Infantino wants to expand to 40-team World Cup by 2026

By Areme Oladeji

July 26, 2016

FIFA President Gianni Infantino presents a souvenir to Nigerian President Mohammadu Buhari during his visit to the presidency in Abuja, on July 25, 2016. Infantino, who is on a two-day working visit to Nigeria with FIFA secretary General Fatma Samoura, visited President Mohammadu Buhari alongside Football Association (FA) presidents from other African countries. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIP OJISUA

Infantino wants to expand to 40-team World Cup by 2026. Aside from cleaning up the mess left by his predecessor Sepp Blatter, FIFA president Gianni Infantino aims to increase the size of the World Cup.

On Monday during his visit to Nigeria, the 46-year-old claimed that he hopes to add at least another two African nations to world football’s marquee event.”I think for the 2026 World Cup there should be 40 teams and among the eight new participants there should be at least two African nations,” Infantino said.

In its current format the World Cup is contested by 32 nations and Africa has no more than five representatives, and so the proposal would presumably be welcomed on the continent.Infantino was in the Nigerian capital with the recently appointed Secretary General of FIFA, Fatma Samoura, and during his visit will meet with 18 of the presidents from different African federations before attending the final of a youth tournament.