Gianni Infantino: FIFA will encourage World Cup co-hosting

Speaking in Qatar, the host nation for the 2022 World Cup, Infantino said: "We will encourage co-hosting for the World Cup because we need FIFA to show we are reasonable and we have to think about sustainability long-term.

"[We could] ...maybe bring together two, three, four countries who can jointly present a project with three, four, five stadiums each. We will certainly encourage it. Ideally the countries will be close to each other."

Concern has been raised about the financial burden placed on a single tournament host, and the bad publicity generated by stadiums built and then abandoned after use.

This has been most recently demonstrated by 2014 host Brazil, who's iconic Maracana stadium has become unusable in recent months, sitting with rusting gates and with a badly damaged playing area following a dispute over repair costs and redevelopment.

The only time FIFA has previously sanctioned co-hosting was in 2002 when Japan and South Korea staged a tournament that was widely heralded as a success.

Speaking about the threat of violence at next year's World Cup in Russia, after a BBC documentary revealed "highly organised" hooligans in the country, Infantino said he was "not at all concerned" by this.

He said: "I'm not concerned about trouble and violence in 2018. I have full confidence in Russian authorities, they are taking this matter very, very seriously."

He added that lessons had been learned by the violence during last year's Euro 2016 tournament.

He said: "They [the Russian authorities] have been in contact with UEFA and French organisers to learn the lessons from France and this matter is being taken in the utmost seriousness by all.

"As part of this, the Russian government has put in place an ID system which will help us when it comes to any potential trouble. We need to be wary about spreading rumours about hooligans."

Russia's Hooligan Army is set to air on Thursday night on BBC2.