Why Fifa switch back to four-team group format for 2026 World Cup

World Football governing body Fifa don change di pattern wey dem go use play di expanded 2026 World Cup.

Fifa change di arrangement from 16 groups wey dem announce bifor back to four-team groups.

Di biggest national football competition for di world wey go happun for di United States, Mexico and Canada bin wan feature 16 groups of three sake of say di number of teams don increase from 32 to 48.

Fifa say di success of di four-team format for di 2022 World Cup for Qatar make dem to reconsider.

Di move expand di competition from di 80 matches wey dem project to 104, including new round-of-32 stage.

Fifa say di top two and eight best third-placed teams go qualify for di last 32.

"Di revised format reduce di risk of collusion and e make sure say all di teams play a minimum of three matches, e go also give dem balanced rest time between competing teams,"

Fifa approve di move for dia Fifa's council meeting for Rwanda.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino bin tok last December say di governing body bin dey consider to change format after di group stages for Qatar bring some final games wey sweet pipo belle.

Fifa don dey use di four-team group format, with di top two wey go qualify for di knockout stages, since dem expand di men's World Cup to 32 teams for 1998.

Wetin di new round of 32 stage mean?

According to Fifa, di new round-of-32 stage mean say teams go play eight matches to win di tournament, instead of seven for di 2022 World Cup.

Fifa also approve di men's international match calendar from 2025-2030, Fifa say na "based on di new calendar, di Fifa World Cup 2026 final go shele on Sunday, 19 July 2026".

Di football governing body add say di "mandatory" date wey clubs must release players for di tournament go start "on 25 May 2026, following di last official club match on 24 May 2026".

"exemptions fit apply to di final matches of confederation club competitions until 30 May 2026 subject to Fifa approval".

Di women's international match calendar still get dia six international windows per year wey include di women's Olympic football tournament wey go from 25 July to 10 August 2024.

Oda tins Fifa approve for dia meeting

Fifa also approve di access list for di 32-team Fifa Club World Cup, wey go happun every four years from June 2025.

Teams wey win dia confederation's top tournament inside "di four-year period of di seasons ending in 2021 and 2024" go qualify if dem get enough places.

Europe get 12 places for di new tournament and Chelsea and Real Madrid, wey win di Champions League for 2021 and 2022 respectively, don already secure dia spots.

Di oda qualifying teams from each continent go dey determined "by club ranking based on di same four-year period".

Two clubs from one kontri go qualify, except if more dan two teams from di same kontri win dia confederation's premier tournament over di qualification period.

Fifa also want to keep a yearly club competition and e go be "between di winner of di Uefa Champions League and di winner of intercontinental play-offs between di oda confederations".

What about di players?

Player organisations and club managers dey raise dia voice evritime for mata wey concern players, especially di demands on players, and Fifa wan set up task force to torchlight di welfare of players and "principles like "mandatory rest periods".

"Our fundamental objective na to get clarity on dis topic, and to get meaningful football matches as we dey also protect di wellbeing of di players and recognise say many regions need more competitive football," Infantino tok.

However, di general secretary of players' union Fifpro Jonas Baer-Hoffmann emphasize say "ongoing research don show new evidence of di excessive demands on elite players".

"We don dey observe a growing awareness among players about di harmful effects dis pressures get on dia performance, careers, and personal lives.

"Dem realise say dia match calendar no dey sustainable, and e dey affect dia mental and physical health, e dey also leave dem exposed, and without any protection, to plenti cycle of competitions wey no dey properly coordinated"

Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) chief executive Maheta Molango say: "Fundamentally, di football calendar needs a complete reset.

"Di expanded World Cup format being announced for 2026 mean say, yet again, dem dey force more games into an already overcrowded schedule.

"E dey right say Fifa don listen to players' concerns and announced a working group to address di critical issues surrounding fixture congestion and player welfare.

"E also dey encouraging to see say di key concerns raised with Fifa by di PFA, like di need for a minimum of 72 hours between games, a mandatory day off each week, and an annual rest period, dey ontop of dia list.

"When Gianni Infantino come Manchester to meet with us last year, n dis changes our Premier League and Women's Super League members say dem want to see.

"However, e dey very difficult to see how e align with di constant expansion of di domestic and international calendar.

"We know say di current workload players dey face dey get an ongoing impact on dia wellbeing, both on and off di pitch. We no go continue to push dem until dem break."