A 48 team World Cup in 2026 - How has the World Cup format changed since 1930?

Sport. Football. World Cup Final. Rio de Janeiro. Brazil 1 v Uruguay 2. The 1950 World Champions,

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1950- BRAZIL - 13 TEAMS - 22 MATCHES

The Brazil World Cup in 1950 saw yet another format change, in what turned out to be a rather bizarre World Cup tournament.

A total of 88 goals were scored in what was planned to be a 16-team tournament, but, withdrawals led to just 13 teams competing. The tournament was set to take place with four groups, three containing four teams with the final group containing just three. However, India pulled out of their group, with France pulling out of the group of three leaving just two teams. The one match to take place in said group, Group 4, saw Bolivia take an 8-0 thrashing against Uruguay.

The victors of each group would then be put into another group. In what was considered the final round, each of the four ‘finalists’ would play one another in another group format. The nation to top that group would be crowned champions, with no final played. Although, in the way the points tallied up, the final match between Uruguay and Brazil did prove to be the deciding match with the winner, Uruguay, being crowned the World Cup winners.