FIFA will assess the possibility of expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams after the conclusion of the 2026 tournament, with president Gianni Infantino insisting the competition should continue to reflect the global nature of football rather than remain focused on its traditional powerhouses.
Speaking to Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport, Infantino said the governing body would evaluate the idea once the first-ever 48-team World Cup is complete. He argued that giving more nations the opportunity to compete on football’s biggest stage would encourage development across every continent.
According to Infantino, the expanded 48-team format has already demonstrated its value, pointing to the strong performances of teams from outside Europe and South America. He highlighted that nine of the 10 African representatives reached the knockout rounds, describing it as evidence that greater inclusion can raise standards worldwide.
FIFA increased the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams after approval by its council in 2017, with the new format making its debut at the 2026 finals hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The idea of growing the tournament again emerged in April 2025 when South American governing body CONMEBOL formally proposed expanding the 2030 edition to 64 teams.
No decision has been made on that proposal, and FIFA has maintained that any recommendation submitted by council members must be considered before a final ruling is made by the FIFA Council.
The 2030 World Cup is scheduled to be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, while Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay will each stage an opening match to commemorate the centenary of the tournament. Uruguay hosted the inaugural World Cup in 1930.
Despite the proposal remaining under discussion, several influential football officials have voiced strong opposition. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has described a 64-team tournament as a poor idea for both the finals and the qualification process. Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa has warned that further expansion could create chaos, while Concacaf president Victor Montagliani believes increasing the field again would harm the wider football landscape.
Meanwhile, Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House’s World Cup task force, has suggested the United States could pursue hosting rights for the 2038 tournament and would be capable of staging a 64-team event if FIFA ultimately approves the concept.
Infantino has long supported expanding football’s flagship competition. His 2016 election manifesto called for a 40-team World Cup before FIFA quickly settled on a 48-team format, which was approved less than a year later. Since then, speculation about further growth has persisted.
A 64-team World Cup would feature 128 matches, compared with the 104 scheduled under the current format, creating significant logistical challenges for future hosts. The 2026 tournament already spans three countries, while the 2030 edition will be spread across six nations on three continents. Saudi Arabia, the host of the 2034 World Cup, would also face major organisational demands if the tournament were expanded again.
Supporters of further expansion argue that it would allow almost one-third of FIFA’s 211 member associations to qualify for the finals while generating additional commercial revenue that could be redistributed among national federations. Critics, however, remain concerned that an ever-larger tournament could dilute the competition and complicate an already demanding international calendar.