2026 World Cup Bracket Explained: New 48-Team Format Guide
By: Greg Lea | Published: 2026-02-11 16:55:00 | Source: www.wsn.com
The Group Stage: 12 Groups of Four
From World Cup 1998 to World Cup 2022, 32 teams were divided into eight groups of four. Thirty-two is a helpful number for soccer tournaments. It allows the group winners and runners-up to advance to the knockout phase, from where 16 neatly divides into two finalists after a few rounds.
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In 2017, the FIFA Council unanimously voted to…
