Prospect of 2022 Qatar WCup jumping to 48 teams fading
MOSCOW (AP): he prospect of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar growing to 48 teams faded yesterday after a discussion of the thorny issue was pulled from the agenda for FIFA’s annual congress.
Plans for a feasibility study were put on hold after Qatar World Cup head Hassan Al-Thawadi addressed the ruling council of world football’s
Tgoverning body and FIFA President Gianni Infantino said agreement from the Gulf nation is a “precondition”. Having previously said he was keen on adding 16 teams, Infantino is now casting doubt on the possibility of further disrupting preparations for the Qatar tournament.
The FIFA Congress, which features up to 211 football federations, will now have no say in the number of teams at the tournament in Qatar. Infantino said there would be no change in the number of finalists once qualifying begins, which is likely in early 2019.
“The final decision is that the council will decide,” Infantino said after yesterday’s council meeting in Moscow. “But obviously, it cannot decide this without the agreement with the hosts of Qatar. That’s a precondition, obviously.”
Qatar is building eight stadiums to host the Middle East’s first World Cup, and 12-14 venues would be required to accommodate 48 teams. That would only realistically be possible if Qatar shared hosting duties, which is problematic because its Middle East neighbours severed ties with Qatar in a diplomatic dispute last year and because it would be a significant change from the plans FIFA voters agreed to in 2010.