One of the most significant features of the North America World Cup is its expanded format. The number of participating teams has increased from 32 to 48. The total number of matches will rise from 64 to 104, and the tournament will last for 39 days. This is the first joint hosting since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, with matches taking place across 16 cities in the three countries: 11 in the U.S., three in Mexico, and two in Canada.
With the increase in teams, the tournament's structure has also been revised. The 48 teams will be divided into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the knockout stage, creating a new round of 32 before the traditional round of 16. Thanks to the expanded format, Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cape Verde, and Curaçao will make their World Cup debuts.
As the tournament grows, so does the prize money. FIFA has confirmed a total prize pool of $871 million, nearly double the previous record of $440 million set during the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
With the expanded tournament, some match regulations have also changed. A notable adjustment is in the tiebreaker rules for group standings. In the event of tied points, the results of matches between the tied teams will take precedence over overall goal difference and goals scored. If those matches end in a draw, then overall goal difference, goals scored, and fair play points will be used to determine rankings.
This tournament will also introduce hydration breaks for the first time. Players will have a three-minute break to hydrate at the 22nd minute of each half, regardless of the weather conditions, differing from the cooling breaks implemented during the 2014 Brazil World Cup.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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