DOHA, Qatar — A men’s World Cup era ended Sunday with the greatest final ever played. It was a dichotomous era of rampant corruption, but also of GOATs and commercial growth. Even as the U.S. Department of Justice exposed FIFA, the global soccer governing body’s business boomed. Revenue more than quadrupled from 1998, when the first 32-team World Cup was staged, to 2022. The tournament and its brand, despite relentless controversy surrounding Qatar, are as popular as ever.
And yet, FIFA is changing it. The 2026 edition will come to the United States, Canada and Mexico with 48 teams, a novel format, and promises of a “massive” impact on soccer in North America.
FIFA’s first order of business, though, will be figuring out what, exactly, the new format will look like.
How is the World Cup changing in 2026?
Expansion from 32 to 48 teams has left organizers with a dilemma. FIFA initially settled on 16 groups of three, with two of each three advancing to a 32-team knockout stage. But amid growing public pushback, officials have acknowledged that the proposed scheme would deflate the group stage.
“I think we have to revisit, or at least re-discuss the format,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said at a news conference Friday.
The likely solution would be 12 groups of four, with the top eight third-place teams advancing alongside the top two. A better solution would be 12 groups of four with only the top two advancing, and the eight best group winners getting byes to the…
