​Gianni Infantino says FIFA will weigh the possibility of expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams after the 2026 tournament. The FIFA president believes every nation should have the chance to dream of qualifying for football’s biggest stage. The idea remains controversial, with Concacaf and UEFA previously opposing further expansion.
Infantino confirmed that FIFA will discuss the prospect of a 64-team World Cup once the 2026 edition concludes. That tournament, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, is already the largest in history, increasing the field from 32 to 48 teams. Speaking to Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport, Infantino indicated that the proposal for additional expansion will be considered by FIFA’s decision-making bodies after this World Cup. “This is certainly an issue that will be looked at and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup,” he said. “When you organize a World Cup, it’s important that you organize it for the whole world. It’s not just Europe and South America, but the entire world, effectively. Every nation should be able to dream of taking part in the World Cup. We can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high, and it’s getting higher and higher everywhere in the world. If you don’t give smaller countries the chance to participate in the World Cup, they also lose the incentive to keep improving.”
The notion of a 64-team tournament first surfaced in March 2025 when CONMEBOL proposed expanding the 2030 World Cup, which will mark the competition’s centenary. Later that year, Infantino met with CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez alongside representatives from Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay to discuss the proposal. Domínguez said at the time, “We believe in a historic 2030 World Cup,” adding, “We want to call for unity, creativity and believing big. Because when football is shared by everyone, the celebration is truly global.”
Reaction to the proposal has been mixed across world football. Concacaf president Victor Montagliani previously questioned whether another expansion would benefit the international calendar. “I don’t believe expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams is the right move for the tournament itself and the broader football ecosystem, from national teams to club competitions, leagues and players,” Montagliani told ESPN in April 2025. UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin has also criticized the proposal, describing a 64-team World Cup as “a bad idea.” If approved, the expanded format would feature 128 matches, doubling the total played under the 32-team structure used from 1998 to 2022. The 2026 World Cup will consist of 104 matches under the 48-team format, reflecting the current tournament’s planned structure.