The FIFA World Cup has undergone major changes since its 1st edition in 1930. You can also play on your betting website 1xBet to bet on big football competitions too.
What began as a small international football tournament has evolved into the world’s biggest sporting event, involving teams from every continent and millions of fans worldwide. The format has changed several times to accommodate the growing popularity of football and the increasing number of competitive national teams. And at 1xBet, feel free to play on your website by betting on the FIFA World Cup too.
Trying various forms of competition
The inaugural World Cup in Uruguay in 1930 featured only 13 teams. The competition used a group-stage system followed by semi-finals and a final. However, the 1934 and 1938 tournaments switched to a straight knockout format beginning from the round of 16. These remain the only World Cups without a group stage. Make sure to also bet on games – 1xbet.com/en/games is an entertaining platform to use before the next FIFA World Cup is held.
The tournament returned in 1950 with a unique format. Instead of a traditional final, the last 4 teams played in a final round-robin group to determine the champion. From 1954 onward, FIFA standardized the competition with 16 teams. By 1958, each team in a group played every other team, creating the familiar round-robin structure still used today. And at 1xBet there is also a great chance to bet on games before your favorite World Cup matches are played.
Different expansions
As football expanded globally, FIFA increased the number of participants to 24 teams in 1982. This edition introduced a second group stage after the initial groups. In 1986, FIFA replaced the second group phase with a knockout round of 16, allowing some third-placed teams to advance. This system continued through the 1994 tournament. And with 1xBet punters can also discover all betting on football through its most important competitions.
A major milestone came in 1998 when the World Cup expanded to 32 teams. The tournament featured:
- 8 groups of 4 teams;
- the top 2 advanced to the knockout stage;
- and from then, the competition continued with a round of 16.
This format remained in place for 6 tournaments and became one of the most successful and balanced systems in football history.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will introduce the biggest expansion yet: 48 teams competing across 104 matches. The new structure will include 12 groups of four teams and a round of 32. All those rounds are certainly available to wager once you discover all betting on the football section of the 1xBet platform.
