The technician of Italian selection Roberto Mancini regretted this Monday the increase in the number of countries participating in the World Cup, which will increase from 32 to 48 in 2026.
“We still increase the number of games a lot, when I think we have to reduce the number of games to give the players a chance to breathe a little”, Mancini told the Italian press, during an event to present a new sponsorship of the Italian Football Federation. (FIGC).
“Otherwise you get to a point in the season where they are very tired; you have to take a break every now and then,” he insisted.
With a contract until 2026, Mancini’s goal is to take Italy back to a World Cup, after the four-time world champion has been left out of the last two editions, Russia-2018 and Qatar-2022.
FIFA announced in March the format of the next World Cup, which will be played in the United States, Mexico and Canada and will have 48 teams for the first time, with a tournament formula that will increase the number of games from 64 in Qatar to 104. The semi-finalists will play a total of eight matches, one more than so far.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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