Europe are set to lose a starting berth at the 2018 World Cup, FIFA executive committee member Theo Zwanziger has revealed.
According to the former German Football Association [DFB] president, Africa could profit from Europe's loss as the confederation is believed to be unfairly represented on football's most elite stage.
At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, 13 European nations and five African nations competed for the biggest title in world football. The Asian confederation [AFC] was awarded 4.5 starting berths, the CONCACAF 3.5, the Oceania confederation [OFC] 0.5, and the hosting confederation CONMEBOL 4.5. Brazil took the 32nd slot.
"[FIFA] President Sepp Blatter knows that the majority is behind him when it comes to a redistribution of the 32 World Cup starting berths in favour of Africa," Zwanziger told Sport Bild. "I'd like to think that Europe will have one less in the end."
The 2018 World Cup is set to take place in Russia, and under the current distribution formula the other 53 UEFA member states would compete for 13 places at the World Cup.
However, according to Zwanziger, Blatter feels that the African nations are "painfully under-represented" compared to the European nations.
It is not the first time that Blatter, or a FIFA executive committee member, has voiced plans that the European contingent at the World Cup should be reduced.
In 2013, Blatter said at the Asian Football Confederation conference in Kuala Lumpur that it was wrong that UEFA and CONMEBOL could have 19 of the 32 slots at the World Cup, and urged Asia to press for more places at the World Cup.
Back in 2008, while visiting South Africa ahead of the 2010 World Cup, he put forward the idea of awarding another starting berth to the African confederation.
The last three World Cups have been won by European nations, with Argentina reaching the final in 2014 as the first non-European nation since Brazil in 2002.