FIFA President Gianni Infantino says football’s governing body will assess the possibility of expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams after the 2026 tournament.
The proposal, first raised last year, gained fresh attention following the success of the expanded 48-team World Cup, with Infantino insisting the competition should provide opportunities for nations across the globe.
“These are all issues that we will be examining after the World Cup,” Infantino told Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport.
“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.”
He argued that giving more countries a chance to compete would encourage football development, especially among smaller nations.
Infantino described the first 48-team World Cup as “a huge success,” pointing to the strong performances by African teams, with nine of the continent’s 10 representatives reaching the knockout stage.
The FIFA Council approved the expansion from 32 to 48 teams in 2017, with the new format debuting at the 2026 World Cup.
A formal proposal to increase the 2030 tournament to 64 teams was submitted by South American football body CONMEBOL in April 2025, although no decision has been made.
The idea has, however, faced opposition from several football leaders.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin described the proposal as a “bad idea,” while Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa warned that further expansion could create “chaos.”
Concacaf President Victor Montagliani also opposed the move, saying it could negatively affect the wider football ecosystem.
Despite the criticism, Infantino maintained that FIFA has a responsibility to consider proposals aimed at making the World Cup more inclusive and accessible to countries around the world.
