With five months remaining before the start of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, the 2026 World Cup will also begin in terms of qualifying for the new tournament in North America.
The competition, which will be held in Canada, the United States and Mexico, will have 48 participants for the first time in history, so the classification rules will be adjusted to the point that six countries will be in CONMEBOL and six will play the play-off. .
Given this, FIFA and Conmebol have already started to analyze what the methodology will be and the start date, which will be next year.
In Peru, television media Movistar Deportes reported that one way was to form two groups of five countries with a novelty that they would not play each other; On the contrary, they will play 10 matches against the opponents of the corresponding key.
Those in group A will play five matches against those in group B and vice versa. The first two of each switch will enter the World Cup and those 3 and 4 of each will play a round trip home to determine the other two seeded, he replied Chilean newspaper La Quarta.
#exclusive⚠️ | FIFA plans to create a new format for the 2026 South American Qualifiers. Tweet embed Details of how the road to the World Cup will end. 🇵🇪📰
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🖥️ 003/703 HD by Movistar TV pic.twitter.com/aNoF7LHIvZ
– Movistar Sports (@MovistarDeporPe) June 16, 2022
The rematch will take place in two-legged matches between those who are third and fourth in that round, while the four seeded ones will also conduct another round at home, only to determine the places from 1 to 4, as highlighted Infobae website.
If CONMEBOL approves the format, the South American qualifiers will begin in September 2023, but if the decision is to continue with the current, all against all format, it could start in March next year.
(Dr)