48 Team World Cup: How Does It Work?
A 48 team World Cup is almost upon us and there’s a lot to learn for those betting on football this summer.
After all, this is no ordinary tournament. The expanded format from 32 to 48 teams means World Cup betting enters a new era in 2026 – and no one quite knows what’s going to happen.
Having more teams in the competition affects the World Cup odds and makes it even harder to pick a winner. But there’s also more chances to bet and plenty more upsets.
So, how will the 48 team World Cup work? Come with us to find out!
What are the changes?
There are a few big changes to the World Cup format that are being introduced in 2026. These are expected to remain for future World Cups.
- Expansion: The biggest change is an expansion to 48 teams. This was agreed by the FIFA Council back in 2017. They’ve been planning this World Cup for almost a decade.
- Plenty more games: It means the total number of World Cup games expands from 64 to 104.
- Six weeks: The World Cup also expands from a one-month tournament to six weeks (39 days).
- More four-game days: The expanded format means there are more days featuring four games, meaning wall-to-wall football is here!
- Easier to advance: The eight top-ranked third-placed teams from the 12 groups will also progress to the knockout stage.
- Last-32 added: Each team will still play three group games but there is an extra round of knockout fixtures, which now starts at the round of 32.
Why are there 48 teams in the 2026 World Cup?
Many World Cup betting fans have known about the expanded 48-team World Cup in 2026 for some time. Money is, of course, a big factor in the expansion. FIFA believes it will earn $13bn in this World Cup cycle – double what the organisation earned at and before the Qatar World Cup. But the reasons behind the expansion aren’t all to do with money.
By expanding from 32 to 48 teams, FIFA is able to make the World Cup far more inclusive. Previously, only four Asian teams and five African teams could reach the finals. Now, the confederations have up to nine and 10 slots respectively available to them in qualifying.
This is the first time the tournament has expanded since 1998 and it more accurately reflects the world’s obsession with football.
Expansion generates more revenue across the board, as more fans will be watching and going to games. FIFA argues this is necessary so host nations can justify spending billions of dollars on hosting the event. We are entering an era of multiple host nations for each World Cup, which helps spread high infrastructure costs.
Some fans have expressed their dismay at an expanded tournament, claiming it devalues the competition. A 32-team World Cup was, after all, neatly packaged into a one-month time period. However, others argue a 48-team World Cup is more inclusive and accurately reflects the global game.
How the 48 team format works
A World Cup with 48 teams generates an eye-watering 104 matches. Yet FIFA is confident of being able to orchestrate such a large tournament within the space of six weeks. Here’s how the 48 team World Cup format works.
Group Stage
The World Cup is split into 12 groups, with four teams in each group. Each team therefore plays three games, with the top two in each group automatically progressing to the last-32.
The eight best third-placed teams will also advance to the Round of 32. From here, it’s a straight knockout to the final.
If a team is tied on points with another in their group, then the higher position is determined on head-to-head. If those teams drew their head-to-head, then goal difference is used to split them, with goals scored used after that.
For those seeking to advance as one of the third-placed teams, ranking criteria is based on points, then goal difference, and then goals scored. Eventually, teams may be split based on their FIFA ranking.
Knockout Stage
The Round of 32 is a new addition to the World Cup and means a team will play eight games in total if they are to reach the final. That’s a lot of football in a six-week period, with the eyes of the world looking on.
The eight best third-placed teams will all face winners from other groups.
Games head to extra time if they are still level at 90 minutes, and then penalties if level after 120 minutes.
How long will the 2026 World Cup last?
One conundrum FIFA faced when seeking to expand the tournament was how will the 48 team World Cup work within its current one-month time slot.
The answer: it can’t. Cramming 104 games into a four-week schedule is almost impossible and puts players at significant risk.
So, the tournament has expanded to 39 days and is designed to reduce travel between venues. For example, teams in Group A will play all their games in Mexico (bar one game in Atlanta). Teams in Group B will play their group games on the west coast of Canada and the USA.
What the 48 team World Cup means for teams and fans
No World Cup goes by without positives and controversies – it’s all part of creating a global sporting event that caters for millions of spectators. Teams and fans will experience ups and downs along the way, with the positives arguably outweighing the negatives.
Positives
A World Cup with 48 teams may feel a little overwhelming but there are some real benefits for teams and fans.
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Worthy champions and elite players: From a footballing perspective, more teams heightens the competition and ensures the eventual winners really are worthy of being world champions. We also get to see more elite players who hail from supposedly “weaker” footballing nations. The expanded format helps guarantee players like Norway’s Erling Haaland and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia of Georgia. Yes, their nations may have qualified for a 32-team World Cup but the 48-team format increases those chances.
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Extended rest and localised groups: Players also have more time to rest between games. While the expanded format adds an extra knockout fixture, there are many more days to rest across the tournament.
Groups have been condensed into local areas across North America, so teams don’t have to travel too far for their next games. This is a means of mitigating the drawbacks of a continent-wide tournament.
- More betting upsets: From a fans’ perspective, more teams means more opportunities for upsets. Betting on the World Cup will be more frenetic than ever and we can expect more against-the-odds surprises.
- Global TV coverage: Additionally, there will be more timeslots for games, especially in the group stage, which means global fans are more likely to be able to watch at least some of the tournament throughout the day.
Negatives
Of course, there are some drawbacks to hosting a World Cup over three enormous countries.
- Cost to fans: Fans will still have to travel long distances at a high cost to follow their teams, while FIFA is implementing ‘dynamic pricing’ for tickets, which means supporters may end up paying thousands of dollars to watch a single match.
- Impact on club season: Players will also have less time to recover after the World Cup before returning to their club careers.
How the new 48 team format affects betting odds
There are two ways you can look at World Cup betting based on the 48-team format. The positives are clear:
- More football (104 games)
- More potential upsets
- More combination bet options
- More BetMGM UK offers
- More chances to win
The expansion to 48 teams means BetMGM’s betting markets are wider than ever. Outright markets such as the World Cup winner and finalists odds carry more options.
What’s more, there’s more unpredictability with a format we’ve never experienced before. Will the big boys seek to reserve their star players and rotate their squads in the group stages, so as to be fresh for the knockouts? That carries a big risk and many punters believe there will be more upsets in 2026 compared to previous tournaments.
Enjoying four group games per day also gives fans the chance to develop more accurate accumulators and Bet Builders.
Of course, there are also some drawbacks to betting on a large tournament. It’s harder to predict who will win the trophy, so the outright odds are wider than usual. Big favourites should also saunter through their groups, as they have the third-place safety net to save them, should they suffer a shock defeat.
In that sense, then, bettors need to be more shrewd with their picks. Rather than backing teams outright in an unpredictable tournament, playing the live odds, Bet Builders, and accumulators to craft more reliable bets may be the smart option.
