FIFA officials are evaluating the potential to increase the World Cup format by an additional 16 teams ahead of the 2030 tournament, according to FIFA President Gianni Infantino. In an interview with Bluewin, a Swiss news outlet, he suggested that expanding from 48 to 64 teams might be a beneficial move.
“That’s definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup,” Infantino stated. “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. 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.”
He emphasized that “Every team played at a high level. Teams from every continent scored goals and earned at least one point. 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.” Infantino noted the increasing quality of teams globally, asserting, “If you don’t give smaller countries a chance to participate in the World Cup, they’ll lack the incentive to keep improving.”
Success of the Current Format
Historically, the World Cup featured 32 teams from 1998 until 2022. The upcoming 2026 edition will be the inaugural tournament with 48 participating teams. The event will consist of two semi-finals, a third-place match, and the final, all part of a 104-match schedule.
Infantino described the 48-team format as a “huge success.” He remarked, “Every team played at a high level. Teams from every continent scored goals and earned at least one point. 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.”
2030 Tournament Plans
The 2030 World Cup will be a collaborative effort across multiple continents. The opening three matches are slated for Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay, with one match hosted by each nation, while the remaining matches will take place in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain. A move to expand to 64 teams could allow South American countries to each host a four-team group, instead of just one match.
