The Council of FIFA met as part of the entity’s 73rd Congress in Rwanda, where the format for the 2026 World Cup, to be held in Mexico, the United States and Canada, was approved.
According to the football association, 48 teams will take part in the new World Cup instead of the 32 since France in 1998. The teams will be divided into 12 groups of four and the round of 16 will be played, so now the finalists and semi-finalists will play 8 games instead of the 7 they played.
In addition, the first 2 and the 8 best third parties qualify for the second phase. With this increase in teams, the competition will now be overwhelmed 104 parties, 40 more than the previous format. FIFA claims that the new model guarantees more balanced participation throughout the competition.
“The revised format mitigates the risk of collusion and ensures all teams play a minimum of three games while providing a balanced rest period between competing teams,” the statement said.
The mandatory transfer deadline for the World Cup starts on May 25, 2026, a day after the last official club game, although there could be one exceptions applicable to the final commitments of the confederation club competitions until 30 May 2026, subject to FIFA approval.
The biggest football party at national team level will take place from June 8, 2026 to July 19, the date when the final of the competition will be played.