To win a World Cup, a nation will have to play eight games, the first-ever change in the schedule since 1974 & starting with FIFA Worldcup 2026 matches.
On Tuesday, FIFA’s Council made history with its announcement to expand the World Cup group stage format for 2026. This game-changing move will allow teams more opportunities on the world stage by increasing the match count from 64 games in Qatar 2022 to a formidable 104 matches!
NEW FORMAT FIFA WorldCup 2026
After the group stages, it’s all on the line! The stakes are higher than ever; only 32 teams remain to battle for glory. And this time around there will be 104 matches in total – double what we had at World Cup 1994 and a huge increase from previous tournaments between 1998 and 2022. So break out your banners, chants & flags – let’s show these athletes that they have our full support as they go head-to-head with destiny!
WHY CHANGE?
Fifa WorldCup 2026 is set to be a ground-breaking tournament, with 48 nations participating – making it the largest ever in history! Sadly corruption has been an issue at past tournaments and so teams will now all kick off simultaneously on final group stages days – a schedule adopted after “The Disgrace of Gijón” in Spain in 1982. On that day West Germany secured their place in the next round by defeating Austria 1-0 through Horst Hrubesch’s tenth-minute goal – ensuring both sides progressed together despite Algeria doing everything they could prior.
Also Read: Lionel Messi’s World Cup 2022 Instagram post is now the most-liked photo ever
LENGTH
FIFA is gearing up for an epic finale of the year! On July 19, a lucky city from East Rutherford, New Jersey; Arlington, Texas or Inglewood California will be chosen to host the world’s most highly anticipated sporting event. Stay tuned as their decision could change the destiny of soccer history!
From June 17th to July 28th, football fans from all around the world will have a whopping 42 days of competition and excitement on their hands as they follow this year’s international tournament – much longer than ever before! Ready your flags, and get behind your teams: it promises to be an incredible journey with more time for thrilling action. Let’s kick off this amazing experience with extra time together!
WTC points table: The test Match ends in a Draw But India qualifies for the WTC final
As the countdown to one of world sport’s biggest events continues, FIFA has announced that clubs are required to release players for international duty on May 25th. The following rest period puts an official pause on practice matches and friendlies while allowing teams time to prepare in anticipation of soccer’s biggest stage – a 56 day process effectively unaltered since 2010!