While the world’s eyes are glued to the semifinals in Dallas and Atlanta, FIFA president has quietly dropped a bombshell that could reshape football’s biggest stage forever: a 64-team World Cup, possibly as soon as 2030.
Yes, you read that right. Sixteen more teams. Double the size of the tournament format that ran from 1998 to 2022. And it’s not just talk — Infantino confirmed it’s now officially on the table for discussion.
Wait, Didn’t We Just Do This?
Fair point. The 2026 tournament is the first-ever 48-team World Cup, up from the classic 32. Critics groaned when it was approved back in 2017. Fast forward to now, and Infantino is calling it a smash hit: “It’s been a huge success with 48 teams. Every team played at a high level. Teams from every continent scored goals and earned at least one point.” He’s especially proud of Africa’s showing — nine of ten African teams reached the knockout stage this time, compared to just five qualifying at the last World Cup.
So naturally, his next move is: why stop at 48?
“That’s definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup,” Infantino said, framing it as a matter of global fairness. “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.”
The 2030 Connection
This isn’t a random flex — there’s a real trigger behind it. The 2030 World Cup already has a wild setup: Morocco, Portugal, and Spain as primary hosts, while Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay each get to host a single centenary opener marking 100 years since the very first World Cup in 1930. Under the current 48-team plan, those South American nations only get one match apiece. Bump it to 64, though, and CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez — who’s been pushing hard for this, calling it his “dream” — sees a path where each host country gets an entire group to itself.
Not Everyone’s Buying It
Here’s where it gets spicy. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin isn’t having any of it, calling the whole idea flatly “a bad idea” that would hurt both the tournament and qualifying campaigns. Asia’s confederation chief has gone even further, warning that a 64-team field would be pure “chaos.” CONCACAF’s Victor Montagliani has also raised red flags about the toll on an already packed football calendar.
And the maths backs up their nerves: a 64-team World Cup would mean 128 matches — literally double the 64-game format football fans grew up with, and 24 more than this year’s already-massive 104-game marathon.
So… Is It Happening?
Nothing’s decided. This is very much a “watch this space” situation, with FIFA’s committees set to dig into it once the dust settles on the current tournament. But between the money on the table, the political push from South America, and Infantino’s track record of getting his way, don’t be shocked if we’re talking about a 64-team World Cup a lot more seriously by this time next year.
Bigger dreams, bigger arguments — welcome to modern football.
