FIFA President Gianni Infantino's plans to expand the World Cup have "run into serious opposition" from the organization which represents Europe's biggest clubs, according to Matt Slater for the London INDEPENDENT. Infantino is "determined to see more nations playing in FIFA's main money-spinner" and has proposed two different formats for both a 40-team and a 48-team tournament from '26 onward. Those options, as well as leaving the competition at its current 32 teams, will be voted on at the next FIFA Council meeting on Jan. 9-10 but Infantino "has made it clear that his choice is a 48-team format." But the European Club Association, whose 220 member clubs "employ a large number of the players at any World Cup, is against moves to expand the tournament." ECA Chair Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said, "We have to focus on the sport again. Politics and commerce should not be the exclusive priority in football." FIFA has not responded to the ECA letter yet "but may wish to point out that Infantino's preferred format does not increase the number of games the top international sides will play and may even reduce it by one game if those teams fail to advance from the group stage." Infantino has also said that his idea is "motivated by the desire to grow the game as he sees involvement in the World Cup as football's best marketing tool" (INDEPENDENT, 12/15). REUTERS' Brian Homewood reported earlier this year, the ECA supported "controversial changes" to the Champions League club competition which critics said "put finance before football." UEFA rearranged the group-stage slots in favor of its four top-ranked leagues -- Spain, England, Germany and Italy -- "by guaranteeing them four places each." UEFA's decision to create a subsidiary to manage its European club competitions "also raised fears that power was being handed over to the big clubs" (REUTERS, 12/15). CNN's Eoghan Macguire reported last week, Man City Manager Pep Guardiola said that football's busy calendar was "going to kill the players" when asked about World Cup expansion (CNN, 12/15).
