This policy, “which limits the risk of arrangements and guarantees that all teams play at least three games”, will increase the number of matches in the tournament from 64 in recent editions to 104.
The direct additions will start from the 16th round, which will be approached by the first two classifieds of each key and “the eight best third parties”, said FIFA, whose council meets in Kigali (Rwanda).
This format also means that the finalists and semifinalists will play a total of eight games, seven until the Qatar-2022 edition.
an unusual formula
It started in 2017, the change of the World Men’s World from 32 to 48 participating nations made it necessary to review the format in force of France 1998, with the first round of eight teams, the first two qualified for the round. 16.
FIFA initially created a format with 16 groups of three teams each, with a total of two for the round of 16, which would increase the number of matches to 80.
However, this formula, unusual in football, where he played in groups of four participants in the main tournaments (the European Cup and the Champions League), had added difficulty: the risk of agreements between the teams before the third match; which led FIFA to consider the extension of the debate and even penalty shoots to avoid a draw.
The supreme body of soccer has definitely changed its mind after the experience of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the last day of the first period was full of emotions and suspense, especially in Group E, in which each team (Germany, Spain, Japan and Costa Rica) almost for the round of 16 per 90 minutes is indicated.
This Tuesday, FIFA argued that on the basis of “the integrity of the game, the health of the players, the travel of the teams, the commercial and sporting appeal, as well as the experience of the teams and the spectators” to resign from the three teams. formula by group.
The number of venues for the 2026 World Cup will be double that of Qatar-2022. From eight stadiums to 16 will be distributed in the United States (Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami and New York), three in Mexico (Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey and two in Canada (Toronto and Vancouver).
great income
Knowing that the slip and tear of footballs is a hot topic, FIFA kept the mandatory time that the players must be available for 56 days, “as in 2010, 2014 and 2018”, when the World Cup in Qatar was reduced. in a few days because of the mid-season European game.
The duration of the North American World Cup has not been confirmed, but the participants will meet with their teams on May 25 to prepare for the tournament whose final will take place on July 19, 2026.
The current World Cup will pay all the records of the Zurich-based business, which rewrites its income among the 211 federations. In mid-February, FIFA set its revenue for the 2023-2026 cycle at 11,000 million dollars (10,250 million), 44.7% more than in 2019-2022.
Its president, Gianni Infantino, will be re-elected on Thursday in this 73rd FIFA meeting because he has no rival in the vote.
