FIFA President Gianni Infantino has revealed that football’s world governing body will examine the possibility of expanding the FIFA World Cup to 64 teams for the 2030 edition.
The proposal would add another 16 nations to the tournament following the introduction of the expanded 48-team format at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Speaking in an interview with Swiss media outlet Bluewin, Infantino confirmed that the possibility of further expansion could be formally discussed by the relevant FIFA committees once the current World Cup concludes.
“It is certainly an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup,” Infantino said.
The FIFA president stressed that the World Cup should provide opportunities for countries from every region of the globe rather than being dominated by the traditional powers of Europe and South America.
“When organising a World Cup, it is important that we do it for the whole world — not just Europe and South America, but truly for the entire world.
“Every country must be given the opportunity to dream of participating in the World Cup. You can see that the quality of teams today is very high and continues to improve around the world.
“If smaller countries are not given the opportunity to play at the World Cup, they will lose the motivation to continue improving.”
The World Cup featured 32 teams from 1998 until 2022 before expanding to 48 nations for the first time in 2026.
The enlarged tournament has produced a total of 104 matches across the United States, Mexico and Canada, with only Argentina, England, France and Spain remaining in contention for the title.
Infantino described the 48-team format as a major success, opening the door to discussions over another significant expansion.
Should the proposal eventually receive approval, the 2030 World Cup could become the largest edition in the competition’s history, featuring 64 national teams.
The 2030 tournament is already set to be a historic edition, marking the centenary of the first World Cup held in 1930. Any move to expand the competition to 64 teams would represent another major transformation of football’s biggest global tournament.
Credit Photo : FIFA
