This claim is true and verified by FIFA’s own primary materials. In January 2017, the FIFA Council unanimously approved expanding the World Cup to 48 teams starting with the 2026 edition; FIFA later detailed the tournament’s revised structure and scheduling, and describes 2026 as the biggest-ever World Cup. These official releases, taken together, confirm both the team count (48) and the scale of the event (expanded format and match inventory), making 2026 the largest World Cup to date.
For primary documentation, I began with the FIFA Council’s 2017 decision notice, which explicitly states that the competition will expand “to a 48-team competition as of the 2026 edition” (unanimous vote) and outlines the advancement from group play to a 32-team knockout stage. I then reviewed FIFA’s format update (2023), which explains the move to 12 groups of four and the associated competitive framework approved by FIFA. Finally, I checked FIFA’s match-schedule/overview page, which labels 2026 the “biggest-ever edition,” featuring 104 games with 48 teams across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States—further evidence that it surpasses prior 32-team tournaments in scope. These three FIFA pages independently and consistently corroborate the expansion and scale.
Potential source bias is limited here: FIFA is the governing body and the primary authority for World Cup rules and format; while its communications can be promotional in tone, they serve as the official record for structural decisions such as team counts, formats, and scheduling. No credible counter-evidence surfaced; earlier discussions about alternative group structures (e.g., 16 groups of three) were superseded by FIFA’s 2023 approval of 12 groups of four—but in all considered options, the field remained 48 teams, so the claim’s truth value is unaffected.
Evidence supporting the claim is robust: FIFA’s 2017 expansion vote, FIFA’s 2023 format approval, and FIFA’s 2026 tournament overview all state 48 teams and describe the tournament as the largest. Evidence undermining the claim is absent in authoritative sources; nothing from FIFA or confederations suggests a reversion to 32 teams.
As to contact, the “original claimant” is essentially FIFA itself via its published Council decision and subsequent releases. Because this is an official governance action (not a rumor or a third-party allegation), I relied on the published primary documents rather than seeking comment from an intermediary; if clarification had been needed, the appropriate next step would be to submit a query via FIFA’s media portal.
Conclusion: Based on FIFA’s own decisions and tournament documentation, the 2026 World Cup will indeed be the largest held to date, with 48 competing teams and an expanded match slate—so the claim is accurate.
Sources :
FIFA Council — Unanimous decision expands FIFA World Cup to 48 teams from 2026 (Jan 10, 2017). inside.fifa.com
FIFA — How the FIFA World Cup 26™ will work with 48 teams (format approved; 12 groups of four). FIFA
FIFA — World Cup 2026: match schedule/overview — biggest-ever edition, 104 games, 48 teams. FIFA
