AHEAD OF THE GAME: Kroenke faces embarrassment with stadium

Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke is facing embarrassment, with his LA Rams NFL franchise forced to redevelop their stadium 18 months after its opening to ensure it can stage 2026 World Cup matches.

The 70,000-seat SoFi Stadium is the most expensive in the world, with construction costs of £3.8billion, and hosted the Super Bowl last month.

But in a remarkable oversight, it does not meet FIFA's requirements to stage World Cup matches.

In most respects the SoFi Stadium is a potential final venue for the 2026 tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, other than for the crucial fact that the pitch is too narrow for football.

The Rams are exploring options for widening the surface as part of their bid for World Cup matches, but it is not proving straightforward and the pitch may have to be raised.

FIFA will announce the 16 host cities in May, with Mexico and Canada expected to provide three venues each, and 17 US cities competing for 10 slots.

Infantino wants more games

FIFA president Gianni Infantino is planning to use a massive expansion of international football as the basis of his campaign for re-election next year.

While the proposed move to a biennial World Cup has been shelved due to opposition from UEFA and the South American federation, FIFA want to plough ahead with two new competitions — a global Nations League knockout tournament and a revamped Club World Cup — both of which would be held every four years.

Infantino is convinced creating tournaments to deliver additional revenue will prove a vote-winner among the smaller nations, despite opposition from the leading clubs, particularly in Europe. 

If introduced, Infantino's plans would result in FIFA running global tournaments in three