The FIFA World Cup will have 104 matches in 2026 | world news

FIFA are set to approve an extension to the men’s World Cup today with 40 more matches from the 2026 tournament in North America, according to Sky News.

The decision to increase from 64 to 104 matches – instead of the 80 originally planned for 2026 – is expected to come at a meeting of the governing body’s ruling council in Kigali, Rwanda.

Adding matches helps Fifa pursue its goal of over £9bn in revenue, but it also resolves format issues for the event co-hosted by the UNITED STATES, Canada And Mexico.

FIFA had already agreed to expand the tournament from 32 to 48 teams.

Picture:
Argentina are the current holders of the World Cup

Rather than having 16 groups each comprising three teams, FIFA will have 12 groups each with four countries, sources say.

Learn more:
Is this how we will look at the 2026 World Cup?

The top two teams will advance to the Round of 16 with the top eight teams seeded third.

This means that teams reaching the final will now have to play eight matches, instead of the seven played by Qatar 2022 finalists Argentina and France.

The final in the United States will take place on Sunday, July 19, 2026.

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