UEFA to receive 16 direct team slots for the 2026 World Cup after FIFA reveal allocation plans
Football's governing body is changing slots after president Gianni Infantino's plan to expand the tournament from 32 to 48 countries
UEFA will receive 16 direct team slots for the 2026 World Cup after Fifa revealed allocation plans for the 48-team tournament.
Fifa has announced its proposed allocation of places, revealing a six-nation play-off could be used to determine the last two spots.
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The recommendations will be submitted in May to be approved by the governing body, after its president Gianni Infantino's plan to expand it from 32 to 48 nations.
That was given its total backing in January after having had an unchanged format since 1998 - and the new tournament will have 16 groups of three teams.
Infantino and the presidents of each of the six confederations of world football met on Thursday at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich and agreed on the slot allocation.
FIFA stated: "The recommendation will now be submitted for the ratification of the FIFA council, whose next meeting is scheduled for 9 May in Manama, Bahrain, two days prior to the 67th FIFA congress."
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Aside from Europe's quota being increased by three places to 16, nine spots for teams from Africa, eight for Asia, six for South America, six for North and Central America and the Caribbean, and one for Oceania have been mooted.
One thing that will not change is that the host country will still qualify automatically, with their place being taken from the quota of their confederation.
FIFA's statement, proposing the plans, added: "In the event of co-hosting, the number of host countries to qualify automatically would be decided by the FIFA council."
The proposed play-off will feature one team from each confederation with the exception of UEFA, plus one from the host nation's confederation - seeding being based on the world rankings.
The unseeded teams will be involved in a two-match first round, with the two winners from that then facing a seeded team each for a spot at the World Cup.
The play-off will be contested in the same country as the World Cup and used as a test event as to whether the nation can cope, most likely in November 2025.