FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed that the organisation will consider expanding the World Cup to a 64-team tournament for the 2030 edition, after declaring the 2026 tournament a major success. The competition was expanded from 32 to 48 teams for the first time this summer, a format that had been in place from 1998 through to 2022.
Infantino’s Stance on Expansion
In an interview with Swiss media outlet Bluewin, Infantino stated: “It (a 64-team tournament) is definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup.” He emphasised that the World Cup is “for the whole world, not just Europe and South America,” adding that “every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup.”
Infantino argued that the quality of teams is rising globally, saying: “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.”
2030 World Cup Format
The 2030 tournament is set to be hosted across six nations and three continents: Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay will each host one match, while the majority of the tournament will be split between Morocco, Portugal, and Spain. This marks the first time the World Cup will be staged across multiple continents.
FIFA held discussions in September last year about expanding the tournament again after receiving a formal pitch, and Infantino confirmed that talks would resume after the 2026 tournament.
Mixed Reactions
Infantino claimed the 48-team 2026 World Cup was “100 percent a success,” despite divided opinions. Critics argue that the group stage has been devalued, with some matches lacking quality, and that it is now harder to be eliminated than to qualify for the knockout stages.
UEFA president Aleksandar Ceferin spoke against the idea of a 64-team World Cup, calling it a “bad idea.” CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani echoed this sentiment, saying it was “not a great idea.” A 64-team tournament would mean that more than a quarter of FIFA’s 210 men’s international teams compete, potentially impacting the perceived challenge of qualifying.
