FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that football’s governing body will discuss the possibility of expanding the men’s FIFA World Cup to 64 teams after the conclusion of the 2026 tournament.
Speaking to Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport, Infantino said the proposal would be reviewed by FIFA’s relevant committees, stressing that every nation should have the opportunity to dream of qualifying for football’s biggest tournament.
He said the World Cup should represent the entire world, not just traditional football powers, adding that giving smaller nations a chance to compete would encourage the continued growth of the sport globally.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will already mark a major expansion from 32 to 48 teams. A further increase to 64 teams would raise the number of matches to 128, compared with 104 in 2026 and 64 under the previous 32-team format.
The proposal for a 64-team tournament was first put forward by CONMEBOL in 2025 as part of plans for the centenary 2030 FIFA World Cup.
However, the idea has drawn mixed reactions. Victor Montagliani has argued that a further expansion would not benefit the tournament or the wider football calendar, while Aleksander Čeferin has previously described the proposal as “a bad idea.”
