium)

Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Stadium)

Miami (Hard Rock Stadium)

New York (MetLife Stadium)

Mexico

Guadalajara (Akron Stadium)

Mexico City – (Azteca Stadium)

Monterrey (BBVA Stadium)