Gianni Infantino, head of the International Football Association (FIFA), wants to push ahead with the increase to 48 teams for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar despite the skepticism of European officials at the next council meeting.
„When it comes to the 48-man World Cup, we’ll check its feasibility,“ Infantino said on Friday at the conclusion of the Executive Football Summit in Istanbul. „If it is feasible, if it is logistically possible, we will decide in 2022 to increase to 48 teams,“ said the Swiss.
Decision could fall in March
The President of the German Football Association (DFB) and FIFA Council member Reinhard Grindel had stressed last week that he does not consider the FIFA Council to be the appropriate committee for the topic of World Cup expansion.
Only the 211-member FIFA Congress could say so. The Assembly will meet in Paris on 5 June. The council will meet again in Miami on March 14th and 15th.
Skepticism towards increase
According to previous plans, in Qatar for the last time to be 32 teams at the World Cup, the decision is to increase to 48 teams for the tournament 2026 in Mexico, Canada and the United States.
In Qatar, logistical and political reasons speak against an increase. The emirate could barely manage a stretch alone, finding a kogastgeber is complicated because of the host’s isolation in the region.
