FIFA to explore 64-team World Cup expansion for 2030 edition: Gianni Infantino
According to Gianni Infantino, the FIFA World Cup must serve the entire planet, not just traditional powers. The 48-team experiment has already shown rising standards everywhere. A further expansion, he argues, would keep that momentum going and give every country a genuine dream.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed that world football’s governing body will look into growing the World Cup to 64 teams for the 2030 tournament. The idea comes right after the successful launch of the 48-team format at the ongoing 2026 finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
48-team format already a clear success
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is the first to feature 48 nations after 24 years of the classic 32-team model. Gianni Infantino has called the bigger field “100 per cent a success.”
“Every team played at a high level. Teams from every continent scored goals and earned at least one point,” he said. “Nine out of 10 African teams reached the knockout stage. At the last World Cup, there were only five teams from Africa. That just goes to show how important it is to include all teams to give them this opportunity to participate.”
As of July 12, only four sides remain: Argentina, England, France, and Spain. The semi-finals and final are still to come from a record 104-match schedule. Infantino believes the quality on show proves the expansion worked.
Plans to discuss 64 teams after this tournament
Talks about adding another 16 teams will begin once the current World Cup ends.
“It (a 64-team tournament) is definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup,” Infantino told Swiss outlet Bluewin.
He stressed the bigger picture, “Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup. You can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high, and it’s getting higher and higher, all over the world. If you don’t give smaller countries a chance to participate in the World Cup, they’ll lack the incentive to keep improving.”
Notably, a formal proposal first arrived from South American leaders in September 2025. FIFA officials are now ready to study a jump from 48 to 64 teams before 2030.
Historic multi-continent 2030 setup
The 2030 tournament will already be special. Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay will each host one opening match to mark 100 years since the first World Cup. The rest of the games will be shared by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain.
Moving to 64 teams could let the three South American hosts stage full four-team groups instead of single matches. That would raise the total to 128 games while giving more nations a real shot at the biggest stage.
About the Author
Aachal Maniyar is a Senior Content Producer at LiveMint, where she covers US sports with a focus on major leagues, marquee events, and athlete-driven stories, while also reporting extensively on cricket and global sports. With over five years of first-hand journalism experience, she combines sharp editorial judgment with real-time sports storytelling across platforms. <br><br> Her reporting journey spans leading newsrooms including Thomson Reuters, India TV, BTVI, ET NOW, and CNBC TV18, where she has worked across breaking news, live match coverage, feature writing, interviews, video scripting, and anchoring. This multi-platform exposure has shaped her ability to deliver context-rich sports and business journalism tailored for both television and digital audiences. <br><br> Aachal has conducted and produced exclusive interviews with athletes and public figures such as India cricketer Dhruv Jurel, Indian women’s hockey captain Savita Punia, and industrialist Ratan Tata, along with several emerging and established sports personalities. Her body of work includes in-depth explainers, athlete profiles, emotionally resonant fan narratives, and data-backed match analysis across cricket, Olympic sports, and international competitions. <br><br> She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune, and believes in reporting that is grounded in accuracy, clarity, and credibility. Her philosophy is simple: sports journalism should go beyond scores and statistics, capturing the human stories, pressure moments, and decisions that shape the game and the people who play it.
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