In 2026, when the World Cup battle ignites on the soil of the United States, Canada and Mexico, the number of participating teams will see an unprecedented expansion - surging from 32 to 48 teams. Initially, it was envisioned that these 48 teams would be divided into 16 groups of three teams each, however, FIFA has recently made a sudden change of heart and has decided to maintain the four-team-per-group format with further discussions on subsequent arrangements.
FIFA president Nfatianu revealed on Friday (16) that FIFA will be re-evaluating the 48-team grouping system that divides the tournament into 16 groups of three teams each, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the round of 32. He noted, "The incredible success of the group system at the Qatar World Cup has prompted FIFA to revisit our strategy. This is because in the 4-team group system, there is a lot of uncertainty until the last minute and the last second of the game." He went on to say, "FIFA will be revisiting the format of the tournament, whether it will be 16 groups of 3 teams each, or 12 groups of 4 teams each, and there will be an in-depth discussion on this in the coming weeks."
In comparing the two systems, if the 48 teams are divided into 12 groups of four teams each, the top two teams and the best third place of the eight groups advance to the round of 32, with the team with the most matches playing eight games and the least three, while if the 48 teams are divided into 16 groups of three teams each, the top two teams advance to the round of 32, with the team with the most matches playing seven matches and the least two.
