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FIFA president Gianni Infantino has proposed a 48-team World
Cup that would see 16 teams eliminated after one knockout
match.
The proposal would essentially add a round three days
before the current 32-team group stage. From that point, the
tournament would progress as it has in the past.
Infantino said a final decision will be made in January.
“The idea is that 16 teams would qualify directly to the group
stage and the other 32 would play in a preliminary phase, in
the country where the World Cup is being played -- they would
play for the remaining 16 places,” Infantino said, according to
local media. FIFA confirmed the president’s plan to Reuters.
During his campaign for the FIFA presidency, Infantino had
pushed for a 40-team World Cup after the 2022 event in Qatar
to allow more nations to take part in the festivities.
“FIFA’s idea is to develop football in the whole world, and the
World Cup is the biggest event there is,” he said. “It’s more than
a competition, it’s a social event.”
Infantino’s plans to expand the World Cup beyond the current
32-team structure have been met with opposition, including
from German coach Joachim Low, who said that increasing the
teams would “dilute” the event’s value.
FIFA’S PRESIDENT PROPOSES PLAN FOR 48-TEAM WORLD CUP
RESEARCH SHOWS TENNIS HAS POSITIVE IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH
Research commissioned by Britain’s leading tennis charity the
Tennis Foundation, and undertaken by ComRes, has shown
that 91% of those surveyed said that tennis has had a positive
impact on their self-confidence which demonstrates howmuch
tennis can contribute towards mental health and wellbeing.
Research has also shown that 64% of people said they felt more
confident since playing tennis and 60% said they felt happier
since playing tennis. The research highlights and supports
the Tennis Foundation’s belief that tennis can bring a range
of physical, mental and social benefits and can be used as a
vehicle to help individuals realise and achieve their personal
potential through sport.
Further statistics highlighted that 63% of people who played
tennis felt less isolated, showing that it was a great way of
making new friends and socialising with others.
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