‘Qatar too soon for 40-team World Cup’

If there are any changes it should be from 2026 onwards, Asian chief clarifies

Asia’s football chief yesterday said he was against expanding the World Cup from 32 to 40 teams when Qatar hosts the tournament in 2022, adding that any growth should be put on hold for a decade.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has discussed increasing the number of teams but Asian Football Confederation (AFC) boss Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa said Qatar was too soon to shift to 40.

The comments appear to dash Asian hopes of an early increase to the region’s current allocation of four World Cup spots, plus a place in an intercontinental play-off. “They (FIFA) have talked about increasing the number of teams from 32 to 40 but it’s still I think a bit early,” Shaikh Salman said in Goa, India.

“We have to look to see if it makes sense and if it’s beneficial for us and for everyone, then why not?

“I don’t think it will be done in time for Qatar. I think 2018 (Russia) and 2022 shouldn’t be touched. If there are any changes it should be from 2026 onwards,” he added.

Disgraced ex-FIFA chief Sepp Blatter was a supporter of more World Cup spots for Asia, and Infantino’s move would be sure to secure more berths for the world’s most An Asian football congress to elect representatives to the Fifa Council closed after just 20 minutes yesterday after members rejected the agenda in protest at a Qatari official being barred from the poll.

Members voted 42 to one against supporting the agenda at the meeting in India’s Goa, which meant the ballot to elect three new members to the world body’s powerful council was cancelled. Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said it was “probably the shortest congress” he had ever chaired. “It has been an eventful morning and message is clear to us all. Now my final task is to declare the extraordinary congress closed,” said the Bahraini, before heading into an AFC executive committee. populous region. “To have extra slots for Asia, I’m sure it would be positive,” Shaikh Salman said.

“(But) we need to talk about the slots not just for Asia but for all confederations,” the Bahraini added, playing down concerns surrounding Qatar.

The granting of the tournament to the Gulf state has been dogged by allegations of vote-buying, while there have also been concerns about Qatar’s preparations.