FIFA President Gianni Infantino has indicated that expanding the FIFA World Cup to 64 teams is under consideration after the success of the first-ever 48-team tournament. While no decision has been made, the FIFA chief said the governing body will review the idea once the ongoing World Cup concludes.
Infantino wants more nations to dream of playing at the World Cup
Explaining his vision for the tournament, Infantino said the World Cup should represent every region rather than being dominated by traditional football powers.
“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 said
The comments come as FIFA continues to evaluate ways to increase global participation following the introduction of the 48-team format.
Why does FIFA want to expand the World Cup to 64 teams?
One of the talking points of the current tournament has been the performances of emerging football nations. Cape Verde, for example, remained unbeaten during the group stage after facing Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, highlighting the growing competitiveness of teams outside football’s traditional elite.
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Infantino believes the overall standard of international football is rising across every continent. “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,” Infantino said regarding providing chances for smaller nations at the grandest stage of world football.
According to the FIFA president, expanding the competition would encourage developing football nations to continue progressing.
FIFA chief calls 48-team World Cup a success
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Infantino described the first 48-team FIFA World Cup as a “huge success,” pointing to the strong showing by African teams during the tournament. Nine of the ten African nations qualified for the knockout stage, while Morocco and Egypt advanced to the Round of 16. Morocco once again became Africa’s best-performing side by reaching the quarter-finals before being eliminated by France.
Reflecting on the previous World Cup in Qatar, Infantino said the limited number of African participants demonstrated why expansion matters. “At the last World Cup, there were only five teams from Africa. That just goes to show how important it is to include all teams, and to give them this opportunity to participate,” Infantino asserted.
64-team World Cup proposal awaits FIFA decision
The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, while Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay will stage the opening matches to commemorate the tournament’s 100th anniversary.
Earlier, CONMEBOL formally proposed expanding the competition to 64 teams beginning with the 2030 edition. FIFA has yet to make a final decision, but Infantino’s latest remarks suggest the proposal will remain part of the discussions after the current World Cup comes to an end.
FAQs
Is FIFA planning to expand the World Cup to 64 teams?
FIFA is considering the proposal, with Gianni Infantino saying discussions will take place after the 2026 World Cup.
Why does Gianni Infantino support a 64-team World Cup?
Infantino believes expanding the tournament would allow more countries to compete and continue developing their football programs.
