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New World Cup format


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#1
Speedball

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2026 World Cup will have 104 matches.

 

FIFA finally gets a fucking clue and goes with 12 groups of four, instead of 18 groups of 3

 

https://www.espn.com...of-4-teams-fifa


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#2
guanaco20

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FIFA just approved that for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 48 Teams will be split into 12 Groups of 4. The top 2 Teams plus the 8 best third-placed Teams will move onto a new Round of 32s. So now there will be a whopping 104 games in a FIFA World Cup. 

 

When it was originally 16 Groups of 3, there were supposed to be 80 games (split 60 in US, 10 in Canada, 10 in Mexico). With an additional 24 games, looks like Canada and Mexico may get more games.



#3
Arsenal14

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2026 World Cup will have 104 matches.
 
FIFA finally gets a fucking clue and goes with 12 groups of four, instead of 18 groups of 3
 
https://www.espn.com...of-4-teams-fifa

I'd rather they just go to 64. I hate third-place teams advancing.

Still, miles better than the 3-team groups.

#4
JBigjake54

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2026 World Cup will have 104 matches.
12 groups of four, instead of 18 groups of 3


More stadiums, or more games in current stadiums?

We are good enough to beat the best teams, and bad enough to lose to the worst teams. 


#5
Mibabalou

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So dumb to have 32 out of 48 teams make it to knockouts.

This might give bigger nations a chance to get guys back later since the real tournament won't start until the knockouts.

#6
SatansHockey

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2026 World Cup will have 104 matches.
 
FIFA finally gets a fucking clue and goes with 12 groups of four, instead of 18 groups of 3
 
https://www.espn.com...of-4-teams-fifa


This is interesting too, club world cup going to every 4 years and would affect the start of the mls season if teams are in it...

Also on Tuesday, FIFA said a 32-team Club World Cup will be played every four years from June 2025, confirming the announcement made by its president, Gianni Infantino, in Qatar last year.

Confederation champions from 2021 to '24 will be eligible to play in the Club World Cup, which means Chelsea and Real Madrid have already qualified.

Should either club win the Champions League again, a club ranking calculation based on sporting criteria will be used to determine which other team will qualify.

The current version of the FIFA Club World Cup -- an annual competition with seven teams -- will be discontinued after 2023, with a new yearly club competition approved from 2024.

"This competition will feature the champions of the premier club competitions of all confederations and conclude with a final to be played at a neutral venue, between the winner of the UEFA Champions League and the winner of intercontinental playoffs between the other confederations," FIFA said.

A newly structured international calendar was also approved with nine-day windows in March and June for two games each, a 16-day window for four matches in September-October followed by another nine-day two-match window in November.



#7
Rybka

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If they have 5 games a day (currently 3 a day), they might have to use some smaller sites.  ;)



#8
McSoccer

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So dumb to have 32 out of 48 teams make it to knockouts.

This might give bigger nations a chance to get guys back later since the real tournament won't start until the knockouts.

They should just have 32 teams play a knock out round with the winners advancing to a group stage with the top ranked 16 teams and then play the tournament like it's been played since they went to 32 teams.  I haven't done the math, but this scenario is probably less games overall, less games for the big countries, and therefore less money for FIFA.



#9
Arsenal14

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They should just have 32 teams play a knock out round with the winners advancing to a group stage with the top ranked 16 teams and then play the tournament like it's been played since they went to 32 teams.  I haven't done the math, but this scenario is probably less games overall, less games for the big countries, and therefore less money for FIFA.


That would suck ass. Imagine qualifying for a World Cup and getting to have 1 game before going out.

#10
magicmoron

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Groups of 4 are better, but when 3rd place teams advance, you have to potential for shit like Portugal winning the tournament without winning a single game. So it is almost a wash.

#11
McSoccer

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That would suck ass. Imagine qualifying for a World Cup and getting to have 1 game before going out.

For the countries that get knocked out, but the rest of the viewing world would get a normal WC. Maybe the 32 teams play two legs? Prob extends the competition too long. Yea, idk just trying to see a way that works without 3rd place teams advancing.

#12
RedBullScouse

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That would suck ass. Imagine qualifying for a World Cup and getting to have 1 game before going out.

Kind of like why they are making the first round of the MLS playoffs best 2 out of 3?


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#13
elf

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That would suck ass. Imagine qualifying for a World Cup and getting to have 1 game before going out.


Seattle knows that feeling

#14
Arsenal14

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Kind of like why they are making the first round of the MLS playoffs best 2 out of 3?

Different feeling when a tournament is annual and 2/3 of the eligible participants make it. If 128 teams made the World Cup, fuck it, make it a straight knockout.

They're making the playoffs longer to create more product for Apple to air, nothing beyond that.

#15
JBigjake54

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They're making the playoffs longer to create more product for Apple to air.


Surprised? Playoffs are an invalid champion determinant.

We are good enough to beat the best teams, and bad enough to lose to the worst teams. 





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