FIFA to expand 2026 World Cup teams to 48
FIFA are set to announce a huge expansion for the 2026 World Cup - reverting back to a four-team group stage that will see 104 games take place across the tournament.
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The next edition of the Jules Rimet trophy will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico in four years with 48 teams set to compete for the first time, though there has been much talk about a new format with 16 groups featuring three teams.
However, FIFA is understood to have been rethinking the proposal in recent months amid fears it could lead to less exciting games.
Now the Athletic have reported that FIFA will confirm they plan to have four teams in each group, which will lead to a total of 104 games at the tournament, up from 64.
The proposed format would see the World Cup become the longest as well as the biggest to date.
Football's governing body will confirm the plans at a FIFA Council meeting on Tuesday in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, where chiefs have assembled for their annual congress on Thursday.
Now the Athletic have reported that FIFA will confirm they plan to have four teams in each group, which will lead to a total of 104 games at the tournament, up from 64.
The new proposals would see 12 groups of four teams each - with the top two progressing to the knockout rounds. The eight best third-placed teams would then join them in the next stage.
