Could the World Cup Grow to 64 Teams in 2030?

What happened: Sky Sports reports that, with the 2026 World Cup now over after its first 48-team edition, discussion has already turned to whether the tournament could become even bigger. The specific idea in focus is a 64-team World Cup, linked in the source headline to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and whether such a format could work as soon as 2030.

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Why it matters: A move from 48 to 64 teams would not be a small adjustment. It would change the feel of the World Cup from a selective global finals into something closer to a mega-event with a much wider qualification net. For fans, that likely means more national teams involved, more matchdays to follow, and more countries with a direct stake in the tournament. For organisers, it means another step up in venues, travel planning, accommodation, scheduling, staffing, security, broadcast operations and recovery windows.

Tournament impact: The confirmed context is that 2026 was already long. Sky's description calls it a "long, long tournament", which is important because expansion debates are not only about fairness or revenue. They are also about attention span and competitive rhythm. A bigger field can create more inclusion, but it can also dilute the scarcity that makes World Cup matches feel urgent. The question for 2030 would be whether a 64-team structure adds meaningful global representation without turning the competition into a logistical slog.

Format pressure: The source does not confirm a final model, so the biggest unknown is how 64 teams would actually be arranged. Any workable version would need to decide how many groups, how many teams progress, and how to prevent dead games or uneven paths through the bracket. The tournament's credibility depends on more than the number of flags in the draw; it depends on whether the format is easy to understand and rewards performance in a way fans accept.

What to watch: The next signals would be whether FIFA moves the idea from public discussion into formal consultation, whether confederations support it, and whether potential 2030 hosts could credibly handle the extra load. The 2026 experience will likely be used as evidence on both sides: expansion advocates can point to global reach, while critics can point to tournament length and operational strain.

Confidence: Confirmed by the source is that 2026 used a 48-team World Cup format, that the tournament has just concluded, and that a 64-team version is being discussed as a possible future expansion with major logistical questions. Not confirmed in the supplied material are the final 2030 format, host requirements, voting timeline, or whether the proposal has enough support to become policy.