The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be played with 32 teams as against 48 earlier proposed by FIFA.
Announcing the decision in a statement on Wednesday, the world football governing body said, “following a thorough and comprehensive consultation process with the involvement of all the relevant stakeholders, it was concluded that under the current circumstances such a proposal could not be made now.”
FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, said last year the expansion from 32 teams could be brought forward from 2026 to the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The change would have required Qatar to share hosting duties with other countries in the region.
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FIFA also said it explored the possibility of Qatar hosting a 48-team tournament on its own but has decided not to pursue those plans as there was not enough time “for a detailed assessment of the potential logistical impact.”
In November, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said adding 16 teams to Qatar 2022 could create “many problems” and described the idea as “quite unrealistic.”
Agency Report
