World Cup 2018: Fifa president Gianni Infantino 'not concerned' about hooligan threat at Russia World Cup

Fifa president Gianni Infantino says he is "not at all 
concerned" by the threat of hooliganism at next year's 
World Cup in Russia.

At Euro 2016, there were violent clashes between Russian 
and English supporters in Marseille.

One Russian fan, speaking as part of a BBC documentary
 to be broadcast on Thursday , said trouble is "100% guaranteed" at the 2018 World Cup.

Infantino also said the 2026 event could be hosted by 
multiple countries.

But he said the countries would "ideally" be close to one another for "the ease of travel".

Football's world governing body agreed in January on a 
48-team World Cup in 2026. The bidding process has not begun yet for the tournament.

"It is perfectly in line with our sustainability and legacy 
to maybe bring together two, three, four countries who 
can jointly present a project with three, four, five 
stadiums each, " said Infantino,speaking during a visit to 
Qatar on Thursday.

The next European Championship, to be held in 2020, is 
being hosted across 13 cities.

Qatar is hosting the 2022 World Cup and is spending
 almost $500m (£400m) a week on major infrastructure projects in preparation.

Infantino says he is confident the stadiums and 
infrastructure will be ready in time, but added "a lot 
remains to be done".


Bidding for the 2026 World Cup is likely to begin later this
 year. It will be an expanded tournament, featuring 48
 teams.

Infantino says he wants to encourage three or even four countries to group together to stage games.

This, he feels, would be in line with ensuring the World 
Cup is sustainable - a criticism Fifa often faces given the 
huge costs single countries must foot to stage the event.

The USA is the early favourite to win the 2026 bid but co-hosting with Canada and even Mexico, despite the current political and border difficulties with the Trump administration, now looks a real possibility.

The move is also politically acute for Mr Infantino, who
 will likely stand for re-election as Fifa's leader in 2019.

Many smaller nations will welcome the opportunity to 
stage at least part of the sport's premier competition, something he hopes they will remember come polling 
day.