The group stage of the 2026 World Cup, the first with 48 teams, will be played in twelve groups of four selections, the FIFA Council announced on Tuesday, renouncing the groups of three initially envisaged. This decision, which “limits the risk of collusion and guarantees all teams to play at least three matches”, will cause the number of matches in the most popular tournament in the world to jump from 64 to 104, from the edition shared between States. United, Mexico and Canada.
Fifa opts for a group stage with 12 groups of four teams
