Gianni Infantino: World Cup is now truly global

Fifa president Gianni Infantino is aiming to make football a truly global sport after he saw his preferred World Cup revamp unanimously signed off yesterday.

From 2026, the World Cup will feature 48 teams as opposed to the 32-nation model which has been in place and untouched since France 1998. The Fifa Council in Zurich was asked to vote on four proposals to change the existing format or stick with the current format.

It was agreed across the board to accept Infantino’s selected model, which is set to feature 16 groups of three nations with the top two sides advancing into a 32-team knockout, increasing the number of games from 64 to 80 but remaining inside a 32-day schedule.

While financial gains for the governing body have been touted as the main reason behind an expansion, Infantino insists the game needs to reach all corners of the globe rather than remaining in its more established roots.

“We are in the 21st century and we have to shape the football World Cup of the 21st century.

“It isn’t any more the 20th century. It is the future, football is more than just Europe and South America, football is global.

“One event in the same period, once every four years, which will help develop football, the council felt this was positive and it will help football development.

“The football fever you have in a country that qualifies for the World Cup is the biggest promotional tool for football you can have.

“This football promotion, in many parts of the world where today they have no chance to play (at the World Cup), was at the top of our thoughts,” he said at a press conference in Zurich

While Infantino explained the reasoning, he also revealed there are still plenty of decisions to be made before the new-look 48-team event begins in 2026.

Infantino saw his expansion plans rubber-stamped but conceded a decision has yet to be made on where the extra qualification slots will be given, although he stressed it was not vital to have signed off on such an agreement as the tournament is still nine years away.

“The decision on the slots for the confederations has not been taken because it is not necessary to take the decision,” he said.

“We needed to take a decision on the format because we are preparing the documentation for the bidding process for 2026.

“Let’s not forget that the bidding process for 2026 is absolutely bulletproof and for this it is important to know how many teams are playing, how many stadiums are needed and so forth. This is important to know.

“How many teams from different confederations, this is not necessary for the bidding process.

“That process is bullet-proof and it is important to know how many teams are playing and what the format looks like, that is important to know.

“How many teams from the different countries, this is not necessary for the process for the bidding documents.”

The plans have received a mixed reaction. The European Club Association, a body representing the interests of clubs such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Real Madrid, has blasted the move, claiming it is motivated by political rather than sporting intentions.

“We fail to see the merits to changing the current format of 32 that has proven to be the perfect formula from all perspectives. Questionable is also the urgency in reaching such an important decision, with nine years to go until it becomes applicable, without the proper involvement of stakeholders who will be impacted by this change.

“We understand that this decision has been taken based on political reasons rather than sporting ones and under considerable political pressure, something ECA believes is regrettable.”

Fifa Now, a campaign group founded by, among others, British MP Damian Collins that is seeking change in the way the governing body operates, claimed the plans were “a money and power grab”.

“The aim is to increase revenue in order to fund the extravagant election promises of the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, as well as to consolidate Infantino’s personal position. This is straight out of the (former Fifa presidents) Joao Havelange and Sepp Blatter playbooks.”

Concern was also expressed in Spain, where La Liga president Javier Tebas fumed about what he suggested was a lack of consultation between Infantino and the clubs. “Infantino behaves like Blatter,” he told L’Equipe.