Will the format of the 2026 World Cup change the face of world football

The 2026 World Cup will be held in North America. Many considered this year’s Club World Cup to be its main rehearsal, and deservedly so. However, this tournament highlighted a number of shortcomings that even the best football prediction cannot compensate for in terms of spectacle, profits, and unexpected results. This tournament does indeed have the potential to change the face of world football, but why now? Let’s figure it out together with representatives of the xGscore platform.

The main differences between the 2026 World Cup and previous World Cups

This tournament already has some differences from all previous ones. The most discussed changes are:

• expansion of the number of participants to 48;

• change in the number of groups to 12;

• 32 participants will advance to the playoff stage (the top 2 from each group and the 8 best third-place teams);

• an additional round (1/16 finals) will be played in the playoff stage;

• a total of 104 matches will be played over 39 days;

• the tournament will last a week longer than usual.

As you can see, the tournament will be different from previous ones. It will expand the number of teams, allow more countries to become involved in the World Cup, and change its very structure. Moreover, it will be held in the three largest countries of North America (the US, Canada, and Mexico).

FIFA representatives have already stated that the tournament will help to increase fan engagement, raise interest in the matches, and possibly discover new stars from countries that no one expected. However, there are some concerns about these changes, particularly from those involved in football.

The main problems of the 2026 World Cup

Unfortunately, this tournament also causes a lot of fears and concerns among fans, officials, and the players themselves. First and foremost, these are:

• overloading the players;

• the complexity of logistics and time zones;

• changes to the structure of the tournament.

The biggest problem is considered to be player overload. In the top leagues, players already play more than 60 matches per season. Accordingly, regular injuries and banal player overload are to be expected. Because of this, even at such a tournament, they will not be able to perform at their best.

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In addition, getting to North America is quite difficult. Moreover, the tournament itself will take place in three countries, and some teams will have more time for rest. This already causes a kind of dissatisfaction, as was the case during Euro 2020. Weather conditions should also be taken into account. In the southern regions of the US and Mexico, the temperature is quite high in summer.

This was demonstrated by the current Club World Cup. The heat can lead to fatigue, loss of concentration, and many other problems.

As for the structure of the tournament, it adds even more matches, which causes great dissatisfaction among clubs and players. So, as you can see, there can be many problems with this tournament.

Conclusions

Despite all the difficulties, the 2026 World Cup should be a successful tournament. Soccer is already more popular in the US than it used to be. MLS matches are currently enjoying high attendance. Mexico and Canada have several good players who are performing well in Europe. Therefore, attendance at these teams’ matches will be high.

More participating countries will also mean more tourists and more benefits for such a tournament. This is an important argument for FIFA. Fans just have to wait for the tournament and see if all these prospects come true. Analysts from the xGscore platform will also follow everything and provide you with the best predictions.