Plans for 64-Team World Cup Under Consideration

By Sanjay Menon — 13 July 2026 — 4 min read

Plans for a 64-team World Cup are set for evaluation following the 2026 tournament, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino stating that the event should be for the entire world. The idea of an expanded tournament was initially proposed last year, and Infantino suggests that the success of the current 48-team tournament indicates FIFA should explore how a 64-team format could operate.

Infantino communicated to Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport that these matters would be examined after the upcoming World Cup. He emphasised the importance of organising the World Cup for a global audience, not solely for Europe and South America, to allow every nation to aspire to participate. He highlighted the increasing quality of teams worldwide, noting that denying smaller countries a chance to participate could diminish their motivation for improvement.

The FIFA President described the first 48-team World Cup as a significant success, pointing to the advancement of nine out of ten African teams into the knockout stages. He mentioned that only five African teams participated in the previous World Cup, underscoring the importance of including all teams and providing them with the opportunity to take part.

Expansion Proposals and Challenges

The FIFA council sanctioned the expansion of the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams in 2017, with this change taking effect from the 2026 finals. An official proposal to increase the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams was put forward by the South American governing body Conmebol in April 2025, though no decision has been made yet.

The 2030 edition of the tournament is primarily set to be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. Additionally, the initial three matches are scheduled to be hosted by Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, commemorating the centenary of the competition, which Uruguay first hosted in 1930.

However, the prospect of a 64-team World Cup has met with opposition. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has dismissed the proposal, calling it a “bad idea” for both the tournament and its qualifying process. Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa echoed this sentiment, suggesting further expansion would lead to “chaos.”

Similarly, Victor Montagliani, president of Concacaf, expressed that the suggestion “doesn’t feel right” and believes such an expansion could harm the broader football ecosystem. Despite these concerns, Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House’s World Cup task force, indicated that the United States might consider bidding to host the 2038 World Cup and would be capable of managing a 64-team format.

FIFA’s official stance is to discuss expansion ideas with stakeholders and consider all proposals from council members. The ultimate decision rests with the FIFA council, but there are no indications that an imminent change is expected.

Impact on Hosting and Revenue

The expansion of the World Cup presents significant challenges for host nations. When Infantino was first elected in 2016, his manifesto included increasing the tournament size from 32 to 40 teams. This quickly escalated to 48 teams and was approved by the FIFA council for the 2026 finals.

Discussions to expand to 48 teams for the 2022 finals were held, but it was determined that Qatar could not independently host a tournament of that scale. The increasing size of the World Cup makes hosting more complex. The 2026 tournament will be held across three countries, and the 2030 edition will involve six nations.

A larger World Cup is seen as beneficial for Infantino in two key ways. Firstly, it offers more countries the chance to participate. A 64-team World Cup would see nearly a third of the 211 FIFA-affiliated countries qualify. Secondly, a larger tournament generates more revenue, which can then be distributed among member associations.

The idea of a 64-team tournament was first formally proposed by Uruguayan football official Ignacio Alonso at a FIFA Council meeting in March 2025. Later, in November 2025, Alejandro Dominguez, president of Conmebol and a FIFA vice-president, described a 64-team tournament in 2030 as his “dream,” believing it would “unite the world, just once.”

Hosting matches in the 2030 tournament would prevent South America from hosting duties until at least 2042, as FIFA’s rules stipulate that a continent can only host the World Cup once every three editions. This would mean South America would be a primary host for only one World Cup in a 64-year period, the 2014 tournament in Brazil.

An expanded tournament could allow Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay to host an entire group each, rather than just a single match. A 64-team tournament would involve more than a quarter of FIFA’s 210 men’s international sides, potentially making many regional qualification processes less significant. For instance, six of the ten Conmebol nations already automatically qualify for a 48-team finals, with an additional play-off spot available.

Source: bbc.com