Infantino Says 64-Team World Cup Expansion Could Be Examined Before 2030

What happened:

Watch the highlights:

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has indicated that expanding the World Cup to 64 teams before the 2030 tournament could be examined and discussed. In comments reported by The Guardian from an interview with Swiss outlet Bluewin, Infantino said the question of further expansion is “definitely an issue” for the relevant committees after the current World Cup.

The important detail is status. This is not a confirmed format change. It is a public signal from FIFA’s president that the idea is live enough to enter formal discussion.

Why it matters:

The World Cup has already moved to a 48-team model, and Infantino described that tournament as a “huge success.” A jump to 64 would be another major structural change, adding 16 more teams beyond the expanded format. That would affect qualification pathways, tournament length, competitive balance, broadcast inventory, host logistics, and the basic scarcity that has traditionally made World Cup places so valuable.

Tournament impact:

A 64-team World Cup would likely widen access, especially for regions outside Europe and South America, which Infantino explicitly referenced when talking about organizing the tournament for the whole world. The political appeal is clear: more federations would have a realistic route to the finals, and more countries would be directly represented on the global stage.

The competitive tradeoff is the issue that will need scrutiny. More teams can mean more inclusion, but it can also create questions about format quality, mismatches, player workload, and whether the group stage remains sharp enough. None of those consequences are settled by the source, but they are the immediate pressure points any committee review would have to confront.

What to watch:

The next meaningful step is whether FIFA’s relevant committees formally take up the proposal after this World Cup, and whether any preferred format emerges. The 2030 event is close enough in planning terms that a change of this size would need serious operational answers quickly: host capacity, match calendar, qualification allocation, and tournament structure.

Confidence:

Confirmed by The Guardian’s report: Infantino said a 64-team expansion could be examined and discussed, and he framed the 48-team World Cup as a success. Not confirmed: that expansion will happen, that 2030 will use 64 teams, or what format FIFA would choose if it advanced the idea.