Infantino calls for support for 48-team Qatar World Cup

AP Published: 2018-12-14 09:20:45
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino once again calls for support on his mission to add 16 teams to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The move however would require the country sharing games in the region, which would be complicated by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cutting ties with Qatar in 2017.

In this April 12, 2018 file photo, FIFA President Gianni Infantino participates in the annual conference of the South American Football Confederation, CONMEBOL, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Infantino has asked the emir of Qatar to consider co-hosting the next World Cup with several nations that are attempting to isolate the tiny desert country in a bitter diplomatic dispute. Qatar has just eight stadiums to host 64 games over an already-congested 28-day window in 2022. Expanding the field to 48 teams would mean 80 games, requiring more stadiums. Infantino says using venues in Saudi Arabia and around the Persian Gulf “would probably be a nice message.” [Photo: AP]

In this April 12, 2018 file photo, FIFA President Gianni Infantino participates in the annual conference of the South American Football Confederation, CONMEBOL, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Infantino has asked the emir of Qatar to consider co-hosting the next World Cup with several nations that are attempting to isolate the tiny desert country in a bitter diplomatic dispute. Qatar has just eight stadiums to host 64 games over an already-congested 28-day window in 2022. Expanding the field to 48 teams would mean 80 games, requiring more stadiums. Infantino says using venues in Saudi Arabia and around the Persian Gulf “would probably be a nice message.” [Photo: AP]

Infantino said in football world, anything is negotiable.

"Is it feasible or not - that is the question. Is it feasible only to do it in Qatar? Difficult, probably. Is it feasible to have a few games being played in neighbouring countries? Well, maybe this is an option," Infantino said.

"Of course, I am not that naive not to know, not to read the news and not to know what is going on. But we are in football, we are not in politics, and in football, sometimes the dreams come true."

Qatar won a vote in 2010 to host the World Cup with 32 teams and is only building eight stadiums.

A 48-team tournament is already planned for 2026 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

But Infantino has looked to fast-track that expansion at the first World Cup in the Middle East.


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