Fact-checkers said viral posts incorrectly claiming the 2026 FIFA World Cup would include only 32 teams ignore the tournament’s expansion to 48 nations.
Soccer’s global governing body confirmed the larger format for the North American host cycle, adding matches and slots for additional federations.
Misinformation memes reused outdated bracket graphics from prior tournaments with smaller fields.
Sports journalists published corrected explainers mapping the new group-stage structure.
Analysts said routine confusion about format changes spreads easily among casual fans during opening-week marketing pushes.
Created by Ayen Stabel.
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Sources:
https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/soccer/fifa-world-cup-schedule-2026-where-watch-time-channel-streaming-rcna349534