48 team world cup in Qatar will not be good - Xavi

Spain legend and World Cup 2022 global ambassador Xavi believes a 48-team tournament in Qatar 'will not be good'. In 2017, FIFA voted to add an extra 16 teams to the 2026 competition, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Qatar tournament is currently scheduled to take place between November 21 and December 18 2022 with 32 teams, but FIFA president Gianni Infantino is pushing to bring forward the expansion. At a FIFA Council meeting in Miami on Monday, the governing body decided to defer the final expansion decision. 

15 March 2019

Xavi, a 2010 World Cup winner who now plays in the Qatar Stars League for Al Sadd, believes 32 teams is 'more than enough' for Qatar. "It's too much and too long," said Xavi. "Imagine 48 teams in Qatar, it will not be good in my opinion." It's still for the organisers to decide, but for now Qatar is doing everything to prepare for 32 teams and it will be difficult to change it for more teams. "Also, it's good for football to have 32. That's more than enough."