Just as the football world begins adjusting to the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup, the game’s governing body is already looking at an even bigger future.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has revealed that discussions will soon begin on a proposal to increase the number of participating nations at the 2030 FIFA World Cup from 48 to an unprecedented 64 teams—a move that could completely reshape football’s biggest tournament.
If eventually approved, the centenary edition of the World Cup would become the largest in the competition’s history, offering more countries than ever before the opportunity to compete on football’s grandest stage.
Infantino Makes Case For Bigger World Cup
Speaking about the proposal, Infantino said FIFA would examine the idea after the conclusion of the ongoing World Cup as part of its broader vision to make the tournament more inclusive.
According to him, football’s biggest event should not remain the preserve of a handful of traditional powers.
Instead, he believes nations from Africa, Asia, Oceania, North America and other developing football regions deserve greater opportunities to qualify and compete alongside the world’s elite.
The FIFA president argued that widening access to the tournament would inspire more countries to invest heavily in grassroots football, youth development, domestic leagues and national teams.
He explained that repeated failure to qualify for the World Cup often discourages smaller football nations from committing long-term resources to the sport.
48-Team Format Strengthens FIFA’s Confidence
Infantino pointed to the ongoing 2026 World Cup format as evidence that expansion can benefit the global game.
The tournament was increased from 32 to 48 teams, allowing 16 additional nations to participate while expanding the number of matches from 64 to 104.
According to him, teams from every continent have demonstrated their ability to compete at the highest level by earning points, scoring goals and challenging established football nations.
He believes those performances have strengthened FIFA’s confidence that further expansion would enhance—not weaken—the competitiveness of the World Cup.
2030 Could Become The Biggest World Cup Ever
Should the proposal receive the required approval from FIFA’s decision-making bodies, the 2030 edition would surpass every previous World Cup in both size and participation.
A 64-team competition would create additional qualification places across FIFA’s six continental confederations, significantly improving the chances of countries that have never previously reached the World Cup.
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It would also require another major adjustment to the tournament’s scheduling, logistics and competition format, issues FIFA is expected to carefully evaluate before making a final decision.
Historic Tournament Across Three Continents
Beyond the expansion proposal, the 2030 World Cup is already set to make history.
The tournament will be jointly hosted by six countries across three continents as FIFA celebrates 100 years since the inaugural World Cup.
Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each stage one opening fixture in tribute to South America’s place in football history, with Uruguay having hosted and won the first-ever World Cup in 1930.
After those opening matches, the tournament will continue in Morocco, Spain and Portugal, making it the first FIFA World Cup to span three continents.
If the proposed expansion eventually receives the green light, the centenary tournament would not only celebrate a century of World Cup history but also usher in the biggest and most inclusive edition the competition has ever witnessed.