Gianni Infantino is reportedly pushing his plans to expand the FIFA World Cup amid ongoing controversy surrounding the tournament. FIFA recently confirmed the major changes in one of the biggest football tournaments.
Infantino is reportedly pushing a 64-team World Cup plan amid FIFA power struggles
Infantino’s administration is reportedly considering a proposal to expand the World Cup to 64 teams. According to The Sun, the proposal states that the next World Cup will feature 64 teams. The current FIFA tournament features 48 teams, replacing the previous format of 32 teams.
FIFA issued a brief sharing the details about the proposal. The statement read, “FIFA is considering the strategic implications of a possible expansion of the FIFA World Cup beyond the current format. Therefore, FIFA wishes to appoint an independent agency to determine whether and how expanding the FIFA World Cup from 48 to 64 participating national teams, starting with the 2030 edition, would impact the tournament proposition and the football ecosystem.”
According to reports, the independent agency will be appointed by August 14. The agency will have four weeks to assess the potential impact of the proposed expansion. Later, the association would vote on selling World Cup stakes.
The proposal came amid ongoing controversy over the FIFA president’s reported plans to sell World Cup stakes. Infantino reportedly wants to sell stakes in the World Cup to raise $4.2 billion (£3.1bn) from private investors. Soon after the reports of stakes broke out, the confederations were quick to react. UEFA has pushed against the alleged plans. UEFA conducted an emergency meeting of 55 member nations voting against Infantino’s idea of selling the World Cup stakes.
The reported plans have faced strong opposition from UEFA. Several confederations are also against the idea of 64-teams. The latest brief by FIFA has sparked a widespread discussion on the tournament’s future.
TELL US WHAT YOUR VIEWS ARE ON GIANNI INFANTINO’S PLAN TO EXPAND THE WORLD CUP AMID ONGOING BACKLASH.
