World Cup 2026: What's New About the 48-Team Format?
Al Jazeera English
The 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams for the first time, divided into 12 groups of four. The expanded format opens opportunities for smaller nations but risks one-sided matches and a grueling schedule for players.
The 2026 World Cup will be the largest in the tournament's 96-year history, with 48 teams from six confederations. From 13 teams in 1930, the number has nearly quadrupled.
Under the new format, the 48 teams are divided into 12 groups of four, replacing the previous 32-team structure. The top two from each group and the eight best third-placed teams advance to a round of 32. From there, the tournament continues with a knockout stage.
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, now FIFA's chief of global football development, said expanding the World Cup is a natural step toward globalizing the sport and raising its quality. “We want football to be universal across the world. Development is always that there are more teams who want to play. And I believe 48 teams is the right number,” he said at a press conference in December 2025.
Economically, the World Trade Organization (WTO) estimates the expanded World Cup will generate $80.1 billion in total output, including $30.5 billion for host nation the United States. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said an expected $11 billion in revenue will be reinvested into football across 211 countries. “Three-quarters of them might not have sports at all without funding from the World Cup,” Infantino said in Washington D.C. in April 2026.
The new format opens doors for smaller teams. Four debutants include Curacao (the smallest nation ever to qualify), Cape Verde, Jordan and Uzbekistan. That quartet trails only the record six debutants at the 1930 and 2006 tournaments.
However, the format risks lopsided, less compelling matches. Iran, one of Asia's strongest teams, will face New Zealand, the weakest in the tournament. Curacao versus Germany and Cape Verde against Spain could be one-sided affairs tilted toward European giants. A team could draw all three group-stage matches and still advance. This could dilute the quality and tension of the group stage, traditionally a hallmark of the World Cup.
Another issue is players' post-tournament rest. FIFA says the total number of rest, release and match days remains the same as in the 2010, 2014 and 2018 World Cups. But a report from Football Benchmark notes that expanding from 64 to 104 matches means finalists could play up to eight games in 38 days. The gap between the World Cup and the new season is just 34 days, leaving little time for recovery and preseason preparation for the Premier League.
