The future of rankings is in the hands of FIFA, who has announced plans to expand its World Cup from 32 teams to 48 for the 2026 tournament. This move will see a significant increase in the number of countries competing and a corresponding rise in the level of competition.

One of the key changes that FIFA has announced is the introduction of a new system for ranking football nations based on their performance in international competitions. This system will be designed to reflect the importance of the World Cup and other major tournaments in determining a team's ranking. It will also take into account factors such as quality of coaching staff, stadium capacity, and fan support.

Another important change is the expansion of the number of teams participating in each group during the tournament. Currently, there are only eight teams per group, but this will increase to ten teams starting in 2026. This means that there will be more opportunities for upsets and surprise results, which could shake up the traditional power rankings.

FIFA has also announced that it will introduce a new "golden goal" rule for the 2026 tournament. Under this rule, if a match ends with no goals after 90 minutes, then extra time will be played until one team scores a second goal. This should create even more excitement and drama during matches, as both sides will want to score the winning goal.

Overall, the changes being made by FIFA for the 2026 World Cup are aimed at making the tournament more exciting and unpredictable. With a larger field, more intense competition, and the introduction of a new ranking system, fans can expect to see some truly memorable moments on the pitch.