The FIFA Council has made many decisions related to the game, the most important of which is to increase the number of teams participating in the finals of the next World Cup to 48 teams.
At its meeting held today Tuesday in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, the council unanimously agreed to host a World Cup tournament starting from the 2026 edition with a system of 12 groups of 4 teams each instead of the previous proposal of 16 groups of 3 teams per each.
The winners and runners-up in each group, as well as the top 8 third-placed teams, will advance to the Round of 16 with balanced rest times between all participants.
The World Cup is scheduled to feature 104 matches, starting with the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States of America, Canada and Mexico.
The final of the 2026 World Cup will take place on July 19, subject to the release of players from obligations to clubs, starting from May 25 of the same year.
Source: agencies