The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) on Sunday revealed the new system for the 2026 World Cup, which raised the astonishment of football fans around the world.
FIFA announced a new system that will be used for the first time in the expanded World Cup, which will be hosted by 3 countries for the first time: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
48 teams will participate in the World Cup, and they will be divided into 12 groups, each containing 4 teams, an increase of 4 groups compared to the last edition in 2022.
Who will qualify?
The first and second-placed teams from each group will qualify, and 8 teams will qualify, which are the 8 best third-placed teams, in terms of points.
The 4 worst teams that finished in third place will be eliminated from the tournament, in addition to the 12 teams that finished at the bottom of each group of 12.
Next turn
The next round will witness the participation of 32 teams, who will form the round of 32, which will then lead to 16 teams who will form the previously known round of 16.
General astonishment
This system has caused confusion and amazement among the observers, as it will give the teams a greater chance of qualifying from the groups, which will reduce the competition of the tournament in general.
The introduction of the round of 32 also raised eyebrows, by placing an additional round before the famous classic round of 16.
Followers criticized the unnecessary expansion of the World Cup, with the goal that many considered to increase the matches and the overall income of the tournament while reducing the strength of the competition.
The twenty-third edition of the World Cup will be held in 16 stadiums in the three countries, with the final taking place in the United States.
The tournament will last 40 days, 10 days more than the average of the last editions.