World Cup with 48 teams in 2026

[TornadoTed]

The proposals sound pretty awful to me and that comes from a Wales supporter who has only seen my country at the WC once in my lifetime (nearly half a century)

It is an elite competition and the format works perfectly well as is.

 

[A_G]

If you had to choose one: 48 team tournament or WC every two years?

 

[dashsnow17]

If you had to choose one: 48 team tournament or WC every two years?

48 team obviously. 48 team dilutes the value of the World Cup but staging it every two years ruins the value entirely, its rarety is what makes it special. Plus you gotta have euros and summers for players to rest.

 

[A_G]

 

[Rex Stone]

Has to be 12 of four. The two tournaments idea sounds daft.

 

[Gooner416]

Has to be 12 of four. The two tournaments idea sounds daft.

Please keep it to four teams per group. Hate this 3 group idea.

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

Results in this world cup suggest the teams should be reduced rather than increased.

 

[A_G]

 

[A_G]

The original idea was to have 16 groups of three, with the top two processing to a 32-team knockout competition. That format would have involved 80 games, up from the 64-game format FIFA has used since 1998.

The new format is for 12 groups of four, with the eight best third-placed teams joining the top two in the knockout rounds. This restores the jeopardy of the final round of group-stage games and reduces the chance of collusion.

 

[Paperino]

They are doing everything they can to make the world cup uninteresting.

 

[A_G]

They are doing everything they can to make the world cup uninteresting.

Tell Sweden to actually qualify then.

 

[Rex Stone]

The original idea was to have 16 groups of three, with the top two processing to a 32-team knockout competition. That format would have involved 80 games, up from the 64-game format FIFA has used since 1998.

The new format is for 12 groups of four, with the eight best third-placed teams joining the top two in the knockout rounds. This restores the jeopardy of the final round of group-stage games and reduces the chance of collusion.

I for one am buzzing about the prospect of watching New Zealand vs Honduras on the biggest stage of world football.

 

[Sapient Hawk]

I for one am buzzing about the prospect of watching New Zealand vs Honduras on the biggest stage of world football.

Amateurs.

Malta Vs Burundi is the derby the world isn't prepared for.

 

[Rex Stone]

Amateurs.

Malta Vs Burundi is the derby the world isn't prepared for.

European allocation won’t actually increase by much at all.

We’re going to be getting a lot more from other regions. Oceania is now guaranteed a place every tournament and bear in mind Australia don’t qualify from that federation.

 

[Paperino]

Tell Sweden to actually qualify then.

Its easier and less stressful to watch a world cup when your own country isnt there. So no problems for me.

 

[Sapient Hawk]

European allocation won’t actually increase by much at all.

We’re going to be getting a lot more from other regions. Oceania is now guaranteed a place every tournament and bear in mind Australia don’t qualify from that federation.

The Aussies should've waited for that automatic Oceania seat.

Now, it's bound to get tougher qualifying within Asia & playoffs can end up against teams from CAF & CONCACAF as well.

 

[Rex Stone]

The Aussies should've waited for that automatic Oceania seat.

Now, it's bound to get tougher qualifying within Asia & playoffs can end up against teams from CAF & CONCACAF as well.

Nah Asia is getting 8 slots plus a chance at a 9th qualifier.

No way Australia don’t make it. Based on rankings we’ll be getting Iraq and UAE qualifying directly

 

[Dennis_Bergkamp_10]

Matter of time before the entire 195 countries (or so) will compete. FIFA is really a laughing stock.

 

[MauveGunner]

Disgusting stuff. 104 matches with 48 countries in 39 days.
Players at the WC wouldn't have any rest. Get overplayed and risk more injuries, which falls on the clubs.


And in the mealwhile they'll get an extra 4B in the bank.

 

[GoonerJeeves]

It's good that they kept the 4 team groups, but this was a change that we didn't need. You have to wonder if UEFA shouldn't get together with the Americas to launch a rival competition, perhaps with the best African nations.....