Arsene Wenger, the FIFA’s head of global football, says the enlarged 2026 World Cup may not definitely include three-team groups as a result of opposition to the suggested revisions.
The FIFA Council voted in January 2017 to increase the number of teams competing in the World Cup finals from 32 to 48. The first tournament under the new format is scheduled to take place in four years across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
FIFA originally stated that the new format would feature 16 groups of three teams, with the top two from each group moving on to a 32-team knockout stage. However, that proposal has recently come under fresh fire.
Calls to scrap the concept have been sparked by a number of memorable group-stage finales at the current tournament in Qatar, when extraordinary circumstances allowed Japan and South Korea to progress and the potential of Poland and Mexico being divided based on their disciplinary histories surfaced.
“The current plan would stop groups from being decided by concurrent matches on matchday three, although Wenger has indicated the structure may still be changed. This is not decided, but it will be 16 groups of three, 12 groups of four, or two sides of six groups of four, like you organise two 24-team [tournaments],” Wenger said on Sunday.
“I will not be able to decide that, it will be decided by the FIFA Council, and I think it will be done in the next year.”
It was also reported earlier this week that FIFA was considering adding group-stage penalty shootouts to the new format, with winning teams receiving bonus points.
Earlier this year, 16 cities—including 11 US cities—were officially chosen to host matches at the 2026 World Cup. These cities include Vancouver, Toronto, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Mexico City.
