FIFA announces proposal to allocate spots for 48-team World Cup

The FIFA has announced its proposal to allocate spots for the 48-team World Cup, including six direct slots for South America and the Concacaf, 16 for Europe, and an inter-zonal playoff tournament involving six teams from which two more qualifiers will emerge.

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The proposal will be presented to the FIFA Council at its next plenary meeting in May in Bahrain, where a final decision will be made, said the organization.

In the FIFA's project to organize the tournament, which will be expanded starting from 2026, Europe would obtain 16 spots, Africa nine, Asia eight, South America six, Concacaf six, and Oceania one, totaling 46 teams. The host country would automatically qualify.

The remaining two spots will be decided in a six-team tournament that would take place in the host nation of the World Cup, possibly in November, according to FIFA.

The tournament would include one team from each confederation, except UEFA, and an additional team from the host country's continent.

FIFA decided in January to increase the tournament from 32 to 48 teams.