In brief
Gianni Infantino has announced that FIFA will review the possibility of expanding the World Cup to 64 teams following the 2026 tournament, citing the success of the 48‑team format and the need to give every nation a chance to compete. The proposal, first floated by Conmebol for the 2030 edition, has drawn criticism from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf, who warn that a larger draw would create logistical chaos and diminish competitive balance. Despite the challenges, Infantino argues that a larger tournament would increase revenue and enhance global participation, especially after African teams performed well in the 2026 knockout stages. FIFA’s council will ultimately decide whether to adopt the expansion, but the decision is unlikely to materialise immediately.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has announced that the governing body will review the possibility of expanding the next World Cup to 64 teams after the 2026 edition, citing the success of the 48‑team format and the need to give all nations a chance to compete.
During a press briefing with the Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport, Infantino said, “These are all issues that we will be examining after the World Cup.” He added, “When organising a World Cup, it’s important to organise it for the whole world – not just Europe and South America, but effectively the entire world. Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating.”
Infantino highlighted the performance of African teams, noting that nine of the ten African participants reached the knockout stages of the 2026 tournament, a dramatic improvement from the just five teams in 1998. “That just goes to show how important it is to include all teams,” he said.
The 64‑team proposal was first presented by the South American confederation CONMEBOL in April 2025, targeting the 2030 World Cup that will be co‑hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with the opening stages played in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay to mark the centenary of the competition.
However, the idea has met scepticism. UEFA president Aleksander Czeferin called it “a bad idea” for both the tournament and the qualifying process. The Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa said further expansion would bring “chaos”, while Concacaf president Victor Montagliani warned that it could damage “the broader football ecosystem”. In contrast, Andrew Giuliani, the White House executive director of the World Cup task force, noted that the United States could consider a bid for 2038 and claimed it could handle an expanded format.
FIFA maintains that it will discuss expansion ideas with stakeholders and is duty‑bound to consider proposals from council members, but any decision will rest with the FIFA council and is not expected soon.
Would a 64‑team World Cup truly unlock global football? The debate continues, with significant implications for hosting logistics, revenue distribution, and the sporting dream of nations worldwide.
