48支球队的世界杯，总感觉有点把大象装进冰箱里的意思。（48队世界杯，总有种硬把大象塞进冰箱的违和感）

Discussing the World Cup format

The user is using a Chinese metaphor about a 48-team World Cup being like trying to fit an elephant in a refrigerator, suggesting it might be too big for the format. They could want to talk about FIFA's expansion for the 2026 World Cup, including its pros and cons, logistics, fairness, and the group formats. Originally, FIFA proposed 16 groups of 3 teams, but it later changed to 12 groups of 4, leading to a total of 104 matches.Analyzing the 2026 World Cup format

For the 2026 World Cup, there will be 48 teams divided into 12 groups of 4. The top two from each group and the eight best third-placed teams will advance, totaling 32 teams in the knockout stage and resulting in 104 matches across 39 days. The host countries are the USA, Canada, and Mexico. I should address potential issues like scheduling, player fatigue, and quality dilution, while also emphasizing the increased revenue and inclusivity this format brings. Responding in Chinese would be ideal for the user!Confirming group and knockout matches

For the 2026 World Cup, it looks like there will be 72 group matches. This is because there are 12 groups of 4 teams, with each group yielding 6 matches. Then, moving on to the knockout stage, there will be a total of 32 teams competing in single-elimination rounds, which includes 31 matches total. That’s 16 matches in the Round of 32, 8 in the Round of 16, and so forth, until the final. It’s interesting how it all adds up!Summarizing the 2026 World Cup

The 2026 World Cup will feature a total of 104 matches: 72 group matches and 32 knockout matches, spanning roughly 39 days. This is an adjustment from previous tournaments, like the 2018 and 2022 events. The tournament will take place across 16 venues in three countries, considering the travel distances in North America. It could be helpful to follow up with the user: What aspect of this new format worries you? And we could playfully reference the elephant-in-the-refrigerator joke along the way!Listing pros and cons of the 2026 World Cup

The World Cup is expanding to 48 teams starting in 2026, which means changes like 12 groups of 4 and a total of 104 matches over approximately 39 days across 16 host cities in 3 countries.

Pros include more opportunities for countries, especially from Africa, Asia, and Central North America, along with exciting knockout matches. Cons are longer scheduling, player fatigue, and possible dilution of group quality.

I'm curious what aspect the user would like to discuss more: the format, qualification slots, or regional impacts? We could also humorously simplify the changes using the "elephant in the refrigerator" analogy!