FIFA president Gianni Infantino yesterday said Asian countries backed his plan to expand the World Cup to 48 teams and added that up to three countries should be allowed to cohost the tournament.
Infantino, speaking after a three-day FIFA summit in Singapore, said that Asian soccer associations “unanimously” supported a larger World Cup, with a “big majority” favoring 48 teams.
Infantino’s proposal for a 48-team World Cup in 2026, featuring 16 groups of three, will be submitted to the FIFA Council next month. A 40-team World Cup is also on the table.
Photo: AFP
“They are very supportive on expanding it. Everyone, unanimously,” Infantino told reporters.
“All of them were in favor of an increase and a big, big, big majority were in favor of the 48 teams with the 16 groups of three,” he added.
The FIFA Council is to vote in Zurich, Switzerland, on Jan. 9 and Jan. 10 on whether to maintain the current World Cup format of 32 teams, or extend it to 40 or 48.
According to the 16-group format, every qualified team would play at least two games and the top two in each group would then go through to the last 32.
“I like 40 [and] I like 48 with the playoffs, because it brings excitement before the group stage, but the 16 groups of three means that every game is important,” Infantino said. “There is no dead rubber. Every game is meaningful; is important.”
Asia has four designated World Cup berths, with a fifth available via a playoff. The Asian confederation is the world’s second-biggest with 46 full members.
Infantino also said he supported allowing up to three countries to cohost the World Cup, instead of expecting one bidder to provide a dozen stadiums.
Japan and South Korea cohosted the tournament in 2002, but a World Cup spread across three countries would be unprecedented.
“If a country does need to have 12 stadiums of more than 50,000 spectators but only [has] four, then why shouldn’t we allow three countries to join forces, each country four stadiums and have 12 stadiums?” Infantino said.
“That would then fit more in football development strategy ... and more countries could participate in the dream of hosting at least one part of the World Cup, so I’m very open to it,” he said.
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