Fifa president says Africa will get two more World Cup places as from 2026 tournament

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has revealed that the African continent will get two more World Cup places as from 2026 when the tournament is expanded from the current 32 teams to 40.

 

Currently on a two-day visit to Nigeria, Mr Infantino made the revelation during a reception in Abuja where he met with Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) officials and President Muhammadu Buhari. He added that he proposed the expansion of the World Cup from the current 32 teams on the table while was campaigning to be elected as the head of the world football’s governing body in February.

 

Mr Infantino said: “My proposal has been 40 teams and if that happens then my proposal has been to have at least two extra places for African teams The move, however, would not come into effect until 2026 with the format of 32 teams already confirmed for Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022."

 

Currently, Africa has five World Cup places and Nigeria has featured in the tournament five times in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2010 and 2014. Later this year, the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup kick off with Nigeria placed in a tough group that includes Cameroon, Algeria and Zambia.