FIFA's council has unanimously backed plans by President Gianni Infantino to expand the World Cup to 48 teams from 32 starting in 2026, the global football body said on Tuesday.
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The new format will be made up of 16 groups of three teams, FIFA said in a tweet sent by its media department, adding more details will follow after a meeting of the 37-member FIFA Council in Zurich on Tuesday.
Infantino, elected last February to replace the disgraced Sepp Blatter, pledged during his campaign to enlarge the tournament - a promise designed especially to appeal to the bulk of FIFA's 211 member associations that rarely or never qualify for World Cups.
