On Tuesday, March 14, 2023, the FIFA Council met in Kigali (Rwanda) and approved the new World Cup format. 

The World Cup for the 2026 North American edition will have a new format. According to this format, the participating teams will be divided into twelve groups of four teams. 

Therefore, the number of teams competing in the final phase will increase. From France 1998 to Qatar 2022, 32 teams competed; 48 teams will compete in the next World Cup. That is to say, the group stage will be topped by the first two and the eight best third-placed teams. 

2026 World Cup 

The next World Cup will be held in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Due to the new format, 104 matches will be played; 40 matches more than in the previous format. It will last 40 days, between June 8 and July 19. 

“The revised format mitigates the risk of collusion and ensures that all teams play a minimum of three matches. It also provides a balanced rest time between competing teams,” FIFA commented. 

The meeting also established the mandatory release period for the next world cup. The start date is May 25, 2026, one day after the last official club match. The international match schedules were also approved. 

New project 

Importantly, the FIFA Council approved the establishment of a working group dedicated to player welfare. The objective is to ensure the proper application of mandatory rest periods. 

The main purpose is to establish a precise international match schedule and to take into account the points of view of the parties involved. At the same time, having meaningful matches while safeguarding the welfare of the players. Gianni Infantino, president of soccer’s top governing body, admitted that more competitive soccer is needed in some regions. 

Finally, the Universidad Internacional Iberoamericana (International Iberoamerican University) (UNIB) offers the Master’s Degree in Physical Activity: Sports and Training Management Source: The format of the 2026 World Cup is official: 12 four-team groups and round of 16