FIFA president Gianni Infantino has signalled that the possibility of expanding the men's World Cup to 64 teams will be examined once the 2026 tournament concludes, arguing that the event must belong to "the whole world."

Speaking to Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport, Infantino pointed to the strong performances of African nations at the current 48-team FIFA World Cup 2026 as evidence that expansion is working. He noted that nine out of ten African teams advanced to the knockout stages — a striking contrast to the five African sides that competed at the previous tournament.

"When organising a World Cup, it's important to organise it for the whole world — not just Europe and South America, but effectively the entire world. Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup," Infantino said.

He added that withholding World Cup participation from smaller nations removes a key incentive for those countries to develop their football. "If you don't give smaller countries a chance to participate in the World Cup, they'll lack the incentive to keep improving," he said.

Where the proposal stands

South American governing body Conmebol formally proposed expanding the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams in April 2025, but no decision has been reached. The FIFA council, which expanded the tournament from 32 to 48 teams back in 2017, would ultimately decide on any further growth.

The idea has drawn notable opposition. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has called a 64-team tournament a "bad idea," while Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa warned it would bring "chaos." Concacaf president Victor Montagliani also expressed scepticism, saying the suggestion "doesn't feel right" and could damage "the broader football ecosystem."

On the other side, Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House's World Cup task force, said the United States could potentially bid to host the 2038 World Cup and would be capable of handling a 64-team event.

The hosting challenge

A larger tournament creates significant logistical pressure on any host nation. The FIFA World Cup 2026 is already spread across three countries, while the 2030 edition will span six — Morocco, Portugal, and Spain as primary hosts, with Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay staging the three centenary opening matches to mark the 100th anniversary of the competition.

Questions remain about whether Saudi Arabia, set to host the 2034 World Cup, could manage a 128-game tournament on its own.

Nevertheless, the expansion push carries clear appeal for Infantino. A 64-team World Cup would allow nearly a third of FIFA's 211 member associations to qualify, and a bigger tournament generates more revenue to be distributed among those same member associations.