FIFA to assess 64-team World Cup proposal after 2026 tournament

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has indicated that plans for a 64-team men's World Cup will be assessed after the 2026 tournament, arguing that the event should be "for the whole world." The proposal, initially put forward last year, gained traction after Infantino cited the success of the expanded 48-team format currently being used for the 2026 World Cup.

Infantino's vision for global inclusion

Speaking to Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport, Infantino said the idea of expanding to 64 teams would be examined once the current tournament concludes. "These are all issues that we will be examining after the World Cup," he stated. "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 in the World Cup."

Infantino pointed to the quality of teams globally as a justification for further expansion. "You can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high, and it's getting higher and higher, all over the world. If you don't give smaller countries a chance to participate in the World Cup, they'll lack the incentive to keep improving."

The FIFA president described the first 48-team World Cup as "a huge success," highlighting that nine out of ten African teams advanced to the knockout stages. "At the last World Cup, there were only five teams from Africa," he noted. "That just goes to show how important it is to include all teams - to give them this opportunity to participate."

Background of World Cup expansion

The FIFA Council approved the expansion from 32 to 48 teams in 2017, a move that took effect with the 2026 tournament. An official proposal to boost the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams was submitted by South American governing body CONMEBOL in April 2025, but no decision has been reached. The 2030 edition will be mainly co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with three opening matches hosted by Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay to celebrate the centenary of the competition. Uruguay hosted the first World Cup in 1930.

Mixed reactions from football officials

The proposal has drawn criticism from several key figures. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin dismissed the idea as a "bad idea" for both the tournament and the qualifying process. Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa agreed, warning that further expansion would bring "chaos." Victor Montagliani, president of CONCACAF, said the suggestion "doesn't feel right" and believed it would damage "the broader football ecosystem."

However, Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House's World Cup task force, said the United States could consider bidding to host the 2038 World Cup and would be able to "handle it" even with 64 teams.

Challenges for host nations

Expansion poses significant logistical challenges. When Infantino was first elected in 2016, his manifesto included increasing the World Cup from 32 to 40 teams. Within a year, that rose to 48, approved by the FIFA Council for the 2026 finals. Speculation has persisted that FIFA would like to go further and faster. Going to 48 teams for the 2022 finals was discussed but deemed unfeasible for Qatar to host alone.

The larger the tournament, the more demanding it is for hosts. The 2026 World Cup spans three countries across a vast area. In 2030, matches will be played in six countries: Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. How Saudi Arabia, set to host the 2034 World Cup, would cope with a 64-team tournament featuring 128 games remains unknown. Nonetheless, the expansion proposal remains a vote winner for Infantino on multiple fronts.