FIFA scrap plans to expand the World Cup to 48 teams

Bob Belcher

Well-Known Member
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Ronson. Now we just need them to scrap holding the World Cup in Qatar.

Efforts by the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, to expand the 2022 World Cup to 48 teams, which he said could help heal hostilities in the Middle East, have concluded in failure, with the tournament remaining solely in Qatar, with 32 competing national teams.

The expansion plan was based on sharing matches with neighbouring countries in the gulf, where Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain broke off relations with Qatar in June 2017 and blockaded its land borders. Infantino argued that sharing some World Cup matches could “build bridges” between the countries because “football makes miracles”, and a feasibility study was conducted into expansion – but the miracle has not come to pass.

In a statement issued a fortnight before the decision was due to be taken at Fifa’s congress, on 5 June, it said: “Following a thorough and comprehensive consultation process with the involvement of all the relevant stakeholders, it was concluded that under the current circumstances such a proposal could not be made now.”

An internal report at Fifa is reported to have concluded that Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain could not host matches while the blockade was still in force, even if they wanted to share the tournament with Qatar. The human-rights implications of involving Saudi Arabia have also escalated enormously since the murder at the Saudi embassy in Istanbul of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year.

Oman, which is not part of the blockade, was reported to have declined the opportunity to host matches, and although Infantino visited Kuwait last month to explore its possibilities, Fifa decided it did not have enough time to upgrade its facilities.

Qatar has been spending billions of dollars since it won the shock vote in 2010, substantially expanding its Khalifa International Stadium and building seven new state-of-the-art arenas, with a further $200m being spent on a new metro system, roads and other infrastructure.

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Hassan Al Thawadi, secretary general of Qatar’s supreme committee for delivery and legacy, told the Guardian in November that it was cooperating with the feasibility study, but continuing its preparations for a 32-team tournament, solely in Qatar .

Fifa said it had explored the feasibility of Qatar itself hosting a 48-team tournament but concluded that could not be done in time. “The Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 will therefore remain as originally planned with 32 teams, and no proposal will be submitted at the next Fifa congress on 5 June,” the statement said.

In a statement, the Qatar supreme committee said: “Qatar had always been open to the idea of an expanded tournament in 2022 had a viable operating model been found and had all parties concluded that an expanded 48-team edition was in the best interest of football and Qatar as the host nation. A joint analysis, in this respect, concluded that due to the advanced stage of preparations and the need for a detailed assessment of the potential logistical impact on Qatar, more time would be required and a decision could not be taken before the deadline of June. It was therefore decided not to further pursue this option.

“With just three and a half years to go until kick off, Qatar remains as committed as ever to ensuring the 32-team World Cup in 2022 is one of the best tournaments ever and one that makes the entire Arab world proud.”
 
This was one thing I was actually in favour of them doing. Would've been less meaningless games with smaller groups.
 
For the best. The level of ‘talent’ would be diluted.

Politics should be kept out of football and the tournament should not be in the Middle East in the first place.
Not necessarily Holland and Italy missed out on the last one.
 
32 teams is more than enough but I read somewhere that an increase to 48 would raise an additional £1bn for FIFA, so it will inevitably happen despite the added dross affecting the quality of matches.
 
Out of curiosity, do the teams/country have to pay money to enter the tournament?
I know some sports where the competitors have to put up money to take part in whatever tournament.
Just wondered if the football teams do it too?
 
Euros is now too big and the WC is heading that way.

The Euros especially there was nothing wrong with: quicker, and higher standard than most World Cups...no need to expand it and make it last a month.
 
Because they weren't good enough. 48 teams would be too many.
So Iran and Saudi Arabia were better?

It's all relative really. If they were drawn in a different qualifying group who's to say it wouldn't have been different.
 
So Iran and Saudi Arabia were better?

It's all relative really. If they were drawn in a different qualifying group who's to say it wouldn't have been different.

So we should just increase the number of teams to ensure that every half decent nation qualifies? What's the point in qualification at all then? May as well just extend the number of teams to include every nation in world football - that will ensure none of the big hitters miss it.
 
Even if they did expand it, Scotland still wouldn't qualify :D

How many countries are there in the world?

Could FIFA not just expand it to include absolutely everyone so Stevie the Alky might get us to qualify for something :rolleyes:
 
So we should just increase the number of teams to ensure that every half decent nation qualifies? What's the point in qualification at all then? May as well just extend the number of teams to include every nation in world football - that will ensure none of the big hitters miss it.
Kind of going off track. I first answered in response to a comment that quality would be diluted I don't think that would necessarily be the case.
 
So Iran and Saudi Arabia were better?

It's all relative really. If they were drawn in a different qualifying group who's to say it wouldn't have been different.

Iran and Saudi Arabia qualified from a different confederation, so it's not as though they took up a place that Italy or the Netherlands could have occupied.
 
Kind of going off track. I first answered in response to a comment that quality would be diluted I don't think that would necessarily be the case.

I think it would be the case. Italy and Holland would have maybe qualified but the other 14 teams would be mostly shit.
 
The 2026 World Cup is scheduled for 48 teams, they just wanted to see if they could bring the change forward.

32 is the perfect number for the World cup. 48 in groups of 3 is pretty rubbish, but they know that and will be ready to increase to 64.

64 might give Scotland an outside chance of qualifying though 96 could possibly give them an even chance.
 
It's gonna be 48 (plus) teams eventually. Basically ruined the Euros by adding teams to it and now making the World Cup even worse.
 
Giving the World Cup to a country about 7 times smaller than Scotland was like FIFA just trolling everyone who goes on about them being corrupt with a "so fucking what, what you gonna do about it?"
 
The 2026 World Cup is scheduled for 48 teams, they just wanted to see if they could bring the change forward.

32 is the perfect number for the World cup. 48 in groups of 3 is pretty rubbish, but they know that and will be ready to increase to 64.
Groups of 3 will be sh1te
 
The Champions League is now mostly full of teams who are not even champions of their own country. It's become far too big. Unfortunately the world cup is going the same way.
 
Only a matter of time before these greedy bastards push this through though.

I’m also surprised they haven’t created some law already guaranteeing automatic qualification for previous winners to ensure the top football nations (plus England) are ever present.
 
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