In the early hours of this morning, Beijing time, FIFA officially announced the schedule, host city and match distribution plan for the 2026 US-Canada-Mexico World Cup. This news is undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the Chinese football team, bringing important benefits to the team and new hope for Chinese fans.
As we all know, the format of this century's World Cup has always been 32 teams to reach the finals. However, in order to further expand the global reach of the World Cup and attract more spectators, FIFA has decided to expand the number of participating teams to 48 teams from 2026. This historic decision has undoubtedly had a profound impact on the format of the World Cup, and has also provided more teams from more countries with the opportunity to enter the World Cup stage.
FIFA's new format for the 2026 World Cup is as follows: 48 participating teams will be divided into 12 groups of four teams each. The top two finishers from the group stage and the eight best third-placed finishers will advance to the knockout stage. The knockout stage will be changed from 4 rounds to 5 rounds, with a total of 104 matches. The tournament will last for 40 days, which means that the champions and runners-up will have to play eight games instead of seven.
In the original design, FIFA had considered dividing the 48 teams into 16 groups with only three teams each. However, this plan has raised a lot of questions, as the team that could lead to the emergence of a tacit ball and a group exit can only play two games. These factors could weaken the competitiveness and commercial value of the World Cup, so they were abandoned by FIFA.
In the end, FIFA adopted a more rational format to avoid tacit goals and ensure that some of the third-placed teams in the group also had a chance to qualify. Such adjustments add to the suspense and excitement of the game, which is good news for the less competitive Asian teams. These teams include World Cup regulars such as Japan, South Korea, Iran, etc., who have played in World Cup competitions in the past and will provide valuable experience to other Asian teams.
For the Chinese football team, the new format plan is undoubtedly good news. The third-placed team in the group will also have a chance to qualify, which will boost the confidence of the national football team to impact the World Cup. Of course, the top priority of the national football team is to go all out to play the world preliminaries. Next month, the national football team will play two group games against Singapore in the world preliminary round, and the result of this game will determine the national football team's qualification prospects.
The expansion of the 2026 World Cup and the new format are expected to bring more competitiveness and suspense. For the Chinese football team, this is an opportunity and a challenge. They need to take their chances and give it their all to qualify. At the same time, this is also a test of the overall level of Chinese football, which requires the simultaneous improvement of the domestic league and the youth training system.
FIFA's adjustment of the World Cup format has undoubtedly increased the possibility of the national football team qualifying, but the national football team still needs to work hard to improve its own strength and competitive state. Although the new format provides more opportunities for weak teams, the outcome of a football match is ultimately based on strength.
Here, we also hope that the national football team can seize the opportunity of the national football team to adjust the World Cup system, strive to improve their own level, strive to achieve good results in the world preliminaries, successfully enter the 2026 World Cup, and make a difference in the finals. This is not only a test for the national football team, but also a verification of the achievements of China's football reform, let us all look forward to the national football team can realize the dream of re-entering the World Cup and making a breakthrough.