FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the organization will examine expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams after the 2026 tournament [1].

Such a move would significantly alter the global football landscape by granting more nations access to the sport's premier competition. This expansion aims to increase the number of countries capable of competing at the highest level and grow the game's reach.

Infantino said during an interview with Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport/Bluewin in Zurich [2]. He said that the 2026 World Cup, which features 48 teams [1], has been a huge success [3]. Because of this success, the governing body is open to further growth.

"Any further expansion of the World Cup, increasing the number of teams participating at the finals to 64, will be discussed after this year's edition," Infantino said [4].

An expansion to 64 teams would add 16 additional participants to the current 2026 roster [1]. Infantino said the goal is to provide more nations the opportunity to play on football’s biggest stage, which he believes helps raise standards across the world [5].

FIFA will use the conclusion of the 2026 edition as a benchmark to determine if the infrastructure and competitive balance can support more teams. The discussion regarding the 2030 cycle and beyond will depend on the outcomes and logistics of the current expanded format [2].

“"Any further expansion of the World Cup... will be discussed after this year's edition."”

The potential move to a 64-team format represents a shift toward a more inclusive, globalized tournament structure. While this provides more emerging football nations with visibility and revenue, it may also lead to concerns regarding player fatigue and the dilution of the competition's prestige due to a larger volume of matches.