FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed that football’s governing body will review proposals to further expand the World Cup to 64 teams ahead of the 2030 tournament, following the conclusion of the ongoing competition in North America.
The 2026 edition, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, is the first World Cup to feature 48 nations after FIFA increased the number of participants from the traditional 32-team format that had been in place since 1998. Despite concerns raised before the tournament, Infantino believes the expansion has proven successful.
Speaking to Swiss outlet Bluewin, the FIFA president said discussions on a possible 64-team competition would begin after the current tournament ends.
According to him, the proposal will be considered by FIFA’s relevant committees, adding that the World Cup should serve as a global platform rather than one dominated by traditional football powers in Europe and South America.
Infantino argued that broadening access to the tournament would encourage football development in smaller nations by giving them a realistic opportunity to compete on the sport’s biggest stage.
“Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup,” he said, noting that the overall standard of football continues to improve across different regions of the world. He warned that countries excluded from the competition could lose motivation to invest in their football programmes.
The proposal for another expansion first emerged during a FIFA Council meeting in March 2025, when Uruguayan football official Ignacio Alonso suggested increasing the tournament to 64 teams. The idea later received public backing from CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez, who described a larger World Cup as his “dream” and said it would bring nations together.
Supporters of the proposal have pointed to the unique structure of the 2030 World Cup, which will be held across six countries and three continents. Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay are scheduled to host one opening match each, while Morocco, Portugal and Spain will stage the remainder of the tournament.
Advocates believe expanding the competition would allow the South American hosts to stage entire groups rather than ceremonial opening fixtures.
However, the plan has attracted criticism from several influential football administrators. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has previously described the idea as a “bad idea”, arguing that it could weaken both the quality of the World Cup and the competitiveness of European qualifying campaigns. CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani has also voiced reservations.
Infantino, meanwhile, insisted that the 48-team format introduced in 2026 has been “100 per cent a success”, despite criticism from some quarters that the expansion diluted the prestige of qualification.
The FIFA president also revealed that he has remained in contact with U.S. President Donald Trump during the tournament and said the American leader is expected to present the trophy to the winners after the final.
