FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that football’s governing body is evaluating a proposal to increase the number of participating teams at the 2030 FIFA World Cup from 48 to 64.
The proposal, which was put forward by South American football officials, is currently under review as FIFA prepares for the centenary edition of the tournament. The 2030 World Cup is already set to be staged across six countries on three continents, making it one of the most unique editions in the competition’s history.
If approved, the expansion would allow nearly one-third of FIFA’s member associations to qualify for the tournament, surpassing the 48-team format that will make its debut at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Speaking in an interview with Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport, Infantino said FIFA would carefully assess the proposal after the current World Cup.
According to him, the objective is to ensure the competition reflects the global nature of football rather than serving only traditional football powerhouses.
He explained that FIFA wants the World Cup to provide opportunities for nations from every region of the world, saying broader participation would encourage the sport’s growth in emerging football countries.
Infantino, who championed the expansion from 32 to 48 teams, argued that international football has become increasingly competitive and that more countries now have the quality to compete on the biggest stage.
He noted that allowing additional nations to qualify would motivate developing football countries to invest further in the game and continue improving their standards.
The FIFA president also pointed to the performances of African teams under the expanded qualification system as evidence that increasing the number of participants can strengthen, rather than weaken, the tournament.
He said teams from every continent have shown they can compete effectively by earning points, scoring goals and producing high-quality performances. He added that the improved representation of African nations demonstrates the value of giving more countries access to the World Cup.
The FIFA World Cup has featured 32 teams since the 1998 edition, a format that remained in place through the 2022 tournament. The competition will expand to 48 teams for the first time in 2026, increasing the number of matches to 104.
Despite early concerns that a larger tournament could reduce the quality of competition, FIFA officials have described the expanded format as a success, citing strong attendance figures and impressive global television audiences.
Encouraged by those results, FIFA is now exploring whether a further expansion to 64 teams for the 2030 FIFA World Cup is feasible. If adopted, the proposal would significantly reshape qualification systems across all confederations and mark another major transformation in the history of international football.
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