Fresh off the quarter-final stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has hinted that the tournament could grow even larger, confirming that the possibility of expanding it to 64 teams will be considered ahead of the 2030 edition.
Speaking to Swiss outlet Bluewin, Infantino defended FIFA's push for expansion, describing the current 48-team format being used in North America as a "100 per cent success."
His comments came after the semi-finalists were confirmed—England, Spain, France, and Argentina. Despite the larger field aimed at improving global representation, the last four once again feature only traditional European and South American football powers.
Even so, Infantino believes the future lies in giving more nations a chance to compete.
"A 64-team World Cup is certainly something that will be reviewed and discussed by the relevant committees after this tournament," he said.
Reiterating FIFA's long-standing vision, Infantino stressed that the World Cup should represent the entire footballing world rather than remain dominated by Europe and South America.
"The World Cup belongs to the whole world, not only Europe and South America," he said.
"Every country should have the opportunity to dream of qualifying for the World Cup.
"The standard of football around the world continues to improve, and the quality of teams is getting better every year."
When FIFA announced the expansion to 48 teams for the ongoing World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the move was met with criticism. Opponents warned it could dilute the competition, create logistical challenges and further burden players with an already packed football calendar.
How a 64-team World Cup could work
Despite those concerns, Infantino believes expanding the tournament helps strengthen football globally by giving smaller nations greater opportunities.
"If smaller countries are never given the chance to play at the World Cup, they won't have the motivation to continue improving," he said.
If approved, the 64-team format would transform the 2030 World Cup, which will be hosted mainly by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with opening matches also taking place in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to celebrate the tournament's centenary.
The current 48-team tournament features 12 groups of four teams, with the top two sides from each group and the eight best third-placed teams advancing to the Round of 32.
A 64-team format would likely consist of 16 groups of four teams, with the top two from each group progressing directly to the knockout stage. This would eliminate the need to compare third-placed teams across groups.
However, the expansion would increase the total number of matches to 128, likely reigniting concerns from UEFA, domestic leagues and player unions over fixture congestion and player welfare.
For now, FIFA remains focused on completing the 2026 World Cup, but discussions over a further expansion have officially been set in motion.
