FIFA considers expanding 2030 World Cup to 64 teams

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So, here we are. After a century of matches, and for the first time in history, the World Cup has entered its sixth week. But is it about to get longer? Gianni Infantino didn’t even get through the first of an agonising two-day rest period before dropping the hint that Fifa would be “examining and discussing” the potential for the 2030 tournament to be a 64-team affair. Some may say – not Football Daily, of course – that this was a handy way to move the news cycle on after Balogun-gate, Cable-gate and the ever-growing industry of suspicion that is VAR-gate. But let’s take it at face value: Fifa appears to be giving this some thought and, after years spent expanding virtually every tournament in their jurisdiction, it has previous.

While largely agreeing with Rich Zahradnik’s complaint about your faux Private Eye approach, may I be the 1,057th person to point out that Dundee United’s victory at Stirling Albion (yesterday’s Beyond the GWC, full email edition) doesn’t mean that they progress to round two yet as they still have three games to play in their group” – Stuart Ainsworth (and 1,056 others).

In yesterday’s Memory Lane (full email edition) featuring the England 1982 World Cup Panini spread, you finished with ‘want, want, want’ and I can free you from desire. I have the full ‘82 album, complete with the scribbles of a newly-obsessed eight-year-old football fan and the dog ears of an adult who still treasures memories of the tournament. My parents supported its completion as a distraction from our migration from Switzerland to Australia and created a moment in time for me that means all my passwords still start with Zico and my favourite coffee table book remains Baumann’s ‘Fussball Weltmeisterschaft 1982 Spanien’. I’m happy to loan you both the album and book for as long as it takes to satisfy your needs. Yours in love of el jogo bonito” – Phil Hess [thanks Phil, we probably couldn’t afford the return postage, but appreciate the kind offer – Football Daily Ed].

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