Barely after staging the 2026 FIFA World Cup under its new 48-team format, FIFA is already considering another major change. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that the possibility of expanding the tournament to 64 teams will be examined after the competition.
In an interview with Swiss outlet Bluewin, Infantino said the proposal would be discussed by FIFA’s governing bodies once the tournament concludes. According to him, the objective is to make the World Cup even more representative of global football.
Infantino believes that increasing the number of participating teams would give more emerging football nations the opportunity to compete in the world’s most prestigious international tournament. He argues that such an expansion would help accelerate the development of the sport in countries that rarely qualify for the World Cup.
The FIFA president also pointed to the 2026 edition as a success. He highlighted the performances of several national teams from continents that have traditionally been underrepresented, saying the 48-team format had demonstrated the growing competitiveness of world football.
The proposal, however, has already raised a number of concerns. Expanding the tournament to 64 teams would require a significantly longer competition, a restructuring of the international calendar, and an increase in the number of matches, reigniting the debate over sporting integrity and the growing workload placed on players.
Although no decision has been made, FIFA is expected to begin formal discussions in the coming months to assess the feasibility of another major reform of its flagship tournament.
