FIFA has approved the 2026 World Cup format, which includes a record 104 matches.

The format for the event, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will remain four teams in a group after a plan for 16 groups of three shot down was scrapped.

Due to its expanded format, the 2026 World Cup will feature 104 matches rather than the traditional 64, according to FIFA, ahead of its congress in Kigali, Rwanda.

The tournament in North America will be expanded from 32 to 48 teams. It will be divided into 12 groups of four teams each, rather than the original 16 groups of three, FIFA announced on Tuesday.

"The revised format reduces the risk of collision and ensures that all teams play at least three matches while providing balanced rest time between competing teams," FIFA explained.

The event, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will be the first edition of the quadrennial tournament, which will feature 48 teams.

The 16 host cities - 11 in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada - now have an additional 24 games to stage on top of the initial 48-team tournament.

Adding approximately 1.5 million additional tickets will also contribute to FIFA's projected record revenue of at least $11 billion through 2026 from a tournament that will rely on high-revenue NFL stadiums.

FIFA also confirmed that a 32-team Club World Cup will be held every four years beginning in June 2025, as announced by FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Qatar last year.

The current version, a seven-team annual competition, will be phased out after 2023.

Confederation champions from 2021 to 2024 will be eligible to compete in the 32-team Club World Cup, which means Chelsea, Real Madrid, Palmeiras, Flamengo, and Seattle Sounders have already qualified.

A ranking system based on the same four-year period can also determine Europe's 12 entries. There will be a limit of two teams per country advancing, with exceptions for continental champions.

FIFA also intends to launch a new competition for continental champions beginning in 2024. The winner of the UEFA Champions League will face the winner of the playoffs between the other continental champions.