The FIFA World Cup is a competition that has had a few changes in its format since its first edition held in 1930. You can try betting in Nigeria with 1xBet on all editions of this fantastic tournament too.
For most of its existence the tournament has begun with a group stage, where each group has four teams. However, throughout the decades, FIFA has decided to expand the number of groups. At some point there were four groups, then six, and between the 1998 and 2022 editions of the tournament there were eight groups in total. This meant that 32 teams participated in the competition during those editions. It is possible to try betting with 1xBet Nigeria on this tournament, in which great odds can always be encountered.
Revolutionary ideas
When elected as FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino came with lots of revolutionary ideas aimed at expanding the FIFA World Cup. In early 2023 it was confirmed that the number of participating teams for the 2026 FIFA World Cup onwards would be expanded from 32 to 48. You can get the 1xBet download application now to wager at that competition too.
It is worth remembering that for the first time ever, three different nations were tasked to host the tournament, which were:
- Canada;
- Mexico;
- and the United States.
The idea of expanding the tournament to 48 teams had already been discussed. However, there was a disagreement on whether to keep groups of four teams or scale them down to three. You can download the 1xBet application now to wager on other major tournaments organized by FIFA.
A significant expansion
The format of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is significantly larger than the 2022 tournament. It was finally agreed that the groups of four teams would be kept. However, there would be 12 rather than 8 groups in order to accommodate the 48 participants. Before the next FIFA World Cup begins, visit the http://1xbet.ng/en/slots website and start wagering on all its matches.
This also comes with an important change in the knockout stage. After the group stage ends, there will be a round of 32 prior to the more traditional round of 16. As always, all first and second-placed teams can play this stage. However, they will also be joined by the eight best third-placed teams.
The tournament is also longer. The 2026 FIFA World Cup has a duration of 40 days rather than the 30 or 31 of previous competitions. Additionally, the teams that reach the final, which can also be wagered on 1xBet, have to play eight matches rather than seven in previous editions of the tournament.
