The FIFA World Cup could be on the verge of another dramatic transformation. Just months after the tournament expanded to 48 teams for the first time in history, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has revealed that football’s governing body is already considering an even bigger leap—increasing the competition to 64 nations for the 2030 edition. The proposal, if approved, would mark the largest expansion in World Cup history and further open the door for smaller footballing nations to compete on the sport’s grandest stage. Infantino believes the success of the ongoing 2026 tournament has shown that more teams can thrive at the highest level, potentially paving the way for another historic change ahead of the centenary World Cup in 2030.
“That’s definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup,” he told Bluewin.
“When organizing a World Cup, it’s important to organize it for the whole world — not just Europe and South America — but effectively the entire world. Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup. You can see that 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.”
The World Cup field was 32 teams from 1998 through 2022. The current 2026 edition is the first with 48 teams.
Four teams — Argentina, England, France and Spain — remain in the tournament. Two semifinal matches and the finals are all that remain from the initial 104-match schedule that saw action in Canada, Mexico and across the United States.
Infantino Calls 48-Team World Cup a Huge Success
Infantino said he considers the 48-team field to be a “huge success.”
“Every team played at a high level. Teams from every continent scored goals and earned at least one point,” he said. “Nine out of 10 African teams reached the knockout stage. At the last World Cup, there were only five teams from Africa. That just goes to show how important it is to include all teams — to give them this opportunity to participate.”
What Would a 64-Team World Cup Mean for 2030?
The first three matches are scheduled to be played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay — one per country — with the remaining games staged in Morocco, Portugal and Spain. Expansion to 64 teams could mean that the South American nations each could host one four-team group, rather than one match.
(With Inputs From Reuters)
