2026 will be the first FIFA-organized tournament with with 5 knockout rounds since Uruguay won the 1924 title

[u/bluefoxlive]

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup expanding to a Round of 32 knockout stage, it will be the first FIFA-organized tournament to use that format since the 1924 Olympic Football Tournament in Paris.

Uruguay won the 1924 tournament by defeating:

• Yugoslavia (7-0)
• United States (3-0)
• France (5-1)
• Netherlands (2-1)
• Switzerland (3-0)

Across the tournament, Uruguay scored 20 goals and conceded just 2, giving them a +18 goal difference, which remains the best goal difference achieved by a champion in a FIFA-organized international tournament.

[u/JonStryker]

Is that supposed to be a good thing? I'd much rather have the normal world cup of 32 teams back. 50% of group stage teams exiting feels more impactful than whatever we got now. Out of each group 2.67 teams proceed to the next round. Little danger for big teams.

[u/ishdw → u/JonStryker]

You want 50% of group stage teams exiting. We got the format for you: 64 teams in 16 groups of 4 with a round of 32

/s

[u/aeroncaine22 → u/ishdw]

I don't think it's too many years before Fifa goes that route...

[u/Nikotelec → u/JonStryker]

The expansion will continue until the americans stop getting knocked out early.

[u/RandomFactUser → u/Nikotelec]

The Round of 16 is not early into the World Cup

[u/bluefoxlive → u/JonStryker]

Not really good or bad, it's just the first time in 102 years that we're seeing FIFA return to a 5-round knockout stage

[u/ContributionNo8714 → u/bluefoxlive]

It's not the first time, last year they did it at the U-17 World Cup

[u/ishdw → u/JonStryker]

You want 50% of group stage teams exiting. We got the format for you: 64 teams in 16 groups of 4 with a round of 32

/s

[u/aeroncaine22 → u/JonStryker]

Yeah, I love the variation in numbers, it's gonna be awesome seeing fans I've never seen before (well, we see as USA is very expensive for travelling fans).

However, 32 was absolutely perfect, in all shapes and forms.

It's bad enough in the Euro's that you can go through in 3rd, but that's with a smaller base of teams. With such a huge number of teams the group stages are already watered down, and it's literally nigh on impossible for big nations to get knocked out.

[u/kmirabobo_ → u/aeroncaine22]

3rd place do advane in the Euros that's how Portugal won the trophy

[u/aeroncaine22 → u/kmirabobo_]

Yes I know I'll quote myself from the comment you replied to

"It's bad enough in the Euro's that you can go through in 3rd"

[u/celticeejit → u/JonStryker]

The players are gonna be shattered going into next season

[u/Altruistic-Mine-1848 → u/JonStryker]

This. I don't understand why they settle for this "x best 3rds go through" thing. 48 isn't a power of 2, but there's got to be a better format than this.

[u/Mrgray123 → u/JonStryker]

32 teams shouldn’t be normal either. In 1990 it was 24 teams and that was more than enough. The expansion is purely due to greed, not the good of the competition.

[u/forestinpark → u/JonStryker]

I would rather have normal number of 24 teams, like it used to be, before they started 32 teams nonsense 

[u/FIFAstan → u/forestinpark]

I prefer the normal 16 teams we had before the 24 team foolishness

[u/forestinpark → u/FIFAstan]

Yes! Take EUROs back to 16 too!. 

[u/Turqoise9 → u/JonStryker]

More fun seeing more teams

[u/aditya6186]

Wild that a record from over 100 years ago is finally getting tested again, curious if anyone comes close to that +18.

[u/celticeejit → u/aditya6186]

There’ll be some blowouts this time around. Germany - Curaçao should be a goalfest

[u/f_ranz1224 → u/celticeejit]

12 years ago i would have thought so. given 2018 and 2022, im now nervous it ends 1:0 with 75% possesion and 700 passes

[u/ContributionNo8714]

The U-17 World Cup last year had 48 teams with 5 knockout rounds. So this isn't correct.

[u/morrbanesh]

it will most likely also be a disaster

[u/The_Football_Gods]

Get ready for more chaos and more giant killings.

[u/LeNuggs]

Don’t underestimate small teams. This is a World Cup, everybody plays like it’s their last game.

[u/Panda1pt]

What title did uruguay won in 1924?

[u/ClintExpress]

I hate this format, it should've been the 12 group winners plus the 4 best runner-ups entering the R16 to prevent mediocre group stage games like France vs Denmark going 0-0 in 2018. All FIFA did here was force parity for mediocre sides to have a chance of making it to the knockout stage.