FIFA President Gianni Infantino revealed a major surprise regarding the 2030 World Cup in Morocco, Spain and Portugal, after confirming that the federation will officially study a proposal to expand the tournament to 64 teams, an increase of 16 teams over the current system that will see 48 teams participate for the first time in the 2026 edition.
Infantino said, in statements reported by the The Athletic network: "A tournament with 64 teams is an issue that will certainly be studied and discussed within the relevant committees after the end of the current World Cup", confirming that "the World Cup is a tournament for the whole world, not just for Europe and South America".
He added: "Every country must have the dream of participating in the World Cup. The level of teams is constantly rising all over the world, and if small countries are not given the opportunity to participate, they will not have the incentive to continue developing".
Although the idea of increasing the number of teams to 64 is not new, as it has been raised in recent months by a number of officials from the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), it has always been presented as a long-term project that may see the light in future editions of the World Cup, and not starting from the 2030 edition.
Therefore, Infantino's statements came as a surprise, after he confirmed that the proposal will indeed enter the official discussion table within FIFA committees after the end of the 2026 World Cup, which opened the door to the possibility of its implementation in the next edition if it receives approval.
Infantino described the decision to expand the 2026 World Cup to 48 teams as a "100% success", despite the criticisms directed at the new system, as some saw that it had stripped the qualifiers of part of their value.
In contrast, the 64-team project faces strong opposition, most notably from UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, who described the idea as "bad", considering that it would harm the tournament and the European qualifiers, and CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani also expressed his rejection of the proposal.
Supporters of the expansion believe that it will give a larger number of countries the opportunity to appear in the biggest global football event, while opponents fear that it will lead to a decline in the value of the qualifiers and overcrowding of the tournament schedule, making the expected decision from FIFA one of the most prominent files that will determine the shape of the 2030 World Cup.
