Switzerland: FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that football’s governing body will examine the possibility of expanding the FIFA World Cup to 64 teams for the 2030 edition, following what he described as the success of the newly expanded 48-team format at the 2026 tournament.
Speaking to Swiss media outlet, Infantino said the proposal would be reviewed by FIFA’s relevant committees after the conclusion of the ongoing World Cup. Infantino remarked that, “That’s definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup.” Infantino stressed that the FIFA World Cup should represent every region of the world rather than being dominated by traditional football powers.
Infantino added that, “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 argued that expanding the tournament would provide greater opportunities for emerging football nations, encouraging long-term investment and development. He noted that football standards continue to improve across all continents and warned that limiting participation could reduce motivation for smaller nations striving to reach the global stage.
The FIFA World Cup featured 32 teams from 1998 through 2022 before expanding to 48 teams for the first time in 2026. The current tournament, jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, is the largest in the competition’s history, with 104 matches.
With only the semifinals and final remaining, four teams, Argentina national football team, England national football team, France national football team and Spain national football team, remain in contention for the title.
Infantino described the expanded 48-team format as a major success, highlighting the improved competitiveness across all confederations. He also pointed to the strong performances of African nations, noting that nine of the 10 African teams progressed to the knockout stage compared with just five African participants at the previous World Cup.
The 2030 FIFA World Cup is already set to be one of the most unique editions in the tournament’s history. The opening three matches will be played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to commemorate the centenary of the competition, while the majority of the tournament will be hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain.
If FIFA approves an expansion to 64 teams, the additional matches could allow the South American co-hosts to stage full group-stage fixtures rather than hosting only one opening match each, further broadening the tournament’s global footprint.
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