FIFA president, Gianni Infantinohas proposed a 48-team World Cup, which will see 16 teams exit the competition after one knockout match.The proposal will see a play-in round added three days before the current 32-team group stage. From that stage, the tournament would continue as usual.Infantino confirmed that the proposal will be discussed at a FIFA council next week, before a final decision is taken in January 2017.“The idea is that 16 teams would qualify directly to the group stage and the other 32 would play in a preliminary phase, in the country where theWorld Cup is being played – they would play for the remaining 16 places,” Infantinosaid.“It means we continue with a normal World Cup for 32 teams, but 48 teams go to the party.”
During his campaign for the FIFA presidency, Infantino had pushed for a 40-team World Cup after Qatar 2022, to allow more countries participate.“FIFA’s idea is to develop football in the whole world, andthe World Cup is the biggest event.“It’s more than a competition, it’s a social event”, he added.
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