FIFA has announced that the expanded 48-team field, which has been frequently discussed in recent years, will be officially adopted for 2026, which will be held in, and... 424 Sports will report.
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The traditional 32-team format will be in place for the 2022 World Cup.
on the last time it was used before being replaced by the new extended format. This is not the first time FIFA has modified the World Cup format to continue to increase the value and popularity of its mega-event. As the global reach expands and the tournament trends upwards, FIFA wants to include more countries, thus generating greater interest in the tournament on a global scale. The increase in matches has helped to increase broadcasting and commercial revenues.
How many teams will there be in the 2026 World Cup? FIFA confirmed on 10 January 2017 that the 2026 World Cup will be expanded to 48 teams, which is an increase of 16 teams from the 32-team format that has seen the tournament reach the finals every four years since 1998, and seven times since '98, when the World Cup has been held as a 32-team tournament, an increase of 24 participants from the 1994 edition.
The increase in the number of teams will increase the total number of matches from 64 to 80, however, the maximum number of matches per finalist will not be increased and will remain at seven - two group stage matches and five knockout matches.
FIFA has yet to announce which regional confederations will receive additional bids for the expanded 2026 World Cup. With 16 additional seats available, it remains to be seen how FIFA will distribute them among the various continental confederations.
For the 2022 World Cup, as has been the case since 1998, the distribution of seats for the 32 participating teams is as follows:
Host country: 1
Africa (CAF): 5
Asia (AFC): 4 (plus 1 playoff qualifier)
Europe (UEFA): 13
North America/Central and Caribbean (CONCACAF): 3 (plus 1 playoff qualifier)
Oceania (OFC): 1 playoff qualifier
South America (CONMEBOL): 4 (plus 1 playoff qualifier)
Intercontinental playoffs: 2 (contested between four playoff qualifiers)
The final two spots are determined by the Intercontinental Playoffs, which are contested by four teams from North America, South America, Asia and Oceania.
