FIFA are reportedly set to reconsider their plans for the 2026 World Cup group stage following the excitement of the group stage in Qatar.
The tournament is expanding from 32 to 48 teams and the organisation had proposed 16 groups of three teams, however these plans are now in doubt.
The Daily Mail reports that football's governing body will consider alternative formats after concerns arose about 'boring' dead-rubber matches and unsporting behaviour.
The report highlights the potential situations where the last group match could be between two teams that have already qualified or teams could conspire to eliminate the third team that is not playing.
Solutions advanced by FIFA's head of global football Arsene Wenger include 12 groups of four, with the best third-placed teams heading through with the top two or separating the competition into two halves of 24 teams each, with six groups of four teams, the winner of each half meeting in the final.
The new format would be a substantial increase in matches played, with the 32-team World Cup in Qatar having 64 matches in 29 days.
The current plans would have 80 matches played over 32 days, whilst four-team groups would require an extra week with 104 matches. body check tags ::
