FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that football's governing body will examine a proposal to expand the FIFA World Cup to 64 teams for the 2030 tournament, just as the 48-team format makes its debut at the ongoing 2026 edition.
Speaking ahead of the final stages of the tournament, Infantino described the expanded 48-team competition as a success and said FIFA would carefully assess whether adding another 16 teams would further strengthen the global game. He argued that greater participation allows more countries to dream of qualifying and helps accelerate football development across every continent.
The proposal, first championed by South America's football confederation, would increase the tournament to 128 matches and significantly broaden the number of participating nations. Supporters believe it would make the World Cup more inclusive, while critics warn that further expansion could dilute the quality of competition and place additional strain on players and the football calendar.
The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, with centenary opening matches scheduled in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. FIFA says any decision on expanding the tournament will only be taken after a full review of the 2026 competition.
