Africa Gets Nine Slots For 2026 World Cup As Fifa Approves 48-team Tournament

Source: thewillnigeria.com

SAN FRANCISCO, January 10, (THEWILL) – The expanded 48-team World Cup approved by world football's governing body, FIFA, will see Africa getting nine slots, four more than the continent currently enjoys as the sport's world governing body voted unanimously in favour of the change at a meeting in Zurich on Tuesday .

The 211 member associates had five available options to choose from, with two 40-team plans, two 48-team plans and the current 32-team model, and have chosen to go with the 48-team option that will see 16 extra qualification spots created for the 2026 World Cup, which is likely to be held in North America.

In the expanded tournament, Europe will now have 16 teams, three more than what the old continent have now, while South America will now get six automatic slots, upwards from the four automatic and one playoff places.

Asia receives four extra spots with eight automatic and a playoff, CONCACAF gets six automatic and a playoff slots while Oceania and host country will have a slot each.

An initial stage of 16 groups of three teams will precede a knockout stage for the remaining 32 when the change is made for the 2026 tournament which will increase revenue by $1bn

Only the third-place nations will be eliminated in the group stage under the new plans, as opposed to the current system that sees two sides from each group sent home.

The plans will see the total number of games increase from 64 to 80, although teams will still play a similar number of matches during the World Cup with the four semi-finalists playing seven games – the same as the current model.

The plans have been implemented by Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, who will hold a media briefing to answer questions on the new plans, which have already faced intense criticism – particularly from the German Football Association [DFB] who were the only member associate to publicly oppose the plans in the lead up to the vote.