FIFA president Infantino suggests 48-team World Cup in 2026

FIFA President Gianni Infantino to visit Goa on Sept.27. Image Source: File Pic
FIFA President Gianni Infantino suggested a 48 team World Cup in 2026. File Pic

Internet Desk: FIFA president Gianni Infantino has floated the idea of a 48 team World Cup from 2026 edition. It is part of an expansion plan by the governing body of world football. At present 38 teams take part in the World Cup.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino outlined the idea that would see 16 teams go home after playing just one game in a new opening playoff round.

The new idea will see a playoff comprising 32 teams. The 16 playoff winners would join 16 seeded teams to begin a 32-team group stage that follows the current World Cup format.

According to Infantino, “The participation of more countries and regions all over the world would make everyone happy.” The FIFA president was addressing a seminar in Bogota, Colombia.

Infantino’s suggested format would create a tournament of 80 matches instead of the current 64 — driving up the price broadcasters would pay for rights to the world’s most-watched sports event.

FIFA earned around $5 billion from the 2014 tournament in Brazil.

The 2026 World Cup format and bidding process will be discussed next week when Infantino chairs a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich.

“You could have a tournament in which the 16 best teams advance to a group stage and the other 16 will came out of a `playoff’ ahead of the group stage, and the World Cup could end up with 48 teams,” Infantino said at a university in the Colombian capital.

How to define the “best” teams could ignite debate if seeding is decided on the merit of recent results, or a national team’s historical record at past World Cups.

On current FIFA rankings, the 16 best teams all come from Europe and South America, except for 15th-ranked Mexico.