FIFA to examine 64-team World Cup expansion before 2030 tournament

By Karan Malhotra — 12 July 2026 — 4 min read

Discussions on World Cup Expansion

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has indicated that the governing body will assess plans for a 64-team men’s World Cup following the conclusion of the 2026 tournament. This proposal, which would add 16 more nations to the competition, aims to make the event more inclusive globally. The current format for the 2026 finals, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, has already expanded to 48 teams from the previous 32-nation version that was in place from 1998 to 2022.

Infantino stated that the success of the expanded 48-team tournament suggests FIFA should explore the feasibility of a 64-team World Cup. He emphasised that the tournament should be for the entire world, not solely for Europe and South America, allowing every nation to aspire to participate. He highlighted that the quality of teams globally is consistently improving, and providing smaller countries with a chance to compete offers an incentive for continued development.

The FIFA council initially approved the expansion from 32 to 48 teams in 2017. A formal proposal to further increase the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams was submitted by the South American governing body, Conmebol, in April 2025. However, no definitive decision has been reached regarding this further expansion.

Rationale and Challenges of Expansion

Infantino described the first 48-team World Cup as a significant success, noting the advancement of nine out of 10 African teams to the knockout stages. He pointed out that the previous World Cup featured only five teams from Africa, underscoring the importance of broader inclusion.

The 2030 tournament is planned to be primarily co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. Additionally, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay are set to host the three opening matches to commemorate the centenary of the competition, as Uruguay hosted the inaugural World Cup in 1930. The expansion to 48 teams for the 2026 finals was discussed for the 2022 finals, but it was determined that Qatar could not independently host a tournament of that scale.

Expanding the World Cup presents challenges for host nations. The 2026 tournament will be spread across three countries over a vast area, and the 2030 edition will involve matches in six countries. A 64-team tournament would involve approximately 128 games, which raises questions about the logistical capacity of potential hosts, such as Saudi Arabia for the 2034 World Cup.

Despite the logistical hurdles, a larger World Cup could offer more countries the opportunity to participate, with nearly a third of the 211 FIFA-affiliated countries potentially qualifying for a 64-team tournament. Such an expansion could also lead to increased revenue distributed among member associations.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino sitting beside the World Cup trophy at a press conference Credit: nytimes.com

Differing Views on the Proposal

The idea of a 64-team tournament has met with mixed reactions from football officials. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has expressed opposition, labelling the 64-team proposal as a "bad idea" that could negatively impact both the tournament itself and the qualification process. Similarly, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa warned that further expansion might lead to "chaos."

Victor Montagliani, president of Concacaf, the governing body for football in North and Central America, and the Caribbean, also voiced concerns, suggesting that the expansion "doesn’t feel right" and could harm the broader football ecosystem. Conversely, Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House’s World Cup task force, indicated that the United States might consider bidding to host the 2038 World Cup and would be capable of managing an expanded 64-team format.

The concept of expanding the World Cup was part of Infantino’s manifesto when he was first elected in 2016, initially proposing an increase from 32 to 40 teams. This was later revised to 48 teams and approved by the FIFA council, effective from the 2026 finals. FIFA’s official stance is to discuss expansion ideas with stakeholders and consider all proposals from council members, with the ultimate decision resting with the FIFA council.

The 2030 tournament is set to be co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, with centenary celebration matches in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.