Infantino says 'every idea is a good idea' after suggestion of 64-team 2030 World Cup
ASUNCION, May 15 (Reuters) - FIFA President Gianni Infantino appeared on Thursday to give some support to South American confederation CONMEBOL's idea of having 64 teams in the 2030 World Cup, saying that "every idea is a good idea" and should be reviewed.
In his inaugural address at the 75th FIFA Congress in Paraguay, CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez said all member associations should think creatively to ensure no one is left out of the tournament, which will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup, hosted and won by Uruguay.
"The 100-year celebration will be something special. And I want to underline the words of Alejandro (Dominguez) in this speech. He told all of us to think on how we can really celebrate it in the way it deserves to be celebrated. So every idea is a good idea," Infantino said in his closing remarks.
The 2026 World Cup, which will be played next year in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, has been expanded to 48 teams. CONMEBOL wants the next World Cup, which will be played in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco and also include matches in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay, to have 64 teams.
After the Congress, CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani reiterated his disagreement.
"I've already made a comment on that, no it's not a great idea, and you know, I think that we haven't even kicked the ball for 48 (in 2026), and I think, obviously they can study all they want, but it just doesn't feel right," Montagliani told reporters.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Oscar Piastri sees off McLaren team-mate Lando Norris to claim his FIFTH victory of the F1 season at the Spanish Grand Prix - as Max Verstappen and George Russell reignite fiery feud
There is only one flaw in the greatest driver in the world. Just as there was with Michael Schumacher when he ruled Formula One. And it brought him, Max Verstappen, low on lap 64 of 66 on Sunday as he blew his top and lost his composure. A few minutes later he was gracious as he spoke about his deed of moments earlier, if unrepentant. Introspection is not his style. Action is. It is part of the DNA that makes him by a wider margin superior to the next best of his contemporaries than anyone in history. But there was a sense of desperation, of not being in charge of all he surveyed, that, surely, impelled him to drive deliberately into George Russell. As Murray Walker always argued in Schumacher's defence, the German acted without 'malice aforethought' and that is about as solid a defence as you can offer for Verstappen's impulsive act. And his instinct to fight out of a dark hole was more vivid because Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix may prove pivotal in several ways. It was a race won by Oscar Piastri with ice in his veins. It means the Australian is now clear favourite for the world title. He has won five of nine races this season. Linked, it indicates that Lando Norris is struggling to stay in the ring. His form is fragile. He is unable to piece together back-to-back wins. Up in Monaco last week, down in Barcelona this. Second meant he slipped 10 points behind Piastri in the other superlative McLaren. Perhaps time will help Norris – there are 14 races remaining – or will the nagging doubts grow horns? And the final of the three things this race suggested, is that we may be witnessing the end of the Verstappen dominance. Four times in four years, touched by the angels more than the devil, he has won the title. Once controversially, twice with sledgehammer-force, finally with grit that raised him beyond what ought to have been the limitations of his car. Now, he is 49 points off Piastri. You sense that frustration was crowding in on him. McLaren are up the road, dominant beyond belief, a reality underlined by Red Bull rightly turning to a three-stop strategy yesterday. On a two-stopper, they were toast. So when the safety car came out after Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes had given up the ghost and all the leaders were reshod, Verstappen was restricted to hard tyres. It's all they had left. His opponents were on softs. It put him at a dreadful disadvantage. He expressed his disquiet over the radio. He then made a rare mistake. He went on to the kerb on the straight and lost his shape. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc went past him. They touched. The stewards cleared them both. A second or two later, he was attacked by Russell at the first corner. Rather than take the bend, Verstappen was forced off and went straight on – an off-the-road shortcut. Then came the fateful instruction to swap places with Russell. Now, Verstappen is a good reader of these things, knowing how to press his claims with nuclear tenacity yet within the rules. He did so several times in close combat with Norris last year, only once – in my view – overstepping the mark, in Mexico. This time he was right in asserting he did not need to cede to Russell. The stewards later said so in their adjudication. So the event that was to unfold would not have unfolded had his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, known