Football
ESPN staff 7y

FIFA vote against 48-team World Cup would be 'big surprise' - Nigeria chief

Nigerian Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick has said there is widespread excitement about FIFA's idea to expand the World Cup to 48 teams and that it would be a "big surprise" if the plan is not approved.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino's plan, which would come into effect in 2026, is set to be rubber-stamped at a meeting of the FIFA Council in Zurich on Tuesday.

Delegates will vote on four proposals to change the existing format of world football's premier event with Infantino's suggestion virtually certain to be given official approval.

"So far everybody's excited about it," Pinnick said in quotes reported by The Guardian. "I wouldn't say there's 100 percent support but all my colleagues I've spoken to -- all my colleagues -- are excited about it. I'm not going to say 100 percent because I haven't spoken to everybody, but certainly most of Africa is excited about it."

The move will bolster Infantino's chances of re-election in 2019 while internal research conducted by the governing body has suggested a 48-team World Cup could bring in £800 million more in broadcasting, commercial and match-day revenue.

Infantino's proposal is to have 16 groups of three, followed by a 32-team knockout, which will increase the number of games from 64 to 80 but ensures the tournament remains at 32 days.

The president has further suggested that penalty shootouts be brought in to settle the results of all drawn games, thereby minimising the risk of teams colluding in their final games to eliminate others from the tournament.

Infantino has repeatedly said his main motivation for expansion is to give more nations a chance of experiencing the joy of a World Cup, which will bolster international football in developed markets and help its growth in new ones.

Pinnick dismissed concerns there would be "too much football," adding: "Why worry about it? We're just excited about it.

"You should understand, the president of FIFA, whatever he does, he does a lot of consultation and research. And of course he knows it's not going to be boring. It's going to be very good.

"There's going to be more teams and more football. The more the merrier, and I believe he will get it right. If it isn't agreed it would be a big surprise because most nations are supporting it."

By far the most contentious topic will be how the 16 extra slots are allocated among the six confederations, with the African and Asian nations expecting significant increases on their current four apiece.

Germany football federation (DFB) president Reinhard Grindel has said he is against enlarging the World Cup but Michel D'Hooghe, a Belgian on the FIFA Council, recently told The Times: "Now we [Europe] have 13 teams and if we go from 32 to 48 we need to know what will be the increase for Europe."

The other major decision regarding 2026 -- who will host the event -- is not scheduled for consideration until 2020, with a bid featuring the United States, either on its own or in conjunction with one or both of Canada and Mexico, the overwhelming favourite.

Information from the Press Association was used in this report.

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