FIFA could consider expanding the World Cup to 64 teams, says president Gianni Infantino

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said the governing body could consider expanding the FIFA World Cup from 48 to 64 participating teams in the future, arguing that the tournament should provide opportunities for countries from every region of the world rather than being dominated by only a few footballing powers.

Infantino said the proposal for a 64-team FIFA World Cup could eventually be reviewed by FIFA’s relevant committees as part of ongoing discussions about the future development of the sport.

While no formal decision has been made, Infantino indicated that FIFA remains open to exploring ways to make the world’s biggest football tournament more inclusive and accessible to a greater number of national teams.

“The World Cup is not only for Europe and South America,” Infantino said. “It belongs to the entire world, and every country should have the opportunity to dream of qualifying for the tournament.”

He stressed that expanding participation would encourage football development across all continents and provide emerging football nations with greater motivation to invest in their national teams, youth academies, and sporting infrastructure.

According to Infantino, the overall standard of football has improved significantly around the world in recent years. He said many countries that were once considered outsiders have made remarkable progress, narrowing the gap with traditional football powers through better coaching, player development, and increased international competition.

He argued that limiting World Cup participation to a small number of countries could discourage developing football nations from continuing their progress. Giving more teams the chance to compete on the global stage, he said, would strengthen the sport internationally and inspire future generations of players.

Infantino also praised the decision to expand the 2026 FIFA World Cup from 32 to 48 teams, describing the format as a complete success. The 2026 tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will be the first World Cup to feature 48 national teams.

According to the FIFA president, the expanded tournament has already demonstrated the benefits of broader participation, with teams from every confederation showcasing improved quality and competitiveness. He said allowing more countries to qualify has helped promote football on a truly global scale while giving fans from more nations the opportunity to experience the excitement of the World Cup.

The idea of increasing the tournament to 64 teams would represent another major transformation in the history of the competition. Supporters of expansion argue that it would provide more opportunities for developing football nations and further increase the global popularity of the sport.

However, any proposal would also require careful consideration of issues such as tournament scheduling, player workload, travel logistics, broadcasting commitments, and the overall length of the competition. FIFA’s committees would be responsible for studying these factors before any formal recommendation could be made.

For now, FIFA remains focused on delivering the first-ever 48-team World Cup in 2026. Nevertheless, Infantino’s comments suggest that the organization is continuing to explore long-term options for making football’s premier international tournament even more inclusive.

If approved in the future, a 64-team World Cup would mark the largest expansion in the tournament’s history, reflecting FIFA’s broader goal of growing the game worldwide and ensuring that more countries have the opportunity to compete on football’s biggest stage.