FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed that the organization will carefully study the possibility of expanding the 2030 FIFA World Cup from 48 to 64 teams.
The idea comes after the successful expansion of the 2026 World Cup to 48 teams, a format that brought more nations into the tournament and increased global participation.
Infantino’s comments suggest that FIFA is considering another major step toward making the World Cup even more inclusive in future editions. It would be a historic decision.
Is a 64-team World Cup possible?
Yes. Speaking to Blue Sport, Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, emphasized the importance of giving more nations the opportunity to dream about qualifying for the World Cup.
“That’s definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup. When organizing a World Cup, it’s important to organize it for the whole world, not just Europe and South America, but effectively the entire world. 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.”
Where will the 2030 World Cup be held?
The 2030 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. In addition, special opening matches will be played in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay to commemorate the centenary of the first World Cup, which was held in Uruguay in 1930.
Why is FIFA considering expanding World Cup to 64 teams?
One of the main reasons for considering a 64-team tournament is to simplify the competition format and avoid some of the criticisms directed at the 2026 edition in North America.
The 2026 World Cup introduced a 48-team format that required selecting the eight best third-place teams to complete the Round of 32. Critics argued that this system allowed many teams to know results early while teams playing earlier had a disadvantage. With 64 teams, FIFA could organize the tournament into 16 groups of four teams, with the top two teams from each group advancing directly to the Round of 32.
2030 World Cup: How would the 64-team format work?
Under the proposed 64-team format, the 2030 World Cup would likely consist of 16 groups of four teams. Each team would play three group-stage matches, and the top two teams from each group would advance to the knockout stage.
This structure would eliminate the need for ranking third-place teams and create a more straightforward path to the Round of 32. The format would also significantly increase the number of participating nations, giving more countries the chance to compete on soccer’s biggest stage.
For now, FIFA has not made a final decision, but Gianni Infantino’s comments confirm that the possibility of a 64-team World Cup is being seriously considered.
