FIFA mulls expanding 2022 WC to 48 teams

Miami: The 2022 football Qatar World Cup may see an expansion from 32 to 48 teams, the FIFA President Giovanni Infantino, has said.

"We have published to our council members a feasibility study which is quite a thorough document, where we came to the chttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_FIFA_World_Cuponclusion that, yes, it is feasible to move the World Cup in 2022 from 32 to 48 teams.

"Provided certain conditions are met," Infantino said here during a meeting of the FIFA Council in Miami.

FIFA decided in 2018 that the 2026 World Cup, to be hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, would use the new 48-team format.

The feasibility study has identified potential venues in Qatar's neighbourhood Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates that could host the 16 additional matches.

However, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE must first drop a diplomatic blockade they instituted against Qatar in 2017, for the expansion to happen. IANS

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