[Mhiz Rebecca]

FIFA’s ruling council on Tuesday unanimously
approved an expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams
in 2026, with a format of 16 groups of three nations.
“The FIFA Council unanimously decided on a 48-team
#WorldCup as of 2026: 16 groups of 3 teams,” a tweet
from FIFA’s official account said.
The decision marks a major coup for the body’s
president Gianni Infantino who has made enlarging
football’s showcase event the centrepiece of his
young administration.
The controversial proposal has faced criticism from
some of the sport’s most powerful voices, including
warnings that it would dilute the quality of play and
overburden already exhausted players.
But Infantino had in recent weeks voiced confidence
that his flagship project would be approved.
While noting that a bigger tournament would bring in
more money, the FIFA chief has also argued that more
World Cup berths would help drive football’s global
growth.
Africa and Asia could be the big winners in a larger
format with a rise in their number of places, currently
at 5 and 4.5 respectively.
But in order to smooth over scepticism about World
Cup reform within UEFA, it is likely that Europe will
also see its allotments rise above the current 13
places.