Assessments for a 64-team men’s World Cup are slated to take place following the 2026 tournament, with Fifa President Gianni Infantino emphasizing that the event should be “a tournament for the entire world”, rather than just catering to specific regions such as Europe and South America.
The proposal to expand the tournament was initially put forward in the previous year, and according to Infantino, the success of the recently expanded 48-team tournament warrants an examination of how a 64-team World Cup could potentially work.
In a statement to Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport, Infantino acknowledged that “these are all issues that we will be examining after the World Cup”, when questioned about the possibility of the tournament growing to 64 teams.
Infantino stressed the importance of organizing a World Cup that is inclusive of the entire world, allowing every nation to have the opportunity to participate and “dream of being part of the World Cup”.
He also highlighted the increasing quality of teams worldwide, emphasizing that smaller countries need to be given a chance to participate in the World Cup in order to maintain their incentive to improve.
The first 48-team World Cup has been deemed “a huge success” by Infantino, citing the notable progression of nine out of 10 African teams to the knockout stages, a significant improvement from the previous World Cup where only five African teams participated.
The expansion of the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams was initially approved by the Fifa council in 2017, and an official proposal to further expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams was put forward by the South American governing body Conmebol in April 2025, although no decision has been made yet.
The 2030 edition of the World Cup is set to be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with the first three matches to be hosted by Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay in celebration of the competition’s centenary, as Uruguay was the host of the first World Cup in 1930.
However, not everyone is in favor of the proposed expansion, with Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin dismissing the idea as a “bad idea” for both the tournament and the qualifying process, and Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa warning that further expansion would lead to “chaos”.
Victor Montagliani, President of the governing body for football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, also expressed his concerns, stating that the suggestion “doesn’t feel right” and could potentially damage “the broader football ecosystem”.
On the other hand, Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House’s World Cup task force, expressed the United States’ potential interest in hosting the 2038 World Cup and its ability to “handle it” if the tournament were to be expanded to 64 teams.
Fifa’s official stance is that it will discuss expansion ideas with stakeholders and consider any proposals from council members, with the Fifa council ultimately making the decision, although there are no indications that a decision is imminent.
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