The 2026 FIFA World Cup was expanded from 80 games to 104 with a change in the group stage
There were a number of concerns with the original change in format to three teams in a group from four. The biggest dealt with the possibility of groups decided prior to the final matches of the stage being played.
The new four-team format makes more sense, particularly considering the excitement of the final group stage games in Qatar, where fortunes drastically shifted with each goal. It would have been a shame for FIFA to lose that part of the competition. “FIFA continues its malpractice of making unilateral decisions on the world football calendar, showing complete disregard for the importance of national championships, and the football community in general. FIFA completely neglects the economic damage these decisions inflict on leagues around the world,” the La Liga statement read.Article content
Ironically, Spain and Portugal were joined by Morocco on Wednesday in a joint bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which likely would follow a similar format to the one in North America.Article content Infantino was first elected FIFA president in February 2016, and at the 2019 Women’s World Cup pledged a $1-billion investment to grow the women’s game.
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