FIFA president Gianni Infantino has sparked criticism in Italy after a joking remark about the nation's poor World Cup record in recent times.
In an interview to Brazilian broadcaster CazéTV, Infantino poked fun at the Italian national team's latest failure to qualify for the World Cup while speaking about a potential expansion of the tournament to 64 teams.
"Maybe Italy will qualify for a World Cup with 64 teams, or we could even go up to 228 teams," he said.
FIFA has a total of 211 member associations.
According to the Ansa news agency, Italian Sports Minister Andrea Abodi expressed his irritation and said he plans to seek a conversation with the FIFA president.
"Given the great distance between Italy and Mexico, a phone call to clarify the situation, depending on his schedule, is the best option. I'm interested in hearing his thoughts," Abodi said.
Four-time world champions Italy last qualified for the World Cup in 2014.
