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By Bloomberg

FIFA should expand the soccer World Cup to 48 teams and spend half of its revenue on grass-roots soccer, said Luis Figo, a two-time player of the year who is running for president of the sport’s world governing body.

National associations should distribute the $2.5 billion over four years to set up school soccer projects, Figo told a press conference at London’s Wembley Stadium today. The associations should also receive $1 billion of FIFA’s $1.5 billion reserves, he said.

“I was very lucky and fortunate to have the chance to play and get training from a young age,” the former Portugal international said. “But the opportunity does not exist for most children in the world, so addressing this crucial issue would be a key focus of my presidency.”

The World Cup should be expanded to 48 teams from 32, adding four days to the tournament, Figo said. The additional teams should all come from outside Europe, while every World Cup winner should get a seat on FIFA’s executive committee up to a maximum of eight seats.

Figo, 42, is one of three candidates challenging FIFA President Sepp Blatter in the May 29 vote. The 78-year-old Swiss is the oddsmakers’ favorite to win a fifth term, having secured backing from regional governing bodies in Asia, Africa and South America. Blatter’s tenure has been marked by scandal including allegations of corruption linked to voting on the hosts for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Blatter had pledged not to run again after the 2011 vote when his only challenger quit amid bribery allegations, though he later changed his mind.

Four Candidates

Also running are Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan, the Asian vice president on the FIFA executive committee, and Michael van Praag, head of the Dutch soccer association KNVB. Ali told a news conference in London earlier this month FIFA has to end a “culture of intimidation.” He said his candidacy was supported by the U.S., England, Belarus, Malta and Georgia as well as his native Jordan, the only Asian nation to back him.

Van Praag, who wants to modernize FIFA and make it more transparent, has the support of Belgium, Sweden, Scotland, Romania, the Faroe Islands and the Netherlands. The Dutchman is an executive committee member at UEFA, the European soccer governing body, and a former chairman of Ajax Amsterdam.

Figo, who needs the backing of 105 of the 209 football associations in order to win, declined to specify which countries would vote for him.

African Campaign

He met with some of the African federations during a trip to the African Cup final and will campaign on the continent between now and the end of May, calling it “one of the obstacles to overcome.”

Figo said he is “financially independent,” and is paying for most of his own campaign with some logistical help from the Portuguese federation.

He denied any suggestion of collusion between the three candidates opposing Blatter. Both Figo and Ali are supported by London-based communications consultancy Vero.

“My idea right now is to run to the end,” Figo said. “In recent months, and recent years, I have seen the image of FIFA getting deteriorated. As I speak to many people in football: players, managers and association presidents, they have told me that something has to be changed.”

Figo also said he supports goal-line technology, testing “sin-bins” for unsporting behavior to referees and a return to the “old” definition of the offside rule, where a player is judged offside whether directly involved in play or not.