The head of the federation’s Football Department, Arsène Wenger, said the decision would be taken next year.
The head of FIFA’s Football Department (International Football Federation), Arsène Wenger, said this Sunday (4.Dec.2022), that the 2026 World Cup does not yet have a defined format. The statement was given to journalists in Doha, Qatar.
In 2026, the number of teams competing in the competition will increase from 32 to 48. The event will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Wenger stated that the decision on how the teams will be divided will be taken in 2023.”There can be 16 groups with 3 teams. There can be 12 groups with 4 teams each. Or maybe split into 2 sides with 24 teams. Who will decide this is the Council [da Fifa] next year“, said.
When announcing the increase of teams from 32 to 48 in 2017, Fifa announced that the tournament would be divided into 16 groups with 3 teams each. The two best placed teams in each group would go on to the next knockout stage, which would bring together 32 teams.
However, the format creates sporting friction: there is a chance for teams to produce “connivance” in the last rounds, since each group would have odd numbers and one team would not play in the decisive round.
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