The biggest sporting event on the planet could soon become even bigger. For decades, qualifying for the FIFA World Cup has been one of the toughest achievements in international football. Now, FIFA believes the dream could become a reality for dozens more nations, with President Gianni Infantino confirming that the governing body will consider expanding the men’s World Cup.
FIFA will examine the possibility of expanding the men’s FIFA World Cup to 64 teams for the 2030 tournament, with President Gianni Infantino arguing that a larger competition would give more nations across the globe the opportunity to compete on football’s biggest stage.
Speaking to Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport and media outlet Bluewin, Infantino confirmed that the proposal will be discussed by FIFA’s relevant committees once the ongoing 2026 World Cup concludes.
“That’s definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup,” Infantino said.
The World Cup has already undergone its biggest expansion in history, increasing from 32 to 48 teams for the 2026 edition being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. However, FIFA is now considering adding another 16 teams ahead of the centenary edition of the tournament in 2030.
Infantino believes the success of the current competition has strengthened the case for further expansion.
“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,” he said.
“Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup. You can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high, and it’s getting higher and higher all over the world. If you don’t give smaller countries a chance to participate in the World Cup, they’ll lack the incentive to keep improving.”
Success of the 48-team format
The FIFA president described the 48-team competition as a “huge success”, pointing to the improved competitiveness displayed by nations from every confederation.
According to Infantino, teams from every continent managed to score goals and earn at least one point during the tournament, while African nations, in particular, exceeded expectations.
Nine of Africa’s 10 representatives progressed to the knockout rounds, the highest advancement rate among FIFA’s continental confederations. South America recorded the second-best success rate, while Europe and Asia also produced several knockout qualifiers.
The expanded allocation marked a significant increase from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Africa had just five representatives. For the 2026 tournament, Africa received nine direct qualification places, with the Democratic Republic of Congo securing the continent’s 10th spot through the qualification play-offs.
“Nine out of 10 African teams reached the knockout stage,” Infantino noted. “That just goes to show how important it is to include all teams, to give them this opportunity to participate.”
While Africa impressed during the group phase, only Morocco advanced beyond the Round of 32 to reach the quarter-finals. Egypt narrowly missed a place in the last eight after surrendering a two-goal lead against defending champions Argentina, while Senegal also let a commanding advantage slip in their defeat to Belgium.
2030 tournament could become even bigger
The 2030 FIFA World Cup will already be historic as the first tournament staged across three continents.
Opening matches are scheduled to take place in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to commemorate the centenary of the inaugural World Cup, which was hosted by Uruguay in 1930. The remainder of the tournament will be played across Morocco, Portugal and Spain.
Should FIFA approve a 64-team format, the South American hosts could stage full group-stage matches instead of hosting just one ceremonial opening fixture each.
The proposal was initially championed by Uruguayan football official Ignacio Alonso and later received strong backing from CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez, who described a larger tournament as his dream and said it would help unite the football world.
Opportunities and challenges
Supporters of the proposal believe expanding to 64 teams would significantly increase opportunities for emerging football nations, particularly in Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Caribbean, allowing more countries to experience the World Cup while accelerating the sport’s development globally.
A 64-team tournament would also simplify the group-stage format by creating 16 groups of four teams, with the top two nations from each group advancing directly to the Round of 32.
By comparison, the current 48-team format features 12 groups, with the top two teams and the eight best third-placed finishers progressing. Critics argued that teams playing later group matches enjoyed an advantage by already knowing the results required to advance.
Financially, a larger World Cup would likely generate increased revenue through additional matches, broadcasting rights, sponsorships and ticket sales.
However, expanding the tournament would also present major logistical challenges.
A competition featuring 64 nations would require more stadiums, training facilities and accommodation, potentially limiting the number of countries capable of hosting the event independently. It would also lengthen an already congested international football calendar, increasing concerns about player fatigue, injuries and disruption to domestic club competitions.
Critics remain unconvinced
Despite FIFA’s enthusiasm, the proposal has faced resistance from several influential figures within world football.
UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin has labelled the idea “a bad idea,” warning that further expansion could reduce the prestige of the World Cup and dilute the quality of competition.
CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani has also expressed reservations, while Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz argued that continually increasing the size of the tournament risks making football’s premier event “vulgar and ordinary”.
FIFA is expected to begin formal discussions on the future of the tournament immediately after the competition concludes. If approved, the 2030 World Cup would become the largest in football history, featuring 64 teams and further transforming the sport’s flagship event as FIFA continues its push to make the game more globally inclusive.
