FIFA president Gianni Infantino has thrown his weight behind plans to expand the World Cup to 64 teams, arguing that football's showpiece event must embrace every nation and give smaller countries a genuine shot at competing globally.
Infantino made the remarks after the 48-team format delivered what he called "a huge success" at the most recent tournament. He told Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport that FIFA would seriously examine proposals to push the participating nations even higher.
"That's definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup," Infantino said when asked about a potential jump to 64 teams.
The FIFA chief stressed that organising the tournament means thinking beyond Europe and South America. "Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup," he said.
Infantino pointed to rising football standards across the globe as a reason to expand further. "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," he noted.
The 48-team format proved particularly beneficial for African nations. Nine of Africa's 10 representatives reached the knockout rounds, a stark improvement from just five African teams at the previous edition.
"At the last World Cup, there were only five teams from Africa," Infantino said. "That just goes to show how important it is to include all teams and give them this opportunity to participate."
FIFA approved the expansion from 32 to 48 teams in 2017, and the new structure debuts at the 2026 World Cup. The South American confederation CONMEBOL formally submitted the 64-team proposal in April 2025 as part of plans for the centenary 2030 tournament.
Spain, Portugal and Morocco will co-host the 2030 edition, with Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay staging opening matches to honour the inaugural World Cup held in Uruguay in 1930. Infantino said FIFA has a duty to consider proposals from member associations before making any recommendation to the FIFA Council.
However, the expansion plan faces fierce resistance from influential football figures. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin branded a 64-team World Cup "a bad idea" for both the tournament and qualification process.
Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa warned that further expansion could trigger "chaos". Concacaf president Victor Montagliani said enlarging the competition again "doesn't feel right" and risked harming the broader football ecosystem.
Despite the backlash, Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House's World Cup Task Force, said the United States could handle hosting a 64-team tournament if it bids for the 2038 edition. No final decision on expansion has been made by FIFA.
