The Structural Reality of Groups in the 48-Team Era
In the previous 32-team format, Group A was often considered a bracket for elite European nations or regional rivals. Under the new expansion, Group A becomes the primary battleground for at least one co-host nation, drastically altering how squads are evaluated and utilized.
The tournament’s expansion to 48 teams divides the world into sixteen groups of three. Only the top two teams advance directly to the Round of 32. Third-place finishers do not qualify automatically; they must rely on the best four third-placed teams across all brackets competing in a secondary play-off to secure one of two remaining spots.
Below are presented the Groups and which teams consist of:
