The International Association Football Federation (FIFA ) announced on Tuesday that its council confirmed the new format for the 2026 World Cup, stressing it will feature 48 teams for the first time in the history of the event.
The FIFA Council noted that the event that will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026 will feature a format with 12 groups of four national teams and will last six weeks. The final of the tournament will take place on Sunday, July 19.
"The revised format mitigates the risk of collusion and ensures that all the teams play a minimum of three matches, while providing balanced rest time between competing teams," FIFA stated.