December 2 – FIFA has laid out how it will roll out the match schedule for next year’s World Cup, and much like everything connected to this tournament, the move away from tradition continues.
Instead of releasing the full slate of venues and kick-off times right after the draw on Friday, fans will have to wait another 24 hours for a made-for-TV reveal. It’s the first time a World Cup draw won’t include the complete schedule, which naturally makes people wonder is this simply about logistics, or is FIFA carving out more airtime for broadcast partners like Fox? Or is it co-ordinating with airlines to snap up all available flights, which can then be repackaged as part of yet another FIFA exclusive deal?
The official line is that FIFA needs extra time to place 104 matches across four time zones in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The organisation says the delay helps slot games into the “best possible conditions” for teams, spectators, and global audiences. But dragging the reveal into its own broadcast event feels more like a programming strategy.
Travel is another concern. With such a spread-out tournament, teams could face brutal mileage unless FIFA clusters groups regionally. That part remains unclear. Will teams be based in one area for the group stage to reduce long-haul flights? Or will some countries end up zig-zagging across North America because certain venues’ time zones fit better for European audiences?
The full schedule won’t be finalised until March, after the remaining playoff spots are filled. For now, the draw will place 48 teams (plus placeholders for the six playoff winners) into four pots of 12, starting at noon EST in Washington at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.