FIFA, in a little more than year under the leadership Gianni Infantino, is quickly gaining a reputation for coming up with a new idea every month. They usually involve addition.
On Thursday, world soccer’s governing body announced its proposal for how it will award 16 additional slots for the expanded, 48-team 2026 World Cup, which will likely be held in North America. Even that was used as an opportunity to add games to the soccer calendar.
The final two spots in the 2026 field, FIFA proposed, would be decided by a six-team playoff. Under the new format, five of the six continental confederations, Europe excluded, would send one team each to the playoff to be held in the World Cup host country the November before the main event.