FIFA may abandon three-team teams for 2026 World Cup

Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s chief of worldwide soccer, says a last determination has not but been made on the format for the 2026 World Cup, which is being hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.

The 2022 World Cup noticed nice drama because the group stage climaxed with all 4 groups performed concurrently, however with the ultimate match being expanded from 32 to 48 groups FIFA has to discover a new system.

It is nearly six years for the reason that FIFA Council voted to extend the scale of the World Cup in January 2017, and authorized a format which might see the 48 groups divided into 16 teams of three groups — with the highest two going by means of to a spherical of 32.

– World Cup 2022: Information and options | Schedule | Bracket

However this might imply the 2 groups within the last group fixture may play out a selected consequence to ship each groups by means of on the expense of the workforce not taking part in, and this has led to a rethink. FIFA has even raised the prospect of placing a penalty shootout on the top of each group stage drawn recreation, however even that would not overcome groups taking part in out a selected scoreline that suited each.

On Sunday, Wenger informed a information convention for the FIFA Technical Research Group that three choices have been into account. In addition to the three-team possibility, one other suggestion is that there could be 12 teams of 4 groups, with the perfect third-placed groups advancing with the highest two. A 3rd possibility is to separate the World Cup into two separate halves of 24, every that includes six teams of 4 groups. The winner of every half would meet within the last.

“This isn’t determined,” Wenger stated. “however will probably be 16 teams of three, 12 teams of 4, or two sides of six teams of 4 — such as you organise two 24 groups.

“I will be unable to determine that, will probably be determined by the FIFA [Council], and I feel will probably be completed within the subsequent 12 months.”

The cities formally chosen to host World Cup matches within the U.S. are: New York/New Jersey (MetLife Stadium); Los Angeles (SoFi Stadium); Dallas (AT&T Stadium); San Francisco Bay Space (Levi’s Stadium); Miami (Onerous Rock Stadium); Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium); Seattle (Lumen Area); Houston (NRG Stadium); Philadelphia (Lincoln Monetary Area); Kansas Metropolis, Missouri (Arrowhead Stadium); and Boston (Gillette Stadium).