Explainer: Innovative format of Football World Cup

The historic 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup is set to take off on June 11

Deepankar Sharda

Updated At : 07:16 AM Jun 10, 2026 IST

Moving away from the traditional 32-team format in Qatar 2022, 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup expands to 48 teams. Photo: Caean Couto-Imagn Images

Billions of hopes, 39 days of intense action, and 48 teams in contention — the historic 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup is set to take off on June 11. It’s the first time the premier football event will be formatted as a true quadrennial mega show, expanding boundaries across an entire continent.

THE TRIBUNE, India’s oldest, daily English-language newspaper, was first published on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan), and save for 40 days in the immediate aftermath of Partition, has come out every day over the last 145 years. THE TRIBUNE was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist of the time. The newspaper is run by a five-member Trust, which is chaired by Shri N N Vohra, former Governor of J&K State (2008-2018); as well as Justice S S Sodhi, former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court; Shri Gurbachan Jagat, former Governor of Manipur; Lt Gen. Shamsher Singh Mehta, former Western Army Commander; Shri Paramjit Singh Patwalia, Senior Advocate in the Supreme Court.

THE TRIBUNE is free, objective, and independent. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language, are the hallmarks of the paper.

The Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).

Remembering Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia

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Explainer: Innovative format of Football World Cup

The historic 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup is set to take off on June 11

Deepankar Sharda

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