​With the 48-team World Cup nearing its conclusion, FIFA president Gianni Infantino is setting the stage for another expansion, this time targeting the tournament in 2030. In a recent interview with Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport, Infantino was asked about broadening the World Cup to 64 teams. He replied that the issue will certainly be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this edition of the tournament. He stressed that organizing a World Cup should be for the entire world, not just Europe and South America, but globally. He pointed out that every nation should have the opportunity to dream of World Cup participation, noting that the overall quality of teams is rising worldwide. If smaller countries aren’t given a chance to compete, they may lose the incentive to improve.
The 2030 World Cup is set to be co-hosted by Portugal, Spain, and Morocco. In celebration of the tournament’s 100th anniversary, the centennial edition will include three opening-round matches staged in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The broader celebration will see games hosted across six countries on three continents. For Infantino, this anniversary represents a fitting moment to consider further expansion of the event. In his interview, he did not discuss the potential revenue that additional teams and matches might generate.
The current World Cup, following Saturday’s quarterfinals, has reached its final four teams. This edition—held in North America—marks the first time the tournament features 48 teams and 104 matches. By contrast, the previous seven World Cups, beginning with France’s 1998 edition, had 32 teams and 64 games. Earlier iterations saw various expansions, ranging from 13 to 24 teams, from the inaugural event in Paraguay through the 1994 tournament in the United States. Besides the increased revenue that accompanies 40 more matches, this World Cup has largely been a success on the field, delivering compelling competition and strong interest, as reflected in packed stadiums and high television ratings from group stage through the early knockout rounds.
Despite controversies both on and off the pitch, this World Cup has been difficult to label as anything but a major success. It seems as good a moment as any for Infantino to advocate for further expansion of the tournament. Yet expansion is not universally embraced. Critics, much like opponents of the NCAA tournament and the College Football Playoff in the United States, argue that adding more teams could devalue the lengthy World Cup qualifying season and potentially erode the quality of play once the World Cup begins.