Fifa president Gianni Infantino's plans to expand the World
Cup have run into serious opposition from the organisation which
represents Europe's biggest clubs.
Infantino is determined to see more nations playing in
Fifa's main money-spinner and has proposed two different formats for
both a 40-team and a 48-team tournament from 2026 onwards.
Those options, as well as leaving the competition at its
current 32 teams, will be voted on at the next Fifa Council meeting on
January 9-10 but Infantino has made it clear that his choice is a
48-team format, with a group stage of 16 three-team groups and then a
32-team knock-out.
But the European Club Association, whose 220 member clubs
employ a large number of the players at any World Cup, is against moves
to expand the tournament.
In a statement, ECA chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said: "We
have to focus on the sport again. Politics and commerce should not be
the exclusive priority in football.
"In the interest of the fans and the players, we urge Fifa not to increase the number of World Cup participants."
The statement added that the ECA executive board - whose
members include the chief executives of Arsenal, Celtic and Manchester
United: Ivan Gazidis, Peter Lawwell and Ed Woodward - has written to
Infantino to protest against the idea, citing the "unacceptable" number
of games played already by the top players.
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