Infantino: We will discuss increasing the number of teams in the World Cup to 64

FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed that FIFA will consider a proposal to increase the number of teams participating in the World Cup to 64, starting with the 2030 edition, following the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup, according to The Athletic.

The international governing body had already expanded the tournament from 32 to 48 teams for the 2026 edition, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The 2030 edition will be held across six countries and three continents. Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay will each host one match for the tournament’s opening ceremony, while Morocco, Spain, and Portugal will host the remaining matches.

Infantino clarified that specialized FIFA committees will discuss the proposal after the current tournament concludes, emphasizing that the World Cup “belongs to the entire world, not just Europe and South America.”

He stated, “Every country should have the opportunity to dream of participating in the World Cup. The level of national teams is continuously rising around the world, and if smaller nations are not given the chance to participate, they will lose the motivation to continue developing.”

Infantino described the increase to 48 teams for the 2026 edition as a “100 percent success,” despite the criticism the idea faced.

The proposal was first raised during a FIFA Council meeting in March 2025 by Uruguayan official Ignacio Alonso, before being endorsed by Alejandro Dominguez, President of CONMEBOL (South American Football Confederation). Dominguez described hosting a 64-team World Cup in 2030 as a “dream,” viewing the edition as an opportunity to “unite the world, if only for once.”

Supporters of the expansion argue that hosting only three matches in South America for the 2030 edition would deprive the continent of hosting the entire tournament until at least 2042, due to FIFA’s rotation hosting regulations. This makes the expansion an opportunity to allow Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay to host full groups rather than just one match each.

Conversely, the project faces widespread opposition. A 64-team tournament would involve more than a quarter of FIFA’s member national associations, potentially diminishing the value of continental qualifiers.

UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) is among the most prominent opponents. Its president, Aleksander Čeferin, described the idea as “bad,” warning that it would harm the tournament itself and European qualifiers. Victor Montagliani, President of CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football), adopted the same stance, asserting that expanding the tournament again is “not a good idea.”