FIFA WC: 'Every nation should be allowed to dream', Infantino open to 64-team World Cup in 2030
New York, July 12
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said the possibility of expanding the men's World Cup to 64 teams for the 2030 edition will be formally considered after the ongoing 2026 tournament, opening the door to another major increase in the size of football's biggest competition.
The 2026 World Cup, being staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico, is the first to feature 48 teams, up from the 32-team format used in every edition from 1998 to 2022.
Under the current format, the 48 teams are divided into 12 groups of four. The top two sides from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, advance to the newly introduced round of 32, beginning the knockout phase. A total of 104 matches are scheduled across the tournament.
With the expanded format already in operation, Infantino confirmed that FIFA will consider whether the competition should grow further when the World Cup celebrates its centenary in 2030.
"It (a 64-team tournament) is definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup," Infantino said in an interview with Swiss media outlet Bluewin, as quoted by The Athletic.
"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," he added.
The 56-year-old also gave a strong endorsement to the move from 32 to 48 teams, describing the expanded tournament as "100 per cent a success".
Any move to 64 teams would represent another significant change to the World Cup structure and could lead to a further increase in the number of matches, participating nations and logistical demands on the hosts.
The 2030 World Cup is already set to be unique in the tournament's history, with matches taking place across six countries and three continents. Uruguay, which hosted the inaugural World Cup in 1930, will stage a centenary celebration match, while Argentina and Paraguay will also host one match each. The rest of the competition will be held across Morocco, Portugal and Spain.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As a football fan from Canada, I'm excited but also worried. The 48-team expansion is already making the tournament feel a bit diluted. With 64 teams, we might see more one-sided matches. But I guess if it helps grow the sport in smaller countries, it's worth a try. Let's see how the 2026 World Cup goes first.
Interesting move by Infantino. But let's be honest - this is more about money than dreams. More teams = more matches = more broadcast revenue. I'm not complaining about more football, but I hope the quality doesn't suffer. The 2030 World Cup is already going to be confusing with matches across 6 countries. Adding 16 more teams might make it chaotic. Still, I'd love to see India qualify someday! 🇮🇳
I understand the sentiment about giving every nation a chance to dream, but this feels excessive. The World Cup is supposed to be about the best teams competing, not just participation. Having 64 teams out of 211 FIFA members means nearly 1 in 3 nations would be in the tournament. That's basically participation trophies for everyone. The 48-team format already feels bloated.
As an Indian football fan, this gives me hope. Our national team has been improving steadily, and a 64-team format could be our ticket to the World Cup. But we need to focus on grassroots development first. Hosting the U-17 World Cup in 2017 was a great start. Let's build from there. And kudos to Infantino for thinking about inclusivity! 🌟
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