According to The Times, FIFA is preparing to abandon its plan to expand the World Cup to 48 teams as early as the 2022 edition in Qatar.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino had expressed a desire to see the tournament include 48 national teams, but the project now faces significant political and logistical challenges, making its implementation unlikely. Reports indicate that Infantino had even considered involving neighboring countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, or Saudi Arabia to support Qatar in hosting the expanded competition, but these plans failed to resolve the complexities.
The football governing body is expected to officially ratify the cancellation of the 48-team World Cup on June 5, during its upcoming session.
Despite the setback for 2022, the 2026 World Cup, set to be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will proceed with the 48-team format, marking a historic expansion for the tournament in North America.
This development highlights the difficulties FIFA faces when implementing ambitious projects on short timelines, especially in regions with limited infrastructure and political sensitivities. The decision underscores the organization’s focus on ensuring a smoothly run 2022 tournament in Qatar while reserving the expanded format for a later edition better suited to manage the logistics of additional teams.
