The Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, is pressing ahead with the proposal to expand the 2022 World Cup from 32 teams to 48, which would mean matches shared among neighbouring countries hostile to the hosts Qatar. In an interview with the Guardian marking four years before the World Cup will kick off in Qatar on 21 November 2022, Infantino acknowledges the chances of it happening are “small”, but emphasised his belief that football can help to heal political hostilities which led last year to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt enforcing an economic blockade against Qatar. “Maybe football is a way to build bridges. We have seen as well with the bidding for 2026, the right to organise the World Cup was awarded to three countries [the USA, Canada and Mexico] which I think also don’t have the very best political or diplomatic relationships. But football makes miracles, as we know.” Despite global outrage at Saudi Arabia following the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Infantino said that discussions about sharing World Cup matches could help Saudi Arabia “evolve” and have “a nice impact.” “Obviously the relationship with [Qatar’s] neighbouring countries is…