Gianni Infantino (right) and Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa at the AFC's annual congress.GETTY IMAGES
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that he hopes the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be expanded to 48 teams, adding that such an expansion is "possible" and "feasible," according to David Conn of the London GUARDIAN. His "positive remarks put some pressure on Qatar," whose tournament organizers said that they are "examining the possibilities of enlarging the tournament" and will provide a response "early next year." Responding to questions at the Asian Football Confederation's annual congress in Kuala Lumpur about a possible expansion in '22, Infantino said, "We have decided ... to increase the number of teams participating in the World Cup final tournaments from 32 to 48. It will happen in 2026. Will it happen in 2022? You know me. It is possible, it is possible. Why not?" He told the AFC's national FAs that expanding the '22 tournament would result in the number of Asian teams qualifying for the World Cup rising from 4.5 (four guaranteed and one playoff place) in a 32-nation tournament to 8.5. Infantino: "We are discussing with our Qatari friends. We are discussing with many other friends in the region. We hope we have it happen. We always have to try." Since June '17, the Gulf country's neighboring states, "principally" Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have "shut their borders and denied their airspace to Qatar in a diplomatic conflict and blockade," which has "intensified the complexities" of hosting the '22 tournament. There have been suggestions that a 48-team tournament may lead to some matches being hosted by neighboring countries "as a means of easing the diplomatic standoff." Hassan Al-Thawadi, the secretary general of the of the 2022 Qatar "supreme committee" organizing the World Cup, previously said that the country "could be receptive to doing that" and that the possibility of expanding the tournament "is being checked out" (GUARDIAN, 10/31). In London, Tom Morgan reported increasing the size of the World Cup "so hastily" would require Qatar to share '22 hosting duties, "presenting a potentially major diplomatic hurdle to overcome." Infantino: "If not, we will have tried. We will have tried because we always have to try to do things in a better way" (TELEGRAPH, 10/31). Also in London, Martyn Ziegler reported Infantino has been "floating the idea for several months" but previously "hit opposition from Europe," where clubs and leagues object to the tournament "being lengthened." Some observers believe Infantino's "main aim in raising the idea is to win him supporters before next year's presidential election," in which he is so far unopposed. Infantino said that 180 out of the 211 federations have "given him their support" (LONDON TIMES, 10/31).
'TURMOIL AND INSTABILITY': REUTERS' Michael Church reported AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa warned against a return to "turmoil and instability" on Wednesday as he launched his bid to retain his position at the helm of the continent's governing body. He said, "We all remember only too well the problems of the past, that period of turmoil and instability. No one wants to return to that image of the AFC and I'm determined we shall not." Sheikh Salman's hopes of retaining his position were "boosted" when the congress passed an amendment to rules governing the election process allowing candidates to be nominated by member associations other than their home federation. Former Saudi Arabia Football Federation President Adel Ezzat publicly stated his intention to stand against Sheikh Salman last year. However, "his hopes of building a power base suffered a blow on Tuesday," when members of the South Asian Football Federation withdrew from the Saudi-created South West Asian Football Federation (REUTERS, 10/31).
