Gianni Infantino confirmed that FIFA will discuss expanding the men's World Cup to 64 teams after the 2026 tournament, saying every nation should have the chance to dream of playing at football's biggest event.

The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico is the first to feature 48 teams, having expanded from 32, and a further increase could be in the cards.

"This is certainly an issue that will be looked at and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup," FIFA's president told Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport when asked about the possibility of a 64-team tournament. "When you organize a World Cup, it's important that you organize it for the whole world. It's not just Europe and South America, but the entire world, effectively. Every nation should be able to dream of taking part in the World Cup.

"We can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high, and it's getting higher and higher everywhere in the world. If you don't give smaller countries the chance to participate in the World Cup, they also lose the incentive to keep improving."

The prospect of a 64-team World Cup first emerged in March 2025, when South American confederation CONMEBOL proposed expanding the 2030 tournament, which will mark the competition's centenary.

In September, Infantino met with CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez, the presidents of the Argentine and Uruguayan football associations, and the presidents of Paraguay and Uruguay in New York to discuss the proposal.

At the time, Domínguez said, "We believe in a historic 2030 World Cup. We want to call for unity, creativity and believing big. Because when football is shared by everyone, the celebration is truly global."

In April 2025, Concacaf president Victor Montagliani told ESPN: "I don't believe expanding the men's World Cup to 64 teams is the right move for the tournament itself and the broader football ecosystem, from national teams to club competitions, leagues and players."

If approved, a 64-team World Cup would feature 128 matches, double the number played under the 32-team format used from 1998 to 2022. This year's tournament will feature 104 matches.

UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin has previously described the proposal as "a bad idea."

Source: ESPN

--Agencies