How many teams? New mode with 16 groups

Like the 2022 World Cup, the 2026 World Cup is also under special circumstances. More teams would compete in Canada, Mexico and the United States. mode changes.

In the 2022 World Cup, things were very different from the start. One football world cup In winter. in the sand a world cup in which the Play The host Qatar repeatedly faded into the background due to the political situation and accusations around. In the 2026 World Cup, normality has returned in parts. The tournament will take place in the summer. But even in four years many things will be different from the last World Championships.

World Cup 2026 Format – How many teams will play in Canada, Mexico and USA?

will be in 2026 world cup United States of america, Canada and Mexico. Here we have the first novelty. Before this, the Football World Cup has never been held in three countries. Even more unusual, however, is the format of the tournament, which introduces a decisive innovation: 46 teams will play for the World Championship title. Not 32 as usual.

The large number of participating teams brings with it yet another change to the World Cup mode. The group stage of the 2026 World Cup will be played in 16 groups of three. The previous World Championships had eight groups of four. For this, the knockout stage is extended by one round. The sixteenth final is introduced. 32 teams qualify for this. Until now, the knockout stage started from the round of 16.

READ 'I deeply regret it': B.C. NDP Leader John Horgan says he misspoke about white privilege at debate

More teams and a different mode at a glance: This will change in the 2026 World Cup

46 teams
16 groups of three
The sixteenth final is introduced

World Cup 2026: More teams, more games

The number of group matches will not change for the 2026 World Cup. Although there are twice as many groups, there are more than half the games in each group. In the knockout system, however, 16 games are added. because Venues for 2026 World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico There are 80 games. Qatar has 64.

Until now, a country could have a maximum of seven games in a Football World Cup. Then when it was final. In the 2026 World Cup, the world champion will eventually have played eight games. So the intensity increases. Many experts and fans view it critically. The pressure on players is already immense in the World Cup.

Starting positions for the 2026 World Cup by associations

UEFA ,europe): 16
CAF (africa:9
AFC (Asia): eighth
Conmebol (South America:6
CONCACAF (Northern and central america:6
OFC (Oceania:1

We want to know what you think: The Augsburger Allgemeine is therefore teaming up with the opinion research institute Civi. What are representative surveys and why should you register? read here,

We need your consent to display surveys on Civi

With your consent, external content may be displayed here that complements the editorial text. By activating the content via “Accept and Display”, Civey GmbH may store or retrieve information on your device and collect and process your personal data. You can withdraw your consent at any time using the slider. data security

READ Canada will provide financial aid to Ukraine. message robot