FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed the governing body will assess proposals to expand the men’s World Cup to 64 teams after the conclusion of the 2026 tournament.
The proposal, first raised last year, follows the introduction of the 48-team format at the current World Cup. Infantino said FIFA would examine whether a further expansion could increase global participation in the competition.
Infantino backs wider participation
Speaking to Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport, Infantino said FIFA’s priority is to ensure countries from every region have a realistic opportunity to qualify for the tournament.
“These are all issues that we will be examining after the World Cup.”
He added: “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.
“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.”
Infantino also described the first 48-team World Cup as a success, pointing to the performances of African nations.
“At the last World Cup, there were only five teams from Africa. That just goes to show how important it is to include all teams – to give them this opportunity to participate.”
Expansion proposal divides football leaders
FIFA approved the expansion from 32 to 48 teams in 2017, with the current edition being the first to feature the new format.
A formal proposal to increase the tournament to 64 teams for the 2030 World Cup was submitted by South American football body CONMEBOL in April 2025. However, FIFA has yet to make a decision.
The idea has faced opposition from several football administrators. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has 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 has also questioned the proposal, saying it “doesn’t feel right” and could harm the wider football ecosystem.
Although FIFA has confirmed the proposal will be discussed with stakeholders after the 2026 World Cup, no timeline has been set for a final decision.