The small increase in Europe’s allotment is sure to disappoint fans and federations there, but it is in line with what Aleksander Ceferin, the president of UEFA, Europe’s governing body of soccer, had demanded for the continent. In an interview with The New York Times in February, Ceferin said that he was more concerned with keeping European teams apart in the early rounds of the expanded tournament.

“Two or three of our member nations suggested to me that we ask for 20 or 24 teams, and if we have to settle for 16, then O.K., but I do not want to push it,” Ceferin said. “I said that we should be realistic. To say that we want half the teams at the World Cup would look arrogant to me.”

“Sixteen teams and each European team in a different group is the red line,” he added. “That is what we will insist on. The others are still discussing. That will happen, or we will make things quite complicated.”

On Thursday, Ceferin, a member of the FIFA committee that came up with the recommendations, pronounced UEFA “satisfied” with the plan.

“We feel that UEFA will be fairly represented with a total of 16 national associations competing in the new format of the World Cup,” he said. “We look forward to this proposal being ratified by the FIFA Council.”