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    FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that the organization will consider expanding the men's World Cup to 64 teams after the 2026 tournament. The 2026 edition, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is already the first to feature 48 teams, up from 32. Infantino said the proposal is aimed at giving more countries the opportunity to qualify and dream of competing on football's biggest stage. "This is certainly an issue that will be looked at and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup," FIFA's president told Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport when asked about the possibility of a 64-team tournament. "When you organize a World Cup, it's important that you organize it for the whole world. It's not just Europe and South America, but the entire world, effectively. Every nation should be able to dream of taking part in the World Cup." "We can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high, and it's getting higher and higher everywhere in the world. If you don't give smaller countries the chance to participate in the World Cup, they also lose the incentive to keep improving." In March 2025, South American football body CONMEBOL has proposed expanding the 2030 FIFA World Cup to 64 teams to celebrate the tournament's 100th anniversary. Last September, FIFA President Gianni Infantino met with CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez and football officials from Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay to discuss the proposal. Domínguez said, "We believe in a historic 2030 World Cup. We want to call for unity, creativity, and believing big. Because when football is shared by everyone, the celebration is truly global." CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani said: "I don't believe expanding the men's World Cup to 64 teams is the right move for the tournament itself and the broader football ecosystem, from national teams to club competitions, leagues and players." A proposed 64-team World Cup would expand the tournament to 128 matches, doubling the number played under the 32-team format used from 1998 to 2022. By comparison, the 2026 edition features 104 matches. However, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has opposed the idea, describing it as "a bad idea."
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