It has been announced that the FIFA World Cup is considering changing how teams are grouped for the World Cup. The tournament will be held in four years and will see the field expand from 32 teams to 48. This is the first time in history that the World Cup will have this many participants.
FIFA’s Director of Global Football, Arsene Wenger, said they were reconsidering how they would group these teams. He stated that it was important to get it right as this would be a historic expansion for the competition. There are several ways in which FIFA could divide the 48 competing nations into the grouping.
However, there are plans for groups of three or even four teams. This decision has been met with mixed reactions, but it seems that FIFA is not reconsidering its position.
‘This is not decided, but it will be 16 groups of three, 12 groups of four, or two sides of six groups of four, like you organize two 24-team [tournaments],’ Wenger said on Sunday.
‘I will not be able to decide that, it will be decided by the FIFA council, and I think it will be done in next year.’
Some people favor this change because it allows more countries to participate in the biggest tournament in soccer. They feel that this will strengthen nations and give them a better chance of improving their rankings.
Others believe that reducing the number of competitors per group makes it too easy for the top-ranked teams to advance and eliminates some of the excitement and drama from early rounds of competition. There have even been calls to revert to 32 teams so that each game is more important.
On the other hand, smaller countries may struggle against powerhouse squads if they don’t have enough preparation time or support leading up to such a big stage matchup; furthermore, creating Three Team Groups could dilute talent levels across all matchups instead of allowing truly talented sides room to shine brighter than most.
FIFA’s initial concept for the World Cup, which included 16 groups of three teams, has been the subject of intense criticism and disagreement. Many dislike this format since it has led to unexpected results, such as Japan and South Korea moving on from difficult groups.
The 16-group format would prevent multiple teams from advancing out of each group. Additionally, it would end the World Cup drama caused by consecutive fixture endings in Groups C, E, and H.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first ever to host 48 teams! In addition, it will be the first tournament to have three different host countries. Canada, Mexico, and the United States will all play a role in hosting games.
In Canada, matches will take place in Vancouver and Toronto. In Mexico, games will be played in Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Mexico City.
Matches will be held in Seattle, San Francisco, Houston, Atlanta, New York, Dallas, Miami, and Kansas City, while the United States will host games in other cities.
