FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirms FIFA will discuss 64-team World Cup proposal

ZURICH: FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that world football’s governing body will discuss the possibility of expanding the men’s FIFA World Cup to 64 teams after the 2026 edition, saying every nation should have the opportunity to dream of competing on football’s biggest stage, according to ESPN.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and saw a major expansion as it becomes the first edition to feature 48 teams, up from the previous 32-team format.

Infantino said FIFA will hold discussions on a further expansion to 64 teams following the conclusion of the 2026 tournament. “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, as quoted by ESPN.

“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,” the FIFA President added.

| BREAKING: FIFA President Gianni Infantino revealed that the organization is considering expanding the 2030 World Cup to a 64-team format, adding 16 more countries.

The 2030 tournament is already set to span three continents and six countries; Uruguay, Argentina, and… pic.twitter.com/LNVB3sZkXH

— Goals Side (@goalsside) July 12, 2026

According to ESPN, 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.

“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,” he added.

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.

Meanwhile, the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal line-up has been confirmed, with England and Argentina overcoming tough quarterfinal tests to join France and Spain in the last four of the tournament.

The winner of the France-Spain semifinal will face either England or Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, scheduled to kick off at 12:30 AM IST on July 20. The two losing semi-finalists will contest the third-place playoff. (ANI)