FIFA to approve 2026 World Cup format: how many games, how long will it last?

At the FIFA Council meeting held today in Kigali, Rwanda, soccer chiefs are set to approve the format of the 2026 World Cup, the first edition of the tournament that will involve 48 teams, up from 32.

FIFA keeps four-team group stage in 104-game World Cup

In the end, FIFA is understood have opted for the most aggressive expansion option on the table, with the number of games rising from 64 to 104, and the revamped tournament now due to last for 39 days.

Initially, world soccer’s governing body had considered switching to groups of three in the first round - a format that would have led to an 80-game World Cup.

However, FIFA was mindful of the potential excitement offered by the final round of matches in groups of four. In three-team sections, there would be a greater possibility of two nations settling for a result that favoured both, to the detriment of the third team in the group.

As a result, the round-robin stage will remain as it is, but will feature 12 groups instead of eight.

The 2026 World Cup is to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the tournament returning to dates coinciding with the Northern Hemisphere’s summer.

Group stage set to be split into regions

As it is the first World Cup to be held in three countries - and given the size of the host nations - FIFA is looking at separating the group stage into different geographical zones.

For example, countries playing games on the west coast of the US won’t be required to travel to another region unless they qualify for the knockout stages. Once the tournament reaches its latter stages, teams will then have to cover greater distances.