FIFA Considers Expanding 2030 FIFA World Cup to 64 Teams

By Percy Nhara | Southerton Business Times

ZURICH – FIFA is set to consider expanding the 2030 FIFA World Cup from 48 to 64 teams as part of celebrations marking the tournament's 100th anniversary, a move that could create the largest World Cup in football history. The proposal, initially put forward by South American football governing body CONMEBOL, will be discussed by the FIFA Council before being tabled at the FIFA Congress next year.

If approved, the expanded tournament would significantly increase the number of participating nations, giving more teams from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Caribbean an opportunity to compete on football's biggest stage. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the proposal deserves careful consideration, arguing that the World Cup should reflect the global nature of the sport.

"That's definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup," Infantino told Swiss media outlet Bluewin.

"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."

Infantino said expanding the tournament would provide greater incentives for smaller football nations to invest in player development and strengthen their national teams.

"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."

The proposal is reportedly being considered as a one-off expansion to commemorate the centenary of the first FIFA World Cup, held in Uruguay in 1930.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, is the first edition featuring 48 teams, an increase from the previous 32-team format. The expansion also increased the number of matches from 64 to 104. A further increase to 64 teams would mean nearly one-third of FIFA's 211 member associations could qualify for the finals, potentially giving African nations their highest-ever representation at a World Cup.

Infantino said the expanded format has already demonstrated its value.

"Every team played at a high level in the group stages of the 2026 World Cup. Teams from every continent scored goals and earned at least one point."

He pointed to Africa's improved performances, noting that significantly more African teams progressed to the knockout stages than under the previous format. For Zimbabwe and other emerging football nations, a larger World Cup could improve qualification prospects, provided they navigate the increasingly competitive African qualifiers.

The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, while Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each stage an opening match to commemorate the tournament's centenary. Should FIFA approve the proposal, the 2030 edition would become the biggest World Cup ever staged, further reshaping international football and expanding opportunities for nations seeking to compete on the global stage.

2030 FIFA World Cup 64 teams