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FIFA President Infantino to discuss further World Cup expansion after 2026 edition
via Egypt Today3 min read
FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated that any further expansion of the World Cup, potentially increasing the number of participating teams to 64, will be discussed after the current 2026 tournament. The 2026 finals, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, marked the first time 48 teams competed, a decision Infantino championed. He emphasized the importance of global participation, stating that every nation should have the opportunity to dream of playing in the World Cup, which he believes incentivizes smaller countries to improve. Infantino highlighted the success of the 48-team format, noting that teams from every continent scored goals and earned at least one point, with nine out of ten African teams reaching the knockout stage. The World Cup field was previously expanded to 32 teams in 1998. The upcoming 2030 finals will be co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, with Saudi Arabia hosting in 2034. Infantino also addressed controversies surrounding hydration breaks, which he said were implemented based on temperature conditions and aimed to ensure fair play, and defended ticket prices, citing high stadium occupancy and secondary market resales at significantly higher costs. He anticipates FIFA will generate 13 to 14 billion Swiss francs from the 39-day World Cup.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Egypt Today.
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