FIFA President Gianni Infantino says discussions on increasing the Men’s FIFA World Cup to 64 teams will take place after the 2026 tournament, despite opposition from several continental football confederations.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has indicated that discussions on expanding the FIFA Men’s World Cup to 64 teams will take place following the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Speaking to Swiss media, Infantino said the World Cup should belong to the entire world rather than just Europe and South America, stressing that every nation should have the opportunity to dream of playing on football’s biggest stage.
“The World Cup should be for everyone. Smaller nations also deserve opportunities. Without those opportunities, they have less motivation to improve,” Infantino said.
Success of the 48-Team Format
Infantino defended FIFA’s decision to expand the tournament from 32 to 48 teams, saying the new format has proven successful. He pointed to the impressive performances of African nations, noting that nine of the ten African teams qualified for the knockout stage, demonstrating that expanding the competition has created more opportunities without sacrificing quality.
FIFA approved the expansion from 32 to 48 teams in 2017, with the 2026 edition becoming the first Men’s World Cup to feature 48 participating nations.
64-Team Proposal Already on the Table
The idea of a 64-team World Cup is not entirely new. In 2025, CONMEBOL formally proposed expanding the 2030 FIFA World Cup to 64 teams. However, FIFA has yet to make any decision on the proposal.
Opposition From Football Leaders
The proposal has received significant criticism from several football governing bodies.
Aleksander Čeferin, president of UEFA, has described the idea as a poor decision for both the World Cup and its qualification process.
Similarly, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation, warned that further expansion could create organizational challenges.
Victor Montagliani, head of CONCACAF, has also expressed reservations, saying additional expansion may not be appropriate for the tournament.
2030 World Cup Hosts
The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. To celebrate the tournament’s centenary, the opening three matches will be played in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, marking 100 years since the inaugural FIFA World Cup in Uruguay in 1930.
What a 64-Team World Cup Would Mean
If FIFA ultimately expands the tournament to 64 teams, nearly one-third of FIFA’s 211 member associations would qualify for the World Cup.
The expansion would also increase the number of matches and generate additional commercial revenue, potentially allowing FIFA to distribute more funding to its member associations while giving many smaller football nations their first opportunity to compete on the world’s biggest stage.
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