World Cup 2022: Football backs my expansion plan to 48 teams, says Fifa president Gianni Infantino

Fifa voted last year to add an extra 16 teams to the traditional 32-nation format, with a plan to introduce the expanded tournament at the 2026 World Cup

Gianni Infantino was addressing a press conference in Doha, Qatar (AFP)

Fifa president Gianni Infantino says the majority of football federations around the world are in support of his plans to expand the World Cup to 48 teams ahead of the next tournament in Qatar in 2022.

Fifa voted last year to add an extra 16 teams to the traditional 32-nation format, with a plan to introduce the expanded tournament at the 2026 World Cup. But that plan could now be brought forward to Qatar, with a final decision to be take next spring.

The proposal is complicated by Qatar’s strained relations with neighbouring countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Qatar would almost certainly need help from other nearby nations in order to host a 48-team tournament.

“We gathered the opinions as well of our members, the federations,” Infantino said. “Whether it is feasible or not is a different question.

“Is it feasible to do it only in Qatar? Difficult probably. Is it feasible to have a few games played in neighbouring countries? Maybe this is an option.

“For those who think it’s late, I’ve been told that the decision to move the World Cup in 1998 to 32 teams from 24 in 1994 was also taken only four years in advance so there is already a precedent.”