Infantino pushes for 64-team World Cup: 'Football must be truly global'

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has openly thrown his weight behind the idea of expanding the men's World Cup even further, now advocating for a 64-team tournament. Despite the 2026 edition already increasing to 48 teams for the first time, Infantino told Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport that football's governing body must think bigger. "When you organize a World Cup, the goal should be to make it for the whole world — not just for Europe and South America, but for everyone. Every nation should be allowed to dream of taking part," Infantino said. He argued that the overall quality of national teams is rising fast, and FIFA's job is to encourage that trend, not restrict it with rigid quotas. As an example, he pointed to Africa, which had only five representatives at the last World Cup. Increasing spots would give African teams a genuine chance to compete on the biggest stage. FIFA plans to analyze the practical feasibility of a 64-team format once the 2026 tournament concludes. But the proposal has drawn sharp opposition from other top football officials. UEFA chief Aleksander Čeferin called it "bad" for both the finals and qualifying. Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman warned the expansion would create "chaos," while CONCACAF's Victor Montagliani said it would damage the entire football ecosystem. Infrastructure remains the biggest hurdle. A 128-match tournament demands enormous resources. The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by three nations, the 2030 edition by six, and Saudi Arabia's ability to host a 64-team event on its own in 2034 is uncertain. The only voice suggesting a potential host for such a mega-tournament came from White House working group member Andrew Giuliani, who floated the idea of the United States staging it in 2038. Infantino's push, however, carries clear political and financial logic. A 64-team World Cup would grant a spot to nearly a third of FIFA's 211 member associations, giving the president massive political backing. More matches also mean record revenues, which would then be distributed among all member nations.