World Cup Format History

by Thomas Deschaine

A new year and a new FIFA World Cup cycle are upon us with many questions remaining on what the second half of the FIFA window and World Cup Qualifying will look like along with what the 2026 FIFA World Cup expanded 48-team format will be.

On December 4th during the Round of 16 knockout stage of the 2022 World Cup FIFA’s chief of global football, Arsene Wenger said that the format for the 2026 World Cup hadn’t been officially decided on. It was originally reported that the format for the 2026 World Cup was going to be 16 Groups of 3 with the top two teams in each group advancing to a round of 32 knockout stage. This format wouldn’t allow for, what was a very exciting final group stage match days at the 2022 World Cup, with all teams in the group playing at the same time, and very likely why FIFA has pretty much abandoned the Group of 3 format.

The two remaining format options for the 2026 World Cup are pretty much the same and would see 12 groups of 4 teams with the top two finishers in each group advancing with the best third-placed teams advancing to the round of 32. The only difference between the two options would see the second option spilt the 48 teams into two 24 teams groups of six with the top two from each group advancing with the four best third-place finishers from the six groups advanced to the knockout round of 16 teams, this change would result in 104 matches being played rather than the 80 matches played during the 1998 to 2022 World Cups. I estimate another week would be needed which approaches up to or nearly 40 days of the tournament from would start to finish.

Three options were provided, the first would be 16 groups of three teams with the top 2 teams advancing to the round of 32. The second option would be 12 groups of four with the best third-placed teams advancing with the top two finishers in each group. The final option seems very similar to the second option but splits the 48 teams into two 24 teams groups of 6 with the top 2 in each group along with the best third-placed teams advancing to a round of 16 with the winners of each group playing in the final. 

Here’s a look at the different World Cup formats used from the beginning.

1930 – 18 Matches Played – Tournament Length (17 Days)

13 Teams – 1 Group of 4 and 3 Groups of 3 Teams

Each of the four group winners advanced to the semi-final knockout stage, with no third-place match being played.

1934 – 1938 – 17 to 18 Matches Played – Tournament Length (14 to 15 Days)

16 Teams – Round of 16 Knockout Stage Tournament

For the 1934 and 1938 FIFA World Cup the group stage format used during the 1930 World Cup was abandoned for a round of 16 knockout tournament. If matches were tied after 90 minutes an additional 30 minutes of extra time was played. If the score was still tied after the extra time, the match would be replayed the following day.

1950 – 22 Matches Played – Tournament Length (22 Days)

13 Teams – 4 Groups of 4 Teams, 1 Group of 3 Teams and 1 Group of 2 Teams.

In an effort to maximize the number of matches and ticket sales, the Brazilian organizers proposed that the 13 teams be divided into four groups, with the winner from each group advancing to a final group stage of four teams. This format would guarantee more matches for teams making the journey from Europe.

1954 – 1970 – 26 & 32* Matches Played – Tournament Length (18 to 26 Days)

16 Teams – 4 Groups of 4 Teams

While the 1954 tournament had 16 teams with 4 groups of 4 teams, each group had two seeded teams and two unseeded teams with the seeded teams only playing the 2 unseeded teams. Extra time during the 1954 World Cup was played during the group stage, which in most tournaments wasn’t the norm, but was used in 1954 if the teams were tied after 90 minutes. 

For the 1958-1970 World Cups FIFA went back to more of a traditional format with the top two teams in each group advancing to the quarter-finals of the knockout stage but in the 1958 World Cup 3 playoff matches as tie-breakers to decide which second and third-place teams would advance out of the group stage. Going forward goal differential would be used as the first tiebreaker. 

1974 – 1978 – 38 Matches Played – Tournament Length (24 Days)

16 Teams – 4 Groups of 4 Teams

The top two teams from each group advance to the second round and split into two groups of four. The winners of each group then play each other in the final, and the second-place finishers in the third-place match.

1982 – 52 Matches – Tournament Length (28 Days)

24 Teams – 6 Groups of 4 Teams

The top two teams in each group advance to the second round with the twelve remaining teams split into four groups of three teams each, with the winner of each group progressing to the knockout semi-final stage.

1986 – 1994 – 52 Matches – Tournament Length (29 to 30 Days)

24 Teams – 6 Groups of 4 Teams

The top two teams in each group advance with the four best third-place finishers from the six groups advanced to the knockout round of 16 teams.

1998 – 2022 – 64 Matches – Tournament Length (28 to 32 Days)

32 Teams – 8 Groups of 4 Teams

About a month before the 1994 World Cup the international governing body voted in Zurich, Switzerland to expand to 32 teams from 24 starting in 1998 which would add an additional 12 matches to the tournament while generating more revenue. It would result in 8 groups of 4 teams with the top two teams in each group advance to a Round of 16.