FIFA: Blatter opposed to increasing the number of qualified teams for the World Cup

"We play the World Cup with 32 teams and if we want to maintain the quality of the event, we can not increase that number," said Joseph Blatter, President of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), on his visit to Iran, on the 07/11/2013.

He was responding to the suggestion by Michel Platini, President of UEFA (Union of European Football Associations), ten days earlier: "We need more African and Asian teams (in the finals of the Cup the world). But rather than remove European teams, we should go up to 40 teams," stated the French leader, on the 28/10/2013.

"Increasing the World Cup to 40...Then why not 48 or 64, or 128! A grand slam," retorted Joseph Blatter. "No, we must maintain quality. You know that increasing the number of teams does not increase the quality of play."

The president of the International Federation is favorable, however, for a change in the distribution of participants by continents, which are imbalanced he said, with Europe (13 teams of 32 in 2014) and South America (5 or 6, including Brazil, the host country): "We should, through solidarity and…