FIFA President Infantino Indicates Possibility of Expanding Men’s World Cup to 64 Teams

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has suggested the possibility of increasing the number of teams in the men’s World Cup to 64. He emphasized that the World Cup should be accessible to all and that smaller nations should also be given opportunities to compete. However, leaders of the European and Asian football confederations have opposed this expansion, citing concerns over potential disorder.

Infantino stated that discussions about a 64-team World Cup will take place after the 2026 tournament. In an interview with Swiss media, he highlighted that the World Cup is hosted not only for Europe and South America but for the entire world, and therefore, every country should have the chance to dream of participating. He said, “The World Cup should be for everyone. Opportunities must be given to smaller countries. Without them, there is less motivation to improve.”

The FIFA president claimed the 48-team World Cup has been a success, underscoring the performances of African teams as justification for expansion. He noted that, this time, nine out of ten African teams advanced to the knockout stages. FIFA had decided to expand the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams in 2017.

The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) formally proposed in 2025 to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams. Nevertheless, not all parties agree with the 64-team proposal. UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin described it as a bad idea for both the competition and qualification process. Similarly, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), warned that further expansion might cause disorganization.

The 2030 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. To commemorate the centenary of the tournament, the first three matches will take place in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. If the tournament is expanded to 64 teams, nearly one-third of FIFA’s 211 member nations would have the opportunity to participate. Furthermore, the increase in matches and revenue is expected to enhance the distribution of funds to member associations.