The 2026 World Cup was expected to divide 46 teams into 16 groups, however, according to Reuters, FIFA is afraid of boring or fixed matches
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino told a news conference that the organization would again discuss the format of the next World Cup, to be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada in 2026.
It was planned that at the 2026 World Cup 48 teams will be divided into 16 groups, of which two teams will advance to the 1/16 finals.
According to Infantino, there were tense matches and group escapes in Qatar, so it is possible that there will be even four teams in the next tournament.
On FIFA’s plans to overhaul the format of the tournament on December 14th reported Reuters. According to the agency, the organization wants to avoid boring matches and situations where two teams can play with a score that suits them to eliminate a third team from the tournament.
The head of FIFA’s global development department, Arsene Vener, has admitted that at the 2026 World Cup the teams could be divided into 12 groups with two teams in each plus the best third-placed teams who qualify for the playoffs.
It is also possible that the winners of two large groups of 24 teams each, in which there will be six mini-groups, meet in the final.