FIFA President Gianni Infantino has opened the door to a potential expansion of the men's World Cup to 64 teams, stating that the proposal will be examined in detail following the 2026 tournament. Infantino argued that football needs to be "for the whole world," suggesting that expanding the tournament would give smaller nations a chance to dream and an incentive to improve. He pointed to the success of the current 48-team format, noting that nine out of ten African teams advanced to the knockout stages, compared to only five teams from Africa at the previous World Cup. The proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams was officially put forward by South American governing body CONMEBOL in April 2025, but no decision has been reached. The idea has faced significant opposition, with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin calling it a "bad idea" and Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa warning it would bring "chaos." Victor Montagliani of CONCACAF also said the suggestion "doesn't feel right" and would damage the broader football ecosystem. However, Andrew Giuliani of the White House's World Cup task force suggested the United States could consider a bid to host the 2038 World Cup and could "handle it" if expanded to 64 teams. FIFA's official position is that it will discuss expansion ideas with stakeholders, and the FIFA Council would make the ultimate decision, though no imminent decision is expected.
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