Infantino: We will consider the idea of increasing the number of World Cup teams to 64

FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed that he can envision another expansion of the number of teams participating in the men’s World Cup to 64, noting that the idea should certainly be considered after the conclusion of the current edition of the tournament. The 2026 edition will increase the number of participating teams from 32 to 48, but the mathematical calculations for this format have resulted in eight third-placed teams from the group stage advancing to the new round of 32. A move to a 64-team format would not mean that each team would play more matches; rather, it would restore the concept of only the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stages. The Swiss website Blue Sport quoted the FIFA president as saying, “We must allow the whole world to dream of the World Cup, not just Europe and South America.” Describing the current expansion as a “great success,” he added, “You can see that the quality of teams is generally very high and is becoming more effective everywhere in the world.”