When the 2022 tournament in Qatar is finally over, attention will turn to the 2026 tournament's qualifying rounds. There will now be 48 teams competing in the competition, taking place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. But that brings up some significant practical concerns.
The Times claims that the 2026 World Cup will last at least five weeks instead of the customary four to accommodate an extended competition. It is anticipated that this choice will anger European teams and leagues.
In addition to the expansion, FIFA is rethinking its plan to divide the game into 16 groups of three teams, with two teams from each group moving on to the knockout stages. The FIFA leadership favours a structure with 12 groups of four teams because more games equal more revenue from TV rights.
The current World Cup in Qatar features 64 games, but under the proposed format, there would be 104. Compared to the 29 days for this tournament and the 32 days in Russia four years ago, experts have said it will need “at least 35 days to fit in,” as the Sports Business Journal reported.
The tournament is scheduled to occur between June 8 and July 3, 2026. However, clubs worldwide, including Arsenal, Chelsea, and Spurs of the Premier League, would face challenges with an extra week on either end. This is because they will have less time to work with players returning from the World Cup in preseason camps, and their players will have less time to rest at the end of the season.
There is “growing concern” about the possibility of groups with three teams rather than two because the last matchday wouldn’t involve any of the teams, and the other two may try to manipulate the outcome to their advantage.
The initiative will undoubtedly be greeted with resistance in the end. Let’s watch what unfolds after the announcement is made formally.