FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the organization will consider the possibility of expanding the Men’s World Cup to 64 teams for the 2030 tournament.
In an interview with Swiss news site Brewin, Infantino said the proposal would be considered by a relevant FIFA committee after the 2026 World Cup.
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His comments came during the first World Cup to include 48 teams, after FIFA expanded the competition from the 32-team format used in all competitions from 1998 to 2022.
Here’s what we know:
What did Infantino say?
Infantino said in an interview that expanding the 2026 World Cup to 48 teams was “100 percent” the right decision, calling the new format a “huge success.”
He pointed to the performance of smaller soccer countries and argued that large-scale tournaments have strengthened soccer globally.
“Teams from every continent scored a goal and scored at least one point,” Infantino said. “Nine out of 10 African teams made it to the finals. In the last World Cup there were only five teams from Africa. This shows how important it is to include all teams and give them the opportunity to participate,” he added.
Asked if the number of participating teams could eventually expand to 64, Infantino said the proposal would be “considered and discussed.”
He said world championships should be organized “for the whole world” and not just for the traditional footballing powers, arguing that more participants meant better football.
“If you don’t give small countries a chance to participate in the World Cup, they lose the incentive to keep growing,” he says.
What would a 64-team World Cup look like?
FIFA has not explained how the 64-team World Cup will be structured, but one option would be to return to a traditional format with a wider field.
The tournament will feature 16 groups of four teams, with each country potentially playing three group stage matches. The top two teams from each group will advance to the 32-team finals tournament.
With such a format, the tournament could increase to 128 matches. The 32-team World Cup saw 64 games played, compared to 104 at this year’s tournament, which will be played in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Who supports the proposal?
The proposal had the strongest support in South America, where soccer officials argued that the 100th anniversary of the World Cup in 2030 was the right time to involve more countries.
The idea is backed by the South American soccer federation CONMEBOL, which represents the continent’s 10 national associations, including World Cup winners Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.
The proposal was first raised by Uruguayan Football Federation President Ignacio Alonso at the FIFA Executive Board meeting in March 2025. It was then formally submitted by CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez, who argued that the Centenary Congress should be more inclusive.
“We are confident that the 100th anniversary celebration will be special, because a 100th anniversary is only celebrated once,” Dominguez said in announcing the proposal.
The 2030 World Cup is already set to be the most geographically wide-ranging tournament in the history of the tournament, with matches being played in six countries on three continents.
FIFA does not support the 64 team proposal. The governing body said it was obliged to consider proposals submitted by council members, but there is no indication that a decision to expand the tournament is imminent.
Who opposes that proposal?
The proposal has drawn opposition from senior soccer officials in Europe and Asia who say expanding the tournament would be too large.
UEFA president Alexander Ceferin said the proposal was a “bad idea” after it was first raised at the FIFA Executive Board.
“This is not a good idea for the World Cup itself, and it’s not a good idea for our qualification,” Ceferin said.
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa also rejected the proposal.
“Personally, I don’t agree,” Sheikh Salman said last year. “If this issue is still open to change, not only is the door open to expanding the tournament to 64 teams, but someone may come along and demand that number be increased to 132 teams. Where will we end up then? There will be chaos.”
Critics argued that a 64-team World Cup would make the international soccer schedule even more congested, making the group stage less competitive and making it harder to qualify for the tournament. They also expressed concern about the additional burden on players, clubs and host countries.
When and where will the 2030 World Cup be held?
The next World Cup will be held in June and July 2030, co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup being held in Uruguay in 1930, three centenary games will be played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay before the tournament officially begins in the three main host nations.
This tournament will be the first World Cup to be held across six countries and three continents.
When can FIFA make a decision?
FIFA has not set a timetable for deciding whether to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams.
Any changes to the tournament format will ultimately require approval from the governing body’s main decision-making committee, the FIFA Council. FIFA has not said when the Executive Board could vote on the proposal.
