FIFA President Gianni Infantino Hints at 64-Team World Cup Expansion

The 2026 FIFA World Cup featured a record 48 teams, a significant increase from the traditional 32. Yet, the tournament's expansion might not stop there. FIFA President Gianni Infantino recently suggested that the organization is exploring the idea of expanding the World Cup to 64 teams in future editions.

Discussion on Future Growth

Speaking with Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport, Infantino acknowledged the possibility of further enlargement after this year's competition concludes. He emphasized the importance of making the World Cup a truly global event where every nation has a chance to participate and dream of playing on the world stage.

"This is certainly an issue that will be looked at and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup," Infantino told ESPN. "The quality of teams is rising globally, and smaller countries need opportunities to continue improving."

Support From South America

Earlier in 2025, South America's governing body CONMEBOL proposed a 64-team format for the 2030 World Cup, which would mark the tournament's 100th anniversary. CONMEBOL President Alejandro Domínguez described the move as a call for unity and bold ambition, highlighting that football’s celebration should be worldwide.

Potential Format and Impact

Moving to 64 teams would nearly double the number of matches compared to the old 32-team layout. Specifically, a 64-team World Cup would feature 128 matches, while the previous 32-team tournaments from 1998 to 2022 had 64 matches each. The current 48-team tournament schedules 104 matches.

This expansion could simplify qualification for knockout rounds. Currently, some third-place teams advance using tiebreakers, which can be complicated. A 64-team format would likely eliminate third-place qualifiers, creating a cleaner progression system.