as GP, not insisted he did. Verstappen saw red. He operates on a short fuse. He does not blink. Thus, he deliberately steered right into Russell, accelerating as he did so. Nico Rosberg, world champion nine years ago, said the Dutchman should be black-flagged. Rosberg is a big admirer of Verstappen's repertoire of skills that have slaughtered every team-mate he has encountered. But here, in this condemnation, was an echo of his father Keke, 1982 world champion, who called Schumacher a 'cheap cheat' that afternoon of infamy in Monaco where the German parked up at Rascasse to block Fernando Alonso's qualifying lap in 2006. The calculation in that skulduggery was worse than some of Schumacher's more impetuous fouls, and worse, in my estimation, than Verstappen's hot-headed madness here. But the Dutchman acted dangerously and the 10-second penalty that sent him from fifth to 10th was lenient. If it was deliberate – and Verstappen given the chance to deny it declined to – an exemplary sentence was required. Later, told that Russell accused him of setting a bad example to youngsters, Verstappen seemed to think the verdict priggish. 'OK, well, I'll bring some tissues next time,' he said. On the question of entangling intentionally, Verstappen said: 'He has his view; I have my view. It's better not to do comment.' Of Rosberg's black-flag call: 'That's his opinion.' As of the championship situation: 'I never said that I was in a championship fight. Every race has been tough. When McLaren get their things right, they are unbeatable.' Will he speak to Russell? 'No, not necessary. I don't have anything to say.' Does he regret anything? 'In life you shouldn't regret too many things. No regrets.' That is fair up to a point. Elite sport is not a place for self-doubters. But conduct is important in the assessment of reputation and legacy, not least when you have a genius talent to protect and nurture. It was also another horror show for Lewis Hamilton (who, it should be noted, has never resorted to shady deeds on track). He was asked to let his faster team-mate Leclerc through, just as he was in China on the only previous occasion he out-qualified him. He was later passed by Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg and finished sixth. Leclerc claimed third place. 'I have no idea why it was so bad,' said Hamilton. 'That was the worst race I have experienced, balance-wise.' Positives? 'Zero.' And where does he go from here? 'Home.'
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Maya Jama looks sensational in a glamorous floral gown as she steps out in Mallorca ahead of new Love Island series
Maya Jama made sure to turn heads in a glamorous floral gown as she touched down in Mallorca for the the first night ahead of the new Love Island series. The TV presenter, 30, looked nothing short of sensational in the fitted plunging number which showed off her amazing figure. The Bottega Veneta designer dress, which retails for over £7,000, boasted intricate red floral appliques on the chest and skirt. It is a celebrity favourite having previously been worn by American actress Julianne Moore at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2024. Maya elevated her frame in a pair of white Prada heels and accessorised with a gold hoops and a white bag. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. For a fun pop of colour, she rocked a bright red lip and styled her long brunette tresses in a side ponytail. Earlier in the day, Maya had landed in Mallorca by a private jet having just come off a very lavish holiday with her boyfriend Ruben Dias. She took to her Instagram stories teasing a video of herself and the footballer, 27, on board the exclusive transport. Moving to the song Music Sounds Better With You by Stardust, Maya pulled silly faces and showed off her dance moves, before leaning into the hunky sportsman who also joined in the fun with a little pump of the air. She captioned her video: 'Getting dropped off to Majorca. Love Island fans you can rest I'm going to work now and so is he'. Maya - who has been enjoying a romantic Italian getaway with her new boyfriend - was dressed down for the journey in an oversized black jumper, gold hoops and sunglasses. The TV star is thought to have been dating the footballer, for several months, and has been keeping fans updated with the duo's lavish holiday via her Instagram, which included her soaking up the sun on the deck of a lavish yacht. On Thursday, the stunner shared her first ever snap with Ruben as she gave an insight into their romantic trip. The couple are believed to have met after the stunner caught the Portuguese player's eye when they met at the European Music Awards (EMAs) in November. Their romance was finally confirmed after they were seen packing on the PDA at KSI 's Baller League event in April. And posting a snap with her new boyfriend for the first time, Maya looked incredible in a triangle bikini while soaking up some sun on a boat. She later dived into the water while Ruben filmed her from the top deck. The pair went Instagram official two weeks ago, when Maya shared a video with Ruben for the first time. The Love Island host was all smiles in the clip as she sat alongside the footballer in a car heading back to her house. The presenter has been seen at multiple football games over the last few months to watch Dias live in action for Man City. Footage of the pair last month showed them with their arms around each other before he leant into her neck for a peck, with Ruben flying under the radar in casual clothes and a cap. It seems like the TV and radio star has been thoroughly spoilt by the footballer and received a huge bouquet of roses during their trip A source told The Sun: 'Maya and Ruben seemed very close, very loved up and were clearly very comfortable with each other. 