On March 14, 2023, the FIFA Council approved a revised format featuring 12 four-team groups. The reconsideration stemmed from concerns over the possibility of collusion in the last group games of three-team groups. Under the revised format, the total number of games played will increase from 64 to 104, and the number of games played by finalists will increase from seven to eight. The tournament would be completed in 39 days, an increase from 32 days of the 2014 and 2018 tournaments. Each team would still play three group matches, with the top 8 third-placed teams joining the group winners and runners-up in a new round of 32
What is the new format of world cup 2026
The Fifa world cup 2026 will be hosted in Canada, Mexico and the USA. This will be the first world cup ever featuring 48 teams across 12 groups. Number of games will increase from 64 games to 104 and the tournament will be 39 days vs 32 days of the 2014 and 2018 tournaments. As part of this growth Fifa is redistributing the slot allocations for new teams to include more teams from Africa, Asia and OFC and North America.