Supersized World Cup for 2026

The expanded World Cup in North America has got even more supersized.

World football's governing body increased the size of the 2026 tournament for the second time - six years after the first - by approving a bigger group stage for the inaugural 48-team event.

By retaining groups of four teams instead of moving to three, Fifa has created a 104-game schedule that will last nearly six weeks in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The final is scheduled for July 19.

The 16 host cities - 11 in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada - now have 24 extra games to stage on top of the 80 they already had for the inaugural 48-team tournament.

Adding about 1.5 million more tickets will also further fuel Fifa's expected record revenue of at least US$11 billion (HK$85.8 billion) from the tournament. In reaching the decision, Fifa said it had considered "sporting integrity, player welfare ... commercial and sporting attractiveness, as well as team and fan experience."

The new World Cup format will have 12 groups of four teams instead of 16 groups of three - the plan chosen in 2017, followed by a 32-team knockout round.