By Ivan Stewart Saldajeno/PNA
MANILA — FIFA is looking into the possibility of having a larger field for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
In a statement on Saturday, the global governing body for football said “that expanding the tournament to 48 teams is feasible”.
Currently, only 32 teams can participate in the World Cup based on the number of allocated spots per continent that are being vied in the continental qualifiers.
But FIFA recently acknowledged an April 2018 study made by the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) concluding that a 48-team cast is possible and said that it established a solid argument.
“The process is now entering its next stage, in which, together, FIFA and Qatar will explore this possibility further and analyze if a joint expansion proposal that meets all the necessary requirements can be submitted to the FIFA Council and the FIFA Congress in June,” the statement continued.
However, the said move, as per FIFA, could mean Qatar may need to find another Middle Eastern nation as a co-host with the said country still keeping the main hosting right.
FIFA will decide on whether the cast for the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be expanded to 48 during its annual congress on June 5 in Paris.
