FIFA Open to Expanding World Cup to 64 Team—-infatino | African Examiner
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FIFA Open to Expanding World Cup to 64 Team—-infatino
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said the world football governing body is open to discussing an expansion of the FIFA World Cup from 48 to 64 teams.
Speaking with Swiss news platform Blue News, Infantino said FIFA’s relevant committees would examine the proposal after the conclusion of the ongoing tournament.
According to him, expanding the competition would give more nations, especially smaller footballing countries, the opportunity to compete on the biggest stage and encourage the development of the game worldwide.
“It is an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup,” Infantino said.
He stressed that the World Cup should be a truly global tournament rather than one dominated by Europe and South America.
“When organising a World Cup, it is important to organise it for the whole world. Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup. If you don’t give smaller countries a chance to participate, they will lack the incentive to keep improving,” he added.
The current World Cup is the first edition to feature 48 teams, an increase from the previous 32-team format. The tournament is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Infantino described the expansion as a major success, saying it had improved global representation and competitiveness.
“It’s been a huge success with 48 teams. Every team played at a high level. Teams from every continent scored goals and earned at least one point,” he said.
He also highlighted Africa’s strong showing at the tournament, noting that nine of the continent’s 10 representatives progressed to the knockout stage.
“At the last World Cup, there were only five teams from Africa. That just goes to show how important it is to include more teams and give them the opportunity to participate,” he said.
The next FIFA World Cup in 2030 will mark the tournament’s centenary. It will be hosted mainly by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, while Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina will stage selected matches to commemorate the inaugural World Cup, which was held in Uruguay in 1930.
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