24 teams is such an awkward number to deal with.
- 4 groups of 6: Probably doesn't work as you need to extend the tournament at least a week to make up for the 2 extra group games.
- 6 Groups of 4: Get this weird situation where you need to take a certain amount of 3rd place teams.
- 8 groups of 3: A bit weird since each group can only play one game at a time. You still need 3 match days per group, but everyone would get a day off during the group stage.
If you want to stick with 24 teams then I do wonder if 8 groups of 3 teams wouldn't be the best way to do it.
Every team plays 2 round robin games within the 8 groups. Top 8 teams from those games automatically qualify for the round of 16.
Remaining 16 teams play in a "Play-In" game with the 8 winners advancing to the round of 16.
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