ZURICH — Argentine football legend Diego Maradona Monday backed controversial plans to expand the World Cup to 48 teams, a day before world football’s powerful governing council faces a key decision on the issue.
“It sounds like a fantastic idea to me,” the 56-year-old told reporters at FIFA’s Zurich headquarters.
“This will give more possibilities to countries that have never reached that level of competition,” he added.
The hobbled Maradona spoke dripping with sweat after rumbling his way through a mini-tournament involving former football greats and current executives.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has organized a series of so-called “Legends Tournaments” since taking charge of the body last year, playing alongside former football stars in front of assembled media.
Infantino has made expanding the World Cup the centrepiece of his young administration, but his plans have faced criticism, including from those who warn that it will dilute the quality of play at football’s showcase event.
“The quality will not fall,” Maradona said when asked about those concerns.
Infantino has been courting support from the game’s most powerful figures ahead of the FIFA council meet.
The influential panel will review five proposals Tuesday: leaving the World Cup unchanged at 32 teams, two proposals for a 40-team competition and two 48-team scenarios.
Infantino is said to be backing a 48-team option with 16 groups of three, which would come into effect for the 2026 competition.
Any decision made by the council will have to be approved by FIFA’s full 211 members at the body’s next congress.
‘Americas-wide qualifying contest’
FIFA has proposed merging the CONCACAF and South American qualifiers as part of its plans to expand the 2026 World Cup, a leading official from the region said in a newspaper interview.
Venezuelan Football Federation president Laureano Gonzalez said the idea for the merger had come from Infantino.
Gonzalez, who is also a vice president of CONMEBOL, the governing body for South America, said it would want at least 14 places at the Finals for the two regions combined before accepting the proposal.
CONCACAF represents North and Central America as well as the Caribbean.
CONMEBOL currently has four-and-a-half places at the World Cup for its 10 members while CONCACAF, which has 35 FIFA members in its ranks, has three-and-a-half places.
CONCACAF is also a leading contender to host the 2026 World Cup, possibly with a joint bid involving at least two out of the United States, Canada and Mexico.
