Gianni Infantino, facing mounting pressure over his leadership of FIFA, is reported to be signalling support for a further expansion of the men's World Cup — a move widely seen as an attempt to consolidate backing among FIFA's 211 Member Associations ahead of a presidential election.

According to the Mirror, Infantino has indicated he would favour increasing the tournament from its current 48-team format to one featuring 64 teams. The FIFA president travelled to Colombia on Friday to attend the inauguration of the country's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, where talks around a potential expansion are said to have taken place.

A political calculation

The motive behind any further enlargement of the World Cup extends well beyond sport. Each of FIFA's 211 Member Associations holds an equal vote, meaning smaller federations wield the same power as the sport's heavyweights. For many of those smaller associations, an expanded tournament represents their first genuine opportunity to compete on football's biggest stage.

Pledging to open the World Cup to more nations is, in effect, a direct appeal to the majority of Infantino's electorate — and historically, that has proven a difficult offer to refuse. Any president willing to back such an expansion would stand to earn considerable goodwill among federations that currently have little prospect of qualifying for a 48-team tournament, let alone a smaller one.

The sell-off that backfired

Infantino's position has been weakened in recent months by his attempts to sell a substantial share of World Cup commercial rights to private investors. Associates of Donald Trump — who has voiced explicit support for Infantino — were reportedly among those lined up to benefit. The plan drew fierce resistance from member associations, rights holders, and governing bodies across the world, ultimately forcing it to be shelved.

UEFA seized on the controversy, positioning itself as a defender of the sport's integrity. The European confederation has since threatened to boycott FIFA competitions and is demanding formal assurances before standing down. That threat has not yet been withdrawn.

Europe holds the key

Infantino's expansion plan carries a fundamental complication: a 64-team World Cup would only carry political weight if European nations were among the new entrants. Without UEFA's cooperation, the tournament itself could be derailed — Europe retains the power to effectively kill the competition should it choose to withdraw.

Even if all 156 non-UEFA member associations voted alongside Infantino, a UEFA boycott would render the expanded World Cup unworkable. The European body appears to recognise this leverage and shows little sign of backing down without meaningful concessions from the FIFA presidency.

For Infantino, the expansion gambit represents his most powerful remaining card — but playing it successfully depends on winning over the very confederation most vocally opposed to him.