YOGYAKARTA - The world of football was shocked by the announcement of the new 2026 World Cup rule by FIFA. The change in the format of this tournament was truly revolutionary, marking a new era for the most prestigious football competition in the world.
Some of the new rules set by FIFA, suddenly caused heated debate among fans and experts. What changes and how will it impact?
Adapted by VOI from athlonsports, here are some changes set by FIFA at the upcoming 2026 World Cup:
The most fundamental change from the new 2026 World Cup rule is the expansion of participants from 32 teams to 48 countries.
This step was taken by FIFA citing global expansion and increased revenue, but in total increased the number of matches from 64 to 104 matches.
Unlike the old format with 32 teams divided into eight groups, the 2026 World Cup will be the first to involve 48 teams.
This competition no longer uses eight groups (A'H), but will be divided into 12 groups from Group A to Group L. With this format, next year's tournament will involve a significant increase in the number of matches.
Due to the existence of 12 groups, the scheme to qualify for the knockout round also changed drastically. Some teams that have the right to advance are:
With 32 teams qualifying from the group stage, FIFA introduces a new phase, namely the Round of 32, before advancing to the Round of 16, (the commonly used system).
The 2026 World Cup Final Draw process will be unique. There will be four pots, each of which contains 12 teams. The distribution of these pots is based on the latest FIFA rankings, except for the three hosts among them:
In addition, to maintain justice and the deployment of teams, teams from the same confederation (continental) should not be in one group, except for teams from UEFA (Europe), which are permitted, but a maximum of only two teams per group.
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With the addition of a total of 40 matches raising serious concerns about player fatigue. The tournament itself will last about 3940 days, adding to the physical burden for stars who have just finished their domestic league.
In addition, critics argue that including 16 additional teams, especially lower-ranked teams, could dilute the quality of matches in the group stage, despite providing greater opportunities for small countries.
But the good news is that the new 2026 World Cup rules provide a golden opportunity for confederations outside Europe and South America, among them:
Please note, the 2026 World Cup will be jointly held by three countries, namely the United States, Canada, and Mexico. However, the division of matches will be announced by FIFA on the next date.
This drastic change in format is truly historic. Although controversial, the new 2026 World Cup rules promise a bigger, more inclusive tournament, and of course, longer.
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