Six years after initially agreeing to overhaul the format of the men's World Cup, FIFA has scrapped its ill-fated plan for three-team groups and approved a new format for the 2026 tournament — a 48-team bonanza hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The new format will be more akin to the traditional one: four-team groups and an additional 32-team knockout stage.
But it will be unwieldy in its own ways: Eight third-place teams will qualify for the round of 32; the entire tournament will feature 104 matches, up from 64, a weighty expansion that will increase burdens on both host cities and players; and it will last an entire week longer than ever before.