FIFA to consider expanding World Cup to 64 teams from 2030

FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, has confirmed that world football’s governing body will examine a proposal to expand the FIFA World Cup to 64 teams from the 2030 edition, a move that could increase Africa’s representation at the tournament.

Speaking to Swiss media outlet Bluewin, Infantino said FIFA’s relevant committees would discuss the proposal after the conclusion of the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“It is definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup,” Infantino said.

If approved, the proposal would add 16 more teams to the tournament after the World Cup expanded from 32 to 48 teams for the 2026 edition, which is being jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

More opportunities for emerging nations

Infantino said expanding the competition is consistent with FIFA’s objective of making the World Cup more inclusive and allowing more countries to compete on football’s biggest stage.

“The World Cup is for the whole world, not just Europe and South America,” he said.

“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.”

A 64-team tournament would likely lead to more qualification places for each continental confederation.

For Africa, which currently has 10 qualification slots under the 48-team format, the expansion could result in additional places at future World Cups.

Infantino also defended the expansion to 48 teams, describing the format as “100 per cent a success” despite criticism from some coaches and football administrators.

Proposal gains support and opposition

The idea of expanding the World Cup to 64 teams was first proposed by Uruguayan football official Ignacio Alonso during a FIFA Council meeting in March 2025.

It later received public backing from CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez, who said a larger tournament in 2030 would “unite the world, just once.”

The 2030 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be staged across six countries on three continents. Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each host opening matches, while Morocco, Portugal and Spain will stage the remainder of the tournament.

Supporters argue that a larger competition would enable the South American hosts to stage full groups rather than only opening fixtures.

However, the proposal has also attracted criticism.

UEFA president, Aleksander Ceferin, has described the idea as a “bad idea,” arguing that it could weaken both the World Cup and the European qualifying competition.

CONCACAF president, Victor Montagliani, has also voiced reservations, saying further expansion is “not a great idea.”

If approved, the 64-team format would allow more than a quarter of FIFA’s 210 member associations to compete at the World Cup, making it the largest expansion in the tournament’s history.

Infantino also revealed that he has remained in regular contact with U.S. President Donald Trump throughout the 2026 World Cup and said Trump is expected to present the trophy to the winners after the final, as previously announced.