Gianni Infantino backs 64-team World Cup expansion plans

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has backed discussions over expanding the FIFA World Cup to 64 teams, noting that football’s biggest tournament should be more inclusive and offer every nation a realistic opportunity to compete on the global stage.

Speaking after the success of the first-ever 48-team FIFA World Cup, Infantino said FIFA would examine proposals to further increase the number of participating nations.

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“That’s definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup,” Infantino told Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport when asked whether the tournament could expand to 64 teams.

“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.

“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.”

48-team format hailed a success

Infantino described the expanded 48-team tournament as “a huge success”, pointing to the improved performances of emerging football nations, particularly from Africa.

According to the FIFA president, nine of Africa’s 10 representatives progressed to the knockout rounds, compared with just five African participants at the previous World Cup.

“At the last World Cup, there were only five teams from Africa,” he said. “That just goes to show how important it is to include all teams and give them this opportunity to participate.”

FIFA approved the expansion from 32 to 48 teams in 2017, with the new format making its debut at the 2026 World Cup.

64-team proposal gains attention

The proposal to expand the tournament to 64 teams was formally submitted by South American football governing body CONMEBOL in April 2025 as part of plans for the centenary 2030 FIFA World Cup.

The 2030 tournament will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay staging the opening matches to commemorate the first World Cup, held in Uruguay in 1930.

While no decision has been taken, Infantino said FIFA has a responsibility to consider proposals from its member associations before any recommendation is made to the FIFA Council.

Football leaders divided

The proposal has, however, drawn strong opposition from several continental football leaders.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin described a 64-team World Cup as “a bad idea” for both the tournament and its qualification process.

Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa warned that further expansion could create “chaos”, while Concacaf president Victor Montagliani argued that enlarging the competition again “doesn’t feel right” and could harm the wider football ecosystem.

Despite the criticism, Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House’s World Cup Task Force, said the United States would be capable of hosting a 64-team tournament if it bids for the 2038 edition.

Although FIFA has not indicated that expansion is imminent, Infantino’s comments suggest the governing body is prepared to revisit the format following the commercial and sporting success of the 2026 World Cup.