Europe to seek 16 spots in 48-team World Cup

Union of European football Associations (UEFA) Thursday said it will ask to be given 16 places at the expanded 48-team World Cup which begins in 2026.

The 48-team tournament will feature 16 groups of three, from which the top two teams would progress to the knockout round; and the European football governing body added it will also request that the European teams that qualify be kept all apart in the first stage.

These were made known by the UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, who spoke at a meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee in Nyon, where all members of the committee agreed with the proposals.

The expansion of the global event will see the current 32-team format increased by 16. And while it is yet to be decided, it was said that it’s likely that the bulk of the additional 16 country spots will go to the continents of Africa and Asia.

Read Also: Breaking… FIFA World Cup to be contested by 48 Teams

In January, members of the world’s football governing body voted unanimously in favour of the World Cup expansion, after FIFA President Gianni Infantino made the proposal at the back end of 2016.

“If we can have a format that does not add any additional matches but brings so much joy to those who don’t have the chance to participate, then we will have to think about that,” Infantino said while buttressing his views.

And at the time of the announcement, Infantino said the decision on who would get the extra qualification slots would be “looked at speedily”. “The only sure thing is that everyone will have a bit more representation than they have.”

Recall thirteen European teams qualified for the last World Cup in Brazil in 2014. There’d be an additional three if the requests are granted. And FIFA is expected to confirm the quotas for each continent in May, 2017.

 

 

 

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