FIFA announced its "proposed slot allocation for the expanded 48-team World Cup" on Thursday, including an automatic place for Oceania, 16 places for Europe -- up from 13 -- and a "six-team inter-zonal playoff tournament for two more spots," according to Brian Homewood of REUTERS. FIFA said that the proposals will be submitted to the FIFA Council at its next full meeting in Bahrain in May for a final decision. Under the proposal, Europe would get 16 direct places, Africa nine, Asia eight, South America six, CONCACAF six and Oceania one, totaling 46 teams. The host nation would qualify automatically and its slot would be taken from the allocation of its confederation. FIFA said that the two remaining places would be decided by a six-team playoff tournament which would take place in the World Cup host nation, "possibly in the November before the finals" (REUTERS, 3/30). The BBC's Richard Conway wrote UEFA "achieved its stated aim of 16 slots." UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin "made it clear that would be his demand in return for supporting an expanded tournament." Ratification "will be straightforward given the heads of the confederations have carved this up between them." There are "significant issues still to be resolved in qualification processes, though" (BBC, 3/30).
