Gianni Infantino, FIFA president since 2016, said the 48‑team World Cup launched in 2026 was a success and that the organisation will consider a 64‑team tournament after the next edition.
He told Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport that the elite competition must be for the whole world, giving every nation the chance to dream of qualification.
Infantino pointed out the progress of African teams, noting that the 2026 quarter‑finals included nine of ten African sides, compared with only five at the 2022 tournament.
Several confederation leaders have expressed doubts. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin called a 64‑team format a bad idea for both the tournament and qualifying play. AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa warned that further expansion could bring chaos. Concacaf’s Victor Montagliani said the proposal “doesn’t feel right” and could harm the football ecosystem, while Andrew Giuliani of the White House said the United States could host the 2038 World Cup and manage a larger format.
FIFA remains committed to engaging with all member associations and will take the proposal to the Council after the 2026 tournament, but no immediate decision is expected.
The expansion would broaden the appeal of the world cup, giving a larger slice of the 211 FIFA‑affiliated countries a hope of qualification and increasing revenue to distribute to member associations.
