LAUSANNE: FIFA President Gianni Infantino was one of the few advocates of expanding the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to 48 teams and the decision to shelve the plan is a slap in the face for the leader of world football, observers say.to have 48 countries competing in the global showcase in three years' time was a setback for Infantino, who has headed FIFA since 2016.The Swiss had pushed the plan hard, arguing that it would expand football's reach across the globe.
In the end, despite his dangling of the carrot of increased revenues with an enlarged tournament, his plan was defeated by the hard realities of global politics.The economic boycott of Qatar since 2017 by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their allies, who accuse Doha of supporting Iran and Islamist movements, left FIFA in an impossible position, without countries to share the burden of the increased number of matches.
Infantino commissioned a feasibility study which concluded that a Qatar World Cup with 48 teams would generate"between US$300-US$400 million of additional income"."It's actually the opposite - it seems that a 48-team World Cup in Qatar would have made a loss," one specialist said. Now, coming just after Europe's top clubs said in March they would boycott another project Infantino has backed, an expanded 24-team Club World Cup, the FIFA president appears to have suffered a bloody nose.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Football: FIFA to stick with 32 teams for Qatar World CupMANCHESTER, England: The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be held with 32 participating teams and not an expanded 48 teams, organisers FIFA said on ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Qatar brings first new World Cup stadium to life as FIFA mulls expansionDOHA: Qatar inaugurated the first of seven new World Cup 2022 stadiums on Thursday, just weeks before a crucial FIFA summit will decide whether to ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Qatar officials say 48-team World Cup will not be 'imposed'The organisers of the 2022 Qatar World Cup said on Saturday that 'there will be no decision imposed' on the country to extend the tournament to 48 ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Football: Qatar World Cup stadium opens to fanfareAL WAKRAH: Qatar inaugurated its first purpose-built stadium for the 2022 World Cup on Thursday (May 16), staging a prestigious domestic cup final ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
PSG's Al-Khelaifi charged in Qatar world athletics graft probeParis Saint-Germain chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi was on Thursday charged with corruption in connection with the bidding process for this year's world ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Never a 'chance in hell' of 48-team 2022 World Cup: AnalystsThere was never a 'chance in hell' the 2022 World Cup in Qatar would be expanded to 48 teams because of regional rivalries, according to analysts.
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Football: Qatar World Cup stadium opens to fanfareAL WAKRAH: Qatar inaugurated its first purpose-built stadium for the 2022 World Cup on Thursday (May 16), staging a prestigious domestic cup final ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Football: FIFA to stick with 32 teams for Qatar World CupMANCHESTER, England: The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be held with 32 participating teams and not an expanded 48 teams, organisers FIFA said on ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Putin honours FIFA's Infantino with state medal over 2018 World CupFIFA President Gianni Infantino thanked Russia on Thursday for hosting the 'best World Cup ever' as President Vladimir Putin presented him with a ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Qatar officials say 48-team World Cup will not be 'imposed'The organisers of the 2022 Qatar World Cup said on Saturday that 'there will be no decision imposed' on the country to extend the tournament to 48 ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Qatar brings first new World Cup stadium to life as FIFA mulls expansionDOHA: Qatar inaugurated the first of seven new World Cup 2022 stadiums on Thursday, just weeks before a crucial FIFA summit will decide whether to ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »