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Fifa considers staging 100 matches in 2026

By Tom Morgan

The next World Cup could break the 100-game threshold as organisers consider abandoning a plan to introduce three-team groups.

A potential about-turn to instead stick with four-strong groups for the new 48-team format is becoming a serious consideration to protect competition jeopardy in the early round.

Fifa had previously agreed to introduce 16 groups of three in the next competition across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The problem with that system is that the two teams involved in the final group match could know exactly what result was required for both to progress.

While the governing body’s official position remains unaltered, insiders have told Telegraph Sport of “corridor chats” in Qatar over a potential rethink. The benefits of the four-team format have been

underlined in Qatar, after four final group matches on Wednesday went down to the wire, a situation that was repeated in dramatic fashion yesterday before Morocco and Croatia were confirmed as progressing from Group F, and Japan and Spain from Group E.

Very informal chats between powerbrokers are taking place over sticking with groups of four, but serious discussions appear likely next year.

Other solutions, including potentially introducing penalties in the second round of matches, had previously been considered but now appear unlikely.

A revised plan would appear most likely to involve 12 groups of four, with the eight highest-placed third-place finishers also going through to a last 32. Under that format, including an extra round, the World Cup from 2026 onwards could include a total of 104 games.

The groups-of-three format would have entailed 80 matches and Fifa would be expected to welcome the prospect of extra revenue.

In the wake of abandoned proposals to introduce a World Cup every two years and extra matches in European domestic competitions, one source said there remained “deep sensitivities”, however, over adding extra games to the calendar.

Fifa council members had originally voted for the 2026 edition – with 16 more teams than in Qatar and in the past seven World Cups in all – to have three-team groups. But the potential of two teams knowing exactly what result was required in the final game for both to progress has been brought into sharp focus after the group drama in Qatar.

Organisers would be keen to avoid a situation such as the notorious 1-0 win for West Germany against Austria, which allowed both teams to qualify, at the expense of Algeria in the 1982 World Cup.

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2022-12-02T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-12-02T08:00:00.0000000Z

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Daily Telegraph