'They were chatting to others around them but gravitated back to each other. They seem very happy with each other.' It is the first time they have been seen in public since they were thought to have started dating - though Maya has often hinted at the romance by sharing snaps of flowers she has been sent. Their appearance at the Baller League came just one day after she supported Ruben at Wembley on Sunday as his team Manchester City triumphed 2-0 against Nottingham Forest in the FA cup. The Love Island host took her whole family to Wembley to support him. She shared a video on the way to the stadium as she penned 'family day out to Wembley' in the caption - while her mother Sadie and brother Omar sat in the car with her. Maya then shared a snap of the pitch as she watched on - while her family enjoyed the atmosphere. It was reported that the pair are getting even 'serious' after the centre back introduced Maya to his mother Bernadette, according to The Sun. This news came two weeks after it was reported that Maya is being followed on Instagram by Ruben's mother. During the last international break in March, Maya flew to Lisbon to watch him play for the Portuguese national team. She was pictured in the stands at the José Alvalade Stadium to witness Portugal's 5-2 victory over Denmark in the second leg of their Nations League quarter-final. The presenter was seen with a friend and glasses of wine in a VIP hospitality box - usually reserved for friends and family of players. Despite not posting about Ruben until now, it seems the pair are very much in love with Maya starting to share a lot more about the twos romance on her Instagram Maya then posted a picture on social media of the two celebrating together at their romantic fireside retreat at 3:30am the following morning. The snap is believed to have been taken at the footballer's home in the Cascais region of Portugal, with a vast swimming pool and fire pit glimpsed in the picture. They reportedly started dating in December, having met at the EMAs in November, which took place in Manchester - where Dias plays. Rumours of the couple's romance only intensified in the days following Valentine's Day after Jama shared the bouquet of roses she received on her return to the UK from Cape Town following the conclusion of the 2025 Love Island All Star season.
BBC News
5 hours ago
- BBC News
Barcelona in talks to sign Partey - Monday's gossip
Barcelona want to sign Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, Liverpool are ready to submit a bid for Bournemouth defender Milos Kerkez, while Everton eye Brighton's Matt O'Riley. Barcelona have opened talks with Arsenal and Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, 31, over a free transfer when his contract expires in June. (Sun), externalLiverpool are preparing to make a formal bid for Bournemouth's Hungary left-back Milos Kerkez, 21, who has already agreed to the move and is valued by the Cherries at more than £40m. (GiveMeSport), externalLiverpool have failed with two offers for Bayer Leverkusen's German playmaker Florian Wirtz, 22, and may have to offer England Under-21 pair Harvey Elliott, 22, and Jarell Quansah, 22, in part-exchange. (Kicker via Mirror), externalIpswich and England Under-21 striker Liam Delap, 22, has completed the first part of his medical over a £30m move to Chelsea. (Fabrizio Romano), externalEverton are interested in Brighton midfielder Matt O'Riley, 24, but are unsure if the Seagulls will sell the Denmark international (Sky Sports), externalFormer Napoli, Chelsea and Juventus boss Maurizio Sarri, 66, is close to returning for a second spell as Lazio head coach. (Fabrizio Romano), externalBayer Leverkusen have agreed a fee worth 10m euros (£8.43m) to sign 31-year-old Netherlands goalkeeper Mark Flekken from Brentford. (Sky Germany), externalBrentford have agreed an initial £12.5m deal, rising to £18m, with Liverpool for Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, 26, to replace Flekken. (Sky Sports), externalInter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi, 49, will make a decision by Wednesday at the latest on whether to accept an offer to become Al-Hilal boss in time to lead the Saudi Pro League side at this month's Fifa Club World Cup. (Rudy Galetti), externalBarcelona sporting director Deco said they are not looking for a new striker after links with Sporting's Sweden forward Viktor Gyokeres, 26, who is also being tracked by both Arsenal and Manchester United. (A Bola via Mirror), externalGermany goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, 33, says he is "not worried" about his position at Barcelona, who have been linked with Espanyol's Spain stopper Joan Garcia, 24. (Forbes), external
