Jose Mourinho has thrown his support behind FIFA president Gianni Infantino's plan to expand the World Cup to 48 teams from 2026.
Infantino's manifesto for the top job in world football last year included a promise to increase the number of teams that qualify for the World Cup from the current 32.
Having floated several different formats, he finally settled on 16 groups of three before a 32-team knockout, which guarantees every qualifier a minimum of two games and a maximum of seven, which is the same number of games the current semifinalists play, including the final and third-place playoff.
This plan is widely expected to be approved by FIFA's council when it meets in Zurich on Tuesday, a decision that Mourinho will welcome.
In an interview with the FIFA website, the Manchester United manager said, "I'm totally in favour. As a club manager, if the expansion meant more games, less holidays and less preseason for players, I would say no.
"But it's important for critics to analyse and understand that expansion doesn't mean more matches. Players are protected and clubs are protected in this way."
Of the five choices the FIFA council have been given -- leaving the tournament at 32 teams, two variants of a 40-team event, a single playoff round between 32 teams to decide who joins 16 seeded countries and the 16x3 format -- Mourinho said he, like Infantino, prefers the latter.
"This way, the two group matches are crucial, then the knockout stage is next which brings even more emotion," he said.
"Teams with less potential and experience will probably play two matches and go home. But they would do so having improved and gained experience on the pitch, which would be added to the economic rewards of appearing at the finals -- including further investment in their footballing infrastructure.
"The expansion means that the World Cup will be even more of an incredible social event. More countries, more investment in different countries in infrastructure, in youth football. More nations taking part means more passion, more happiness, more enthusiasm."
Mourinho's backing will please Infantino, but it is hardly necessary given the groundswell of support for World Cup expansion. The African and Asian confederations are emphatically behind it, with the two American confederations also enthusiastic.
Only Europe has voiced opposition, and most of that comes from the big clubs and leagues concerned about stretching the tournament beyond 32 days.
The German FA has said it is against the idea because it will dilute the quality of the tournament, but little has been said anywhere about the potential impact on hosts of staging 80 games in a month, up from the current 64.
The English FA reportedly considers the move to 48 teams to be inevitable, while the three other Home Nations share the same view as every other smaller European member: Expansion is great, provided UEFA maintains its position as the top confederation in terms of World Cup slots.
Where this larger tournament will make its debut in 2026 will not be not decided until 2020, but the United States -- perhaps in combination with Canada or Mexico or both -- is the overwhelming favourite.