Infantino Opens Door to 64-Team World Cup
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- Gianni Infantino told Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport the 64-team format will be discussed in FIFA's relevant committees after this year's 48-team tournament in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
- CONMEBOL first proposed a 64-team World Cup in March 2025 for the 2030 centenary; Infantino met with president Alejandro Domínguez and Argentine and Uruguayan FA chiefs in New York in September to advance the idea.
- Infantino argued that excluding smaller countries costs them "the incentive to keep improving," claiming the quality gap between nations is shrinking.
- A 64-team field would produce 128 matches, double the 64 played under the 32-team format used from 1998 to 2022 and 24 more than this year's 104.
- Concacaf president Victor Montagliani told ESPN in April 2025 that expanding to 64 "isn't the right move" for the tournament or the broader football ecosystem, from national teams to leagues and players.
- UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin has previously called the 64-team proposal "a bad idea."
Why it matters: Expanding to 64 teams would double the World Cup match count to 128, sharply increasing logistical, broadcasting, and player-workload demands on the host nation — and the proposal already faces open opposition from two of the most powerful confederations in Concacaf and UEFA, signaling a contentious fight inside FIFA before any expansion is approved.
