MOSCOW — FIFA remains open to expanding the number of teams in the World Cup by 50 percent in 2022, four years earlier than planned, the president of soccer’s international governing body said Friday.
The organization will continue discussing the matter with the host country, Qatar, and “calmly and quietly” decide whether to grow the tournament to 48 teams from 32, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said.
During a news conference at Luzhniki Stadium, two days before the final between France and Croatia, Infantino seemed bullish on the idea, saying, “The quality is certainly there. … There is nothing more powerful than participating in an event like the World Cup to boost football in a country.