Infantino opens door to 64‑team World Cup

+
+

Infantino has been FIFA president since 2016

+

Plans for a 64‑team men's World Cup are set to be assessed after the 2026 tournament, with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino saying the event needs to be for the whole world.

Infantino said the success of the expanded 48‑team contest means FIFA should examine how a 64‑team edition could work.

During a conversation with Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport he stressed that a World Cup has to be structured to give every nation a chance to dream of participation.

He claimed the quality of teams worldwide is increasing, pointing out that if smaller nations were denied chances, they would lack the incentive to improve.

Infantino cited the 2026 tournament as a huge success, especially noting nine of ten African teams reaching the knockout stages, a jump from five teams a decade earlier.

The proposal to boost the 2030 World Cup from 48 to 64 teams was first put forward by CONMEBOL in April 2025, but no decision has been reached.

The 2030 competition will mainly be hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with opening matches in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay to mark the centenary of the tournament, the country that hosted the first event in 1930.

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin dismissed the 64‑team proposal as a bad idea for both the tournament and the qualifying process.

The Afic president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa agreed, warning that further expansion would bring chaos.

Concacaf president Victor Montagliani said the suggestion does not feel right and could damage the broader football ecosystem.

Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House’s World Cup task force, argued that the United States could handle a 64‑team tournament and may consider a 2038 bid.

FIFA claims it will discuss expansion ideas with stakeholders and is duty‑bound to consider any proposals from council members, but no imminent change is expected.

The expansion would pose logistical challenges for hosts, as the 2026 tournament already spans three countries and the 2030 edition will involve six.

Infantino says a 64‑team World Cup would give almost a third of about 211 FIFA‑affiliated countries a chance to qualify, creating more revenue for member associations.

For more on the 64‑team debate, see BBC stories on World Cup expansion and fan discussions in the live forums.