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Agence France-Presse

Fifa president Gianni Infantino confirmed on Thursday that he backs expanding the World Cup to 48 teams, giving “more of a chance to more teams”.
Infantino believes “a fundamental point” for an expanded finals would be to have it co-hosted “by several countries”.
He also declared himself “quite happy and confident for the future” of the scandal-tainted world governing body of football.
“Nobody is perfect, I am the last to be. But I don’t steal, I don’t profit, I don’t cheat and I don’t want to allow anyone in this organisation to do so,” he said.

Infantino, 46, succeeded the disgraced Sepp Blatter at the head of Fifa, and is determined to stamp his own authority on the job as president and on the sport’s future.
He had already suggested that he would be in favour of a 40-team World Cup, up from the current 32.
Fifa chief Gianni Infantino proposes extending World Cup format to include 48 teams
“We can consider a World Cup of 48 teams which would in fact be a 32-team format because we have seen that the ideal format is 32 teams,” explained Infantino.
“The idea would be that the best 16 teams in qualifying would qualify directly for the group phase.”

He confirmed that the 32 other teams would dispute a play-off round from which the winners would enter the next stage to join the other 16 countries.
“This gives more chances for more teams. Furthermore, there would be no impact on the football calendar because these play-off matches would be played instead of friendlies before the World Cup.
‘You will be proud of what Fifa will do for football’: Infantino pledges new era after being named to replace Blatter
“From the point of view of the promotion of football, there would be ‘16 finals’ before the real start of the group phase, real matches taking place to determine the 16 teams.”
Swiss-Italian lawyer Infantino said that the projected increase to 48 teams “is certainly going to be discussed on October 13 and 14 when the next Fifa Council meets”.

“It’s a project, it’s an idea just as the World Cup with 40 teams is already on the table with groups of four or five teams.
“We will certainly make a decision next year. We need to see what the impact for football at international level is going to be.”
Noses in the trough: Sepp Blatter and two disgraced deputies paid themselves US$80 million over five years, Fifa says
The suggestion to widen the World Cup to 48 countries is bound to generate mixed emotions.
The 2016 European Championship in France, organised by Infantino’s former employers at Uefa, featured 24 teams in a month-long tournament with just eight countries being eliminated at the end of the first stage.

Many argued that the format caused quality to be watered down; others were buoyed by seeing the likes of Wales make the semi-finals while Iceland stunned England on their way to the quarter-finals.
Infantino believes a 48-team World Cup would represent “a high sporting level because from each play-off the best teams would qualify.
Fifa head Gianni Infantino defends reputation after Panama Papers link
“People talk a lot about a decline in the standard but in my opinion the quality of the Euros was not less good, on the contrary. There were teams who you could not imagine could be so strong and the level was very high.”
Away from a new-look World Cup, Infantino said that he is also committed to forging a fresh and clean Fifa after a series of corruption scandals since May 2015.

Infantino, who was the right-hand man of suspended Michel Platini in his Uefa career, believes he has the desire and the personnel to put Fifa’s dark days behind them.
He underlined the importance of the work “of the new general secretary Fatma Samoura, the development of women’s football and the integration of former players like Zvonimir Boban, assistant secretary general, and Marco Van Basten in the area of technical development”.
Asia Football Confederation chief calls for unity to drive Fifa reforms after Gianni Infantino win
“I was elected on a programme of reforms, I have a lot of belief in these reforms and their implementation” he added, hailing the measures taken in the context of “good governance and transparency in financial movements”.
“There is obviously still work to do but I am quite happy and confident about the future.”


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Fifa

Fifa president Gianni Infantino throws further weight behind ‘more open’ 48-team World Cup

Fifa president Gianni Infantino during a visit to Colombia. Photo: AFP

TOPSHOT - FIFA's President Gianni Infantino kicks a football during an event at the Sergio Arboleda University in Bogota, on October 3, 2016. Infantino arrived in Colombia to attend the final of the final of the Colombia 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup on October 1. / AFP PHOTO / Jose Miguel GOMEZ

(160702) -- LILLE, July 2, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Players of Wales celebrate victory after the Euro 2016 quarterfinal match between Belgium and Wales in Lille, France, July 1, 2016. Wales won 3-1. (Xinhua/Tao Xiyi)

TOPSHOTS -- AFP PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2014 -- Germany's forward Andre Schuerrle (C) holds the trophy as he celebrates with teammates after his team's victory in the final football match between Germany and Argentina for the FIFA World Cup at The Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on July 13, 2014. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNIS

FIFA's President Gianni Infantino gestures during the Colombia 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup match final between Argentina and Russia at the Coliseo El Pueblo stadium, in Cali, Colombia on October 1, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / LUIS ROBAYO

epa05568835 President of FIFA Gianni Infantino (R) of Fifa Legends in action against Carlos "El Pibe" Valderrama (L) of FCF Legends during a soccer match between FIFA Legends and FCF Legends to inaugurate the new headquarters of the Colombian Football Federation (FCF) in Bogota, Colombia, 03 October 2016. EPA/Leonardo Munoz

Standing united: Hong Kong chief quashes talk of Fifa ‘rebellion’ after key AFC vote abandoned

AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa (left) and AFC general secretary Windsor John look on as the vote takes place. Photo: AFP

FIFA President Gianni Infantino (L) and President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa pose during the AFC Extraordinary Congress in Goa on September 27, 2016. An Asian football congress to elect representatives to the FIFA Council closed after just 20 minutes on September 27 after members rejected the agenda in protest at a Qatari official being barred from the poll. Members voted 42 to one against supporting the agenda at the meeting in India's Goa, which meant the ballot to elect three new members to the world body's powerful council was cancelled. / AFP PHOTO / INDRANIL MUKHERJEE

President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa (C) looks on after the AFC Extraordinary Congress was closed in Goa on September 27, 2016. An Asian football congress to elect representatives to the FIFA Council closed after just 20 minutes on September 27 after members rejected the agenda in protest at a Qatari official being barred from the poll. Members voted 42 to one against supporting the agenda at the meeting in India's Goa, which meant the ballot to elect three new members to the world body's powerful council was cancelled. / AFP PHOTO / INDRANIL MUKHERJEE

Portrait of Mark Sutcliffe, CEO of the Hong Kong Football Association, at the HKFA offices in Ho Man Tin. 22JAN16. SCMP/Jonathan Wong

Asia can help Infantino’s new Fifa era, says defeated Sheikh Salman

New Fifa president Gianni Infantino is congratulated by Sheikh Salman after winning the FIFA presidential election. Photo: AFP

Bahraini supporters of FIFA presidential candidate Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa (portrait), react following the news of Salman's defeat in the elections, at the Rotana hotel, in the capital Manama, on February 26, 2016. Europe's Gianni Infantino on Friday won the presidency of FIFA with a convincing win over Asian rival Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa and vowed to lead the scandal tainted body into a new era. / AFP / MOHAMMED AL-SHAIKH

How will he survive? Fifa president Gianni Infantino says salary less than US$2m a year

Fifa president Gianni Infantino. Photo: AFP

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter (R) speaks to the medias as he arrives for his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) seeking to overturn a suspension imposed by world football's governing body, on August 25, 2016 in Lausanne. Sepp Blatter is back in court in a final bid for redemption as he seeks to overturn a six-year ban from football following more than a year of scandal. / AFP PHOTO / ALAIN GROSCLAUDE

FILE - In this Feb. 26, 2016 file photo Swiss Gianni Infantino, then new FIFA President, smiles during the press conference after being elected, at the Extraordinary FIFA Congress 2016 in Zurich, Switzerland. FIFA's ethics committee has cleared Infantino of alleged misconduct relating to use of private flights. FIFA ethics prosecutors say their decision to end a formal investigation into alleged conflicts of interest and improperly accepting gifts was supported by FIFA ethics judges. ( Ennio Leanza/Keystone via AP, File)

Infantino’s Fifa presidency gets off to a pedestrian start 

Fifa president Gianni Infantino is playing the victim’s card a few weeks after being elected into office. Photo AFP

epa05218513 FIFA-President Gianni Infantino speaks during a press conference after the Fifa executive meeting at the FIFA Headquarters 'Home of FIFA' in Zurich, Switzerland,18 March 2016. EPA/WALTER BIERI

FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends a news conference after the executive committee meeting at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland March 18, 2016. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich

Wanted – Fifa chief executive, must be non-European: Gianni Infantino begins search for secretary general

Newly-elected president Gianni Infantino is about to start the difficult task of rebuilding a broken Fifa. Photo: AFP

Newly-elected FIFA president Gianni Infantino (L) and Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa (R) smiles during a football match on February 29, 2016 at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich. Gianni Infantino insisted on February 28, 2016 that FIFA's reform package would close the door on a chapter of pain at world football's governing body and usher in an era of joy. / AFP / VALERIANO DI DOMENICO

President of African football federation (CAF) Issa Hayatou (C) and its vice-president Suketu Patel (L) and secretary general Hicham El Amrani are pictured during a CAF's Executive Commitee meeting held in Kigali, on February 5,2015. / AFP / CYRIL NDEGEYA

Newly-elected FIFA president Gianni Infantino plays during a football match on February 29, 2016 at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich. Gianni Infantino insisted on February 28, 2016 that FIFA's reform package would close the door on a chapter of pain at world football's governing body and usher in an era of joy. / AFP / VALERIANO DI DOMENICO

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He already suggested that he would be in favour of a 40-team World Cup, up from the current 32 before being elected in February


Fifa president Gianni Infantino throws further weight behind ‘more open’ 48-team World Cup

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}He already suggested that he would be in favour of a 40-team World Cup, up from the current 32 before being elected in February

He already suggested that he would be in favour of a 40-team World Cup, up from the current 32 before being elected in February