Adding further to the instability that already surrounds the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, FIFA have now been asked to hasten their plans for expanding the tournament to accommodate 48 teams instead of the current 32.
A change that FIFA President Gianni Infantino has previously hinted at, there was no suggestion that such an expansion would take place before the 2026 tournament - at the very earliest.
However, reports from Buenos Aires suggest that the president of the South American football federation (CONMEBOL) has requested Infantino to bring the plan forward in time for the 2022 event.
Increasing the number of games from 64 to 80, one wonders whether FIFA could imagine a less-favourable plan ahead of the highly-contentious tournament in Qatar.
The first World Cup to be hosted in the Middle East has already been moved from the usual June-July slot to a winter scheduling; and the idea that players would be away from their clubs even longer would hardly go down well.
There will be more on this as the story develops.
