FIFA boss hints at World Cup expansion talks, defends hydration breaks

Any further expansion of the World Cup, increasing the number of teams participating in the finals to 64, will be discussed after this year's edition, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said without providing any details.The 2026 finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States have seen 48 teams for the first time, a decision that was heavily criticised but which has not provoked much debate since the tournament kicked off on June 11."These are all issues that we will be examining after the World Cup," Infantino, who successfully pushed for the expansion of the finals from 32 teams, told Swiss television outlet Blue Sport.He did not elaborate, saying only: "I think it is important that when you want to organise a World Cup, you do it for the whole world — not just Europe and South America, but effectively the entire world."Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup There were many complaints, as the feeling was that all teams should face the same conditions," he said.He also defended the high ticket prices at the World Cup, saying: "The stadiums are full; capacity utilisation is at 99.7 per cent and it will likely reach 99.9 per cent by the end."Experts determined the ticket prices before the tournament