Monday, December 3, 2018

FIFA May Expand the World Cup to 48 Teams by 2022


A kinesiology major at Charleston Southern University in South Carolina, Andrew Khoury also serves as a setup manager for the Charleston Battery. Moreover, Andrew Khoury considers himself to be an avid fan of international soccer.

Depending on a March 2019 decision from FIFA, the 2022 World Cup may increase the number of teams participating in the tournament from 32 to 48. While the increase is already confirmed for 2026’s World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino says the expansion is a possibility for the 2022 contest to be held in Qatar.

One of the biggest challenges for expanding as early as 2022 is space. Approximately 11 times smaller than the state of New York, Qatar may have to share some of the new games with neighboring countries.

Although the expansion ultimately means more soccer for fans to enjoy and more teams getting a shot at glory, some people are less than thrilled about the change. Criticizing the move for making the tournament “too straightforward,” England’s national team manager Gareth Southgate worries that the expansion will sap the excitement from the earlier qualifying matches.