As the first 48-team World Cup nears its conclusion, Fifa president Gianni Infantino has already hinted at the possibility of further expanding the tournament to 64 teams. Having successfully pushed for the growth to 48 teams in 2017, Infantino has ruled this year’s edition a success, though he is likely to face resistance from figures such as Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin, who has described the suggestion as a “bad idea.” Such an expansion would mark a doubling of participating nations in just eight years, moving away from the 32-team norm that existed from 1998 until this year.
Implementing a 64-team format by the 2030 World Cup, which will be held across Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, would require major reform. For the 2026 tournament, the Confederation of African Football (Caf), the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and Concacaf saw their allotments effectively double, while Uefa received only a 23 percent increase, drawing criticism from European nations. Curacao was a notable beneficiary of the 48-team expansion, becoming the smallest ever nation to qualify. In a 64-team model, Europe’s allotment would likely rise to at least 20, though Infantino continues to emphasize inclusivity over European representation.
Qualifying formats would also require significant adjustments. For 2026, Concacaf moved from an “Octagonal” league to a multi-round group system, and the AFC expanded to five qualifying rounds to accommodate eight direct spots. Similar reforms, along with a rejig of Fifa’s play-off system, would be necessary again. The 48-team tournament required adding four more groups to the structure, as noted in Getty Images coverage of the event. A 64-team tournament could involve adding four more groups to the current 12, or potentially shifting to a league phase similar to Uefa’s continental competitions.
A 64-team format would likely see the removal of third-place qualifiers, returning to a system where only the top two teams from each group advance to a round of 32. Alternatively, Fifa could introduce more knockout rounds, similar to the knockout play-offs seen in the Champions League. While commercial and financial benefits often drive Fifa’s decisions, such an expansion currently appears unlikely. Infantino stated that Fifa will examine this growth after the World Cup, though he is currently dealing with backlash regarding the suspension of USA striker Folarin Balogun’s red-card ban following intervention from US president Donald Trump. With Infantino facing resignation calls and scrutiny, he may not remain in power long enough to see this vision through before the 2034 edition in Saudi Arabia.
Despite South American federation Conmebol officially proposing this expansion in April 2025, other leaders have been dismissive. AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa warned that further expansion would bring "chaos," and Concacaf chief Victor Montagliani feared it would damage "the broader football ecosystem." The final decision rests with the Fifa Council, but there are no signs these changes will happen soon. Other ongoing football developments include Spain defending their World Cup record, Matt Jackson expecting Wolves transfers to pick up as the tournament nears its end, and Paris deploying 7,000 officers and 2,000 firefighters for the 14 July and World Cup semi-final. Additionally, a referee has been named for the semi-final against England, France will wear their blue-white-red home kit against Spain, and there is ongoing speculation regarding where summer free agents will sign. In other news, the Premier League issued a statement regarding a penalty decision involving Tottenham’s James Maddison, and a mistake by goalkeeper Bento delayed Al-Nassr’s title win in the Saudi League.
Bento's howler delays CR7's first title in Saudi Arabia 😱
