By Diana Ondicho
Plans to expand the 2022 World Cup to 48 teams have been abandoned by FIFA.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino had insinuated last year that the expansion from 32 teams could be brought forward from 2026 to the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The 2022 tournament in the Gulf state will now be played with 32 nations taking part.
FIFA said it had abandoned the expansion plans ‘following a thorough and comprehensive consultation process’ which led to the conclusion that ‘under the current circumstances such a proposal could not be made now.’
Qatari World Cup organizers said that they had always been open to the idea of an expanded tournament in 2022, had a viable operating model been found and if all parties concluded that an expanded 48-team edition was in the best interest of football and Qatar as the host nation.
An announcement of the final decision had not been expected until next month’s FIFA Congress to be held in Paris ahead of the women’s World Cup that takes place in France between June 7th and July 7th.