In the early hours of this morning, Beijing time, FIFA released the much-anticipated 2026 US-Canada-Mexico World Cup schedule, host cities and match distribution plans. This news is like a shot in the arm for the Chinese football team, injecting new impetus into the team and inspiring new expectations among fans.
As we all know, the number of teams participating in the World Cup has remained at 32 since the beginning of this century. However, in order to expand the global reach of the World Cup and attract more spectators, FIFA has decided to expand the number of participating teams to 48 from 2026. This historic decision has had a profound impact on the format of the World Cup, providing more national teams with the opportunity to enter the World Cup stage.
The new format of the 2026 World Cup is as follows: the 48 participating teams will be divided into 12 groups of four teams each. The top two teams in the group stage and the eight best performing third-place finishers in the group will advance to the knockout round. The number of rounds in the knockout stage has been increased from the original four rounds to five rounds, with a total of 104 matches and a total of 40 days. This means that the champion and runners-up teams will have to play eight games instead of the previous seven.
In the original proposal, FIFA had considered dividing the 48 teams into 16 groups, with only three teams each. However, this plan has raised a lot of questions and could lead to the emergence of tacit goals and the team that exits the group only to play two games. Considering that this could undermine the competitiveness and commercial value of the World Cup, FIFA eventually abandoned the idea.
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 advance. This adjustment adds to the suspense of the match, especially against weaker Asian teams such as Japan, South Korea and Iran, which means they will provide valuable experience to other Asian teams.
The new format scheme is undoubtedly good news for the Chinese football team. The third place in the group is also expected to qualify, striving for more chances for the national football team to qualify for the World Cup. However, the first task of the national football team in the race for World Cup qualification is still to go all out to play the world qualifiers. Next month, the national football team will face the Singapore team, and the result of this game will be directly related to the national football team's prospects of qualifying.
The expansion of the 2026 World Cup and the new format are expected to inject more competitiveness and suspense into the competition. For the Chinese football team, this is an opportunity and a challenge. They need to make the most of this opportunity and go all out 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 youth training system.
FIFA's adjustment has undoubtedly increased the possibility of the national football team qualifying, but the national football team still needs to make unremitting efforts to improve its strength and competitive state. Although the new format offers more opportunities for weaker teams, the outcome of a soccer match still depends on strength. Here, we hope that the national football team can seize the opportunity brought by this adjustment, improve its own level, and strive to achieve good results in the qualifiers, successfully qualify for the 2026 World Cup, and achieve something 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. It is expected that the national football team can achieve another entry into the World Cup and achieve more brilliant achievements.
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