FIFA Weighs Expanding 2030 World Cup to 64 Teams After 2026 Tournament

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that world football's governing body will formally examine a proposal to expand the 2030 FIFA World Cup to 64 teams once the ongoing 2026 tournament concludes.

If approved, the move would mark another historic expansion of football's biggest competition, just one edition after the tournament increased from 32 to 48 participating nations.

Speaking to Swiss media outlet Bluewin, Infantino said the proposal would be referred to FIFA's relevant decision-making committees for consideration.

"It is definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup," Infantino said.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, is the first edition to feature 48 teams, ending the 32-team format that had been in place since France hosted the tournament in 1998.

Despite concerns raised before the competition began, Infantino described the expanded format as a complete success.

"The expansion has been 100 percent a success," he said.

The FIFA president argued that the World Cup should remain a genuinely global tournament that provides opportunities for emerging football nations rather than remaining dominated by traditional powers.

"The World Cup is for the whole world, not just Europe and South America," 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."

The idea of expanding the tournament to 64 teams first emerged during a FIFA Council meeting in March 2025 when Uruguayan football official Ignacio Alonso proposed the concept.

Later that year, CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez publicly endorsed the proposal, describing it as his "dream" and saying a larger tournament would "unite the world, just once."

Supporters believe a 64-team competition would provide broader representation for developing football nations while allowing more host countries to stage meaningful portions of the tournament.

The 2030 World Cup will already be unique in football history, with matches spread across six countries on three continents.

Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each host one opening match to commemorate the centenary of the inaugural FIFA World Cup in Uruguay in 1930, while Morocco, Portugal and Spain will stage the remainder of the tournament.

Advocates of the expansion argue that increasing the field to 64 teams could enable the three South American hosts to stage complete group-phase matches rather than only the opening fixtures allocated under the current format.

The proposal has, however, drawn opposition from several influential football administrators.

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has previously described the idea as "a bad idea," warning that another expansion could dilute the quality of the World Cup and weaken the competitiveness of European qualifying tournaments.

CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani has also voiced reservations, saying he does not believe increasing the competition to 64 teams would benefit international football.

Earlier during the ongoing World Cup, Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz also questioned the impact of the expanded 48-team format, arguing that enlarging the tournament risks diminishing the value and prestige of qualification.

Infantino also disclosed that he has maintained regular contact with U.S. President Donald Trump throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

According to the FIFA president, Trump has closely followed the tournament and is expected to present the trophy to the winners after the final, as previously announced.

Any decision to expand the World Cup to 64 teams would require approval through FIFA's governance processes and would represent the biggest structural change in the tournament's history.