Football
Associated Press 7y

Europe lacks countries who could host 48-team World Cup - UEFA president

Only a few European countries would be able to host a 48-team World Cup, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has said.

In January, FIFA decided to expand the tournament from 32 to 48 teams for the 2026 tournament.

Speaking during a visit to the Czech football federation's headquarters, Ceferin said it was hard to find many countries capable of providing a dozen suitable stadiums.

''I think maybe two countries, three countries in Europe, not more,'' he said. ''Nobody in Africa, maybe China, maybe U.S. and that's it.

"Forty-eight is a big number -- it will be interesting.''

Ceferin has previously said Europe will seek at least 16 places in the expanded 48-team tournament, with the U.S. one of the favourites to host the 2026 edition.

He also praised the increase in teams at Euro 2016 in France, saying 24 ''is the right number'' for the tournament.

''It was a good competition,'' he added. ''Many small nations qualified and did well. At the same time, it was the biggest revenue for UEFA so far.''

The next European Championship will be held across the continent in multiple countries, but Ceferin said he would like to limit the number of hosts.

''Two countries and not more,'' he said, adding that staging Euro 2020 was ''not an easy job for UEFA'' and "will not happen again" during his presidency.

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