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Group of Death No More: World Cup Format Kills Toughest Group
9 Dec
Summary
- The phrase 'group of death' became popular in English in 1986.
- Nine of the 10 toughest groups historically occurred before 1980.
- The 2026 World Cup expansion to 48 teams makes the 'group of death' extinct.
The phrase "group of death," referring to the toughest World Cup group, gained traction in English around 1986. Analysis using World Football Elo Ratings reveals that nine of the ten most difficult groups in history occurred before 1980, largely due to smaller tournament fields allowing for greater concentration of top teams.
The 1962 World Cup in Chile featured the historically toughest group, with Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Spain, and Mexico. However, FIFA's expansion of the tournament from 16 to 24 teams in 1982, and then to 32 teams in 1998, gradually decreased the average competitiveness of the most difficult groups.
With the 2026 World Cup expanding to 48 teams and a new format where three teams advance from most groups, the concept of a 'group of death' is now considered extinct. This expansion has diminished the competitive intensity of group stages, leading to weaker overall matchups and potentially ushering in new terms for even group-stage groupings.
