There had long been discussions about expanding the World Cup to include more teams (hence more matches and more revenue). FIFA officially announced their plans to expand in 2016, with a number of options being considered. There were two 40-team options and two 48-team options, with variations in structure and total number of matches. Ultimately, the FIFA Council unanimously decided on a 48-team Cup with 16 groups of 3 teams. This change will go into effect for the first time at the 2026 World Cup, hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. 

 

While the writing had been on the wall for expansion for some time, there was still a great deal of controversy around the decision. The biggest issue is this new structure opens up the possibility of collusion with two teams advancing from each group and one team not playing on the final group match day. In response to this criticism, FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani said that format changes were being considered. What is certain, however, is that future World Cups will feature more teams than ever before, necessarily diluting group strength. 

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So are we witnessing the final Group of Death ever? Perhaps as we know it, but the tradition has survived past World Cup changes. Compared to the Brazil/England/Romania/Czechoslovakia group in 1970, perhaps this year’s iteration of the Group of Death appears quaint, and yet it holds the title all the same. Who’s to say what the landscape of global soccer will look like another half-century from now? Only time will tell, but personally I’m optimistic. The only thing harder to escape from than a Group of Death, after all, may be soccer fans’ obsession with the very concept.