The expanded World Cup in North America got indeed more compounded on Tuesday. The governing body of soccer increased the size of the FIFA 2026 event for the alternate time — six times after the first — by approving a bigger group stage for the initial 48-team event.  By retaining groups of four brigades rather than moving to three, FIFA has created a 104-game schedule that will last nearly six weeks in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The final is listed for July 19.  The 16 host metropolises 11 in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada now have 24 redundant games to carry on top of the 80 they formerly had for the initial 48-team event.  

Adding about 1.5 million further tickets will also further energy FIFA’s anticipated record profit of at least $ 11 billion through 2026 from an event that will calculate on using high-profit NFL colosseums.   FIFA said the decision followed a “thorough review that considered sporting integrity, player weal, team trip, marketable and sporting attractiveness, as well as team and addict experience.”  

The rearmost drive by FIFA president Gianni Infantino for further games and bigger events in a congested timetable will probably provoke more concern among stakeholders similar to domestic leagues and players’ union FIFPRO. They’ve long felt insulated from addresses on soccer’s future. The six-week World Cup will start one time after FIFA launches a 32-team Club World Cup, which could also be offered in North America to test event logistics.

The titleholders League in Europe also has a new format with further brigades and games in the 2024- 25 season. 

 The new World Cup format will have 12 groups of four brigades rather than 16 groups of three, the plan chosen in 2017. Both options were to go to a 32-team knockout round. The format guarantees every World Cup team will play a minimum of three times rather than two, adding up to a piled group stage total of 72 games before arriving at the knockout rounds.

The four competitions will play eight matches, one further than last time in Qatar. The whole 2022 World Cup in Qatar amounted to 64 games in the seventh and last editions of the 32-team format. The 1998 World Cup in France was the first with 32  brigades.