The next World Cup will have 12 groups and 40 more matches

The upcoming World Cup, to be held in 2026, will feature 48 teams and a total of 104 matches, providing a completely new experience for fans. 

Almost three months after the last World Cup ended, FIFA is projecting that in the next tournament there will be 104 matches instead of 64, due to the increase from 32 to 48 participating teams. This proposal is said to have been approved this week during a FIFA council meeting in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, according to the sports newspaper Marca.

The 2026 edition, which will take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will feature 48 participating teams: 45 from qualifying countries plus the three host nations.

In addition, the teams from the three venues will not have to compete in the qualifiers for North America, Central America, and the Caribbean (CONCACAF).

With the new format, there will be 12 groups of four teams. The top two from each group, as well as the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the round of 32, as noted by Marca. The finalists of the 2026 tournament will play a total of eight matches.

Without a doubt, there will be more teams, more matches, and the tournament will be longer. The final of the World Cup is scheduled for Sunday, July 19, 2026.

A working group will also be established to meet FIFA's requirements regarding the health of football players.

Among the proposed measures are a mandatory 72-hour rest period between matches, one day of weekly rest, and a designated vacation period for all football players.

The combined number of rest, release, and tournament days will be the same as in the previous World Cups (2010, 2014, and 2018): a total of 56 days.

The previous format, featuring 32 teams divided into eight groups of four nations to qualify for the knockout rounds, first appeared in France '98.

According to ESPN, this is the largest expansion that a World Cup has ever undergone.

The 48 teams represent a 50 percent increase, which will make it difficult for a single country to host the event due to the necessary venues and infrastructure.

Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, firmly defended this decision, which would result in an additional $1 billion in revenue and $640 million in extra profits.