FIFA President Gianni Infantino is becoming the center of controversy following a statement regarding the Italian national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
In an interview with CazeTV before the opening match of the 2026 World Cup, Mr. Infantino mentioned the previously discussed idea of expanding the number of participating teams in the tournament to 64. According to him, this proposal aims to create more opportunities for many football nations around the world to participate in the biggest playground on the planet.
“We discussed the possibility of increasing the number of teams to 64 so that more countries have the opportunity to participate. This issue has been brought up at the FIFA Council, but for now, let’s enjoy this World Cup,” Infantino shared.
However, the next part of his statement was what made the Italian public angry. When mentioning the absence of the “Azzurri” at the 2026 World Cup, the FIFA President joked: “If it goes up to 64 teams, maybe Italy will win a ticket to the World Cup. Or who knows, maybe we should increase it to 228 teams.”
Although meant to be humorous, this statement was seen by many Italian fans as insensitive in the context of the national team going through a difficult period. Previously, the “Azzurri” failed against Bosnia in the European play-offs and missed out on the 2026 World Cup.
This is also the third consecutive time the four-time world champion team has failed to participate in the biggest football festival on the planet. This prolonged decline in performance is causing mounting pressure on Italian football, while also making jokes like Mr. Infantino’s seem insensitive.
