The Athletic reported that FIFA is close to approving a new format for the World Cup, which will feature 104 matches in 39 days.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, the United States and Canada will be the first tournament ever to feature 48 teams instead of 32. Under the new format, teams will be divided into 12 equal groups. The top three teams in each group will advance to the playoffs.
FIFA also plans to shorten the pre-tournament vacation from 23 to 16 days, and the resulting free week will be used for matches of the tournament in the new format.
The last World Cup was held at the end of 2022 in Qatar, and Argentina was the winner